Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesSSH gives you a shell on your server; WP-CLI adds WordPress-aware commands for inspecting and maintaining the site. Before running anything that changes data or files, confirm the WordPress directory, export the database, and know how you would restore it.
Connect over SSH and confirm the site directory
Use the host, account, key, port, and site path provided by your hosting provider. The WordPress directory is not necessarily /var/www, and the web-server account varies by host. Most hosts provide SSH access, according to the WordPress.org WP-CLI Beginner’s Guide.
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 username@example.com
pwd
ls -la
cd /var/www/example.com
find .. -maxdepth 2 -name wp-config.php -printAfter connecting, pwd shows your current directory and ls -la lists its contents, including hidden files. Replace the example path with the actual WordPress installation directory. If you are unsure where it is, use find to locate wp-config.php; do not assume that the first result is the site you intend to manage.
Verify WP-CLI is targeting the right installation
SSH is the connection to the server, not a WordPress management command. WP-CLI is the command-line interface used to perform WordPress administrative and development tasks programmatically, as the official beginner’s guide describes. Check that it is available and query the installation before making changes:
wp --info
wp core version --path=/var/www/example.com
wp option get siteurl --path=/var/www/example.com
wp plugin list --path=/var/www/example.com
wp theme list --path=/var/www/example.comThe --path global parameter tells WP-CLI which WordPress installation to use. Keeping it explicit is especially useful when an account manages multiple sites. For a multisite network, add --url=https://site.example when a command needs to target a particular site in the network. See the WP-CLI help documentation for global parameters.
Inspect files and configuration without exposing secrets
These shell commands help check the content directory, recent uploads, configuration-file metadata, and PHP version without dumping configuration credentials to the terminal:
ls -lah wp-content
find wp-content/uploads -type f -mtime -7 -print | head
stat wp-config.php
php -vThe find command lists up to the first several files under uploads modified within the last seven days. Treat wp-config.php as secret material: avoid printing its contents into shared terminals, support transcripts, or logs.
Back up before updates or database changes
Export the database before updates, search-and-replace operations, or permission changes. Confirm that the backup completed and that you have a practical restore route before proceeding. A database export is not a full filesystem backup: site files such as uploads and custom themes or plugins need their own backup if you need to restore the entire site.
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wp db export ~/backups/site-$(date +%F).sql --path=/var/www/example.comThis names the export with the current date. Ensure the backup directory exists and is writable by your account, and verify that the resulting file is present and non-empty. WP-CLI’s command index documents the database export and the core, plugin, and theme command families: WP-CLI commands.
Check and apply WordPress updates carefully
First check for a core update and preview plugin and theme updates. The dry-run commands let you review the proposed changes before running an update:
wp core check-update --path=/var/www/example.com
wp plugin update --all --dry-run --path=/var/www/example.com
wp theme update --all --dry-run --path=/var/www/example.comIf the preview is expected and the backup and restore path are ready, run the relevant real update command by removing --dry-run. Updating everything at once is convenient, but a compatibility problem can affect multiple components; on a critical site, consider updating and checking components in smaller groups.
Flush cache, inspect cron, and refresh rewrite rules
WP-CLI provides WordPress-aware commands for routine maintenance:
wp cache flush --path=/var/www/example.com
wp cron event list --path=/var/www/example.com
wp cron event run --due-now --path=/var/www/example.com
wp rewrite flush --path=/var/www/example.comUse the cron listing to inspect scheduled events before manually running due events. Flushing rewrite rules can affect routing, so use it when there is a reason, such as after a rewrite-related change, rather than as a general troubleshooting ritual. These commands work through WordPress rather than editing database rows directly.
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Use search-and-replace with a dry run
For a URL migration, preview the changes before applying them. Keep a database export and review the dry-run counts before removing the dry-run flag:
wp search-replace 'https://old.example' 'https://new.example' --all-tables-with-prefix --dry-run --path=/var/www/example.com
wp search-replace 'https://old.example' 'https://new.example' --all-tables-with-prefix --path=/var/www/example.comUsing WP-CLI’s search-and-replace command is safer than ad-hoc SQL for WordPress data that may be serialized. The first command reports what would change; only run the second after confirming the target site, replacement URLs, and expected results.
Troubleshoot from the shell inward
Start with basic shell and path checks, then inspect WP-CLI output and isolate plugins or themes if needed. These commands offer a starting point:
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wp --debug core version --path=/var/www/example.com
wp plugin deactivate --all --path=/var/www/example.com
wp theme list --skip-plugins --path=/var/www/example.com
wp shell --path=/var/www/example.com--debug adds diagnostic output. Deactivating every plugin changes the live site, so use it only when you have considered the impact and have a way to restore plugin state; where possible, isolate one suspected plugin at a time. --skip-plugins and --skip-themes are useful for commands that need to run without loading those components. wp shell opens an interactive PHP console; use it only if you understand the code you intend to execute. The WP-CLI shell documentation describes the command and global parameters.
If application-level checks do not explain a server error, inspect the host’s PHP-FPM, Apache, or Nginx logs. The log location is host-specific; once you have the correct path, follow new entries with:
tail -f /path/to/error.logRun WP-CLI directly on a remote host
If you have a local WP-CLI installation and the remote server has wp available on its PATH, WP-CLI can execute commands remotely. The documented syntax supports a user, host, optional port, and remote path. For example:
wp plugin list --ssh=admin@example.com:2222~/srv/www/example.com
wp cache flush --ssh=admin@example.com~/srv/www/example.comThese examples use a non-default SSH port for the first command and the default port for the second. Confirm the remote path and account before running a state-changing command. The official remote-execution guide covers remote execution, aliases, and the requirement that WP-CLI be available on the remote PATH. Interactive SSH is often easier for initial diagnosis; remote execution can be convenient for repeatable commands.
Shell tools for disk use, logs, processes, and file transfer
These general-purpose shell tools can complement WP-CLI. Review every path and destination before using them:
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du -sh . wp-content/*
grep -R "Fatal error" /path/to/logs | tail -n 20
ps aux | grep -E 'php-fpm|apache|nginx'
rsync -a --dry-run ./ user@example.com:/srv/www/example.com/dusummarizes disk use for the current directory and items underwp-content.grepsearches the specified logs for fatal-error text, whiletaillimits the output to the latest matching lines.pslists processes matching common PHP and web-server names; results depend on what runs on the host.rsync --dry-runpreviews a file transfer. Check the source and destination carefully before rerunning without--dry-run; do not add--deleteunless direction and backup are confirmed.
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