Use when working with WP-CLI (wp) for WordPress operations: safe search-replace, db export/import, plugin/theme/user/content management, cron, cache flushing, multisite, and scripting/automation with wp-cli.yml.

WP CLI and Ops When to use Use this skill when the task involves WordPress operational work via WP CLI, including: wp search replace (URL changes, domain migrations, protocol switch) DB export/import, resets, and inspections ( wp db ) plugin/theme install/activate/update, language packs cron event listing/running cache/rewrite flushing multisite operations ( wp site , url , network ) building repeatable scripts ( wp cli.yml , shell scripts, CI jobs) Inputs required Where WP CLI will run (local dev, staging, production) and whether it’s safe to run. How to target the correct site root: path=<wordpress root and (multisite) url=<site url Whether this is multisite and whether commands should run network wide. Any constraints (no downtime, no DB writes, maintenance window). Procedure 0) Guardrails: confirm environment and blast radius WP CLI commands can be destructive. Before running anything that writes: 1. Confirm environment (dev/staging/prod). 2. Confirm targeting (path/url) so you don’t hit the wrong site. 3. Make a backup when performing risky operations. Read: references/safety.md 1) Inspect WP CLI and site targeting (deterministic) Run the inspector: node skills/wp wpcli and ops/scripts/wpcli inspect.mjs path=<path [ url=<url ] If WP CLI isn’t available, fall back to installing it via the project’s documented tooling (Composer, container, or system package), or ask for the expected execution environment. 2) Choose the right workflow A) Safe URL/domain migration ( search replace ) Follow a safe sequence: 1. wp db export (backup) 2. wp search replace dry run (review impact) 3. Run the real replace with appropriate flags 4. Flush caches/rewrite if needed Read: references/search replace.md B) Plugin/theme operations Use wp plugin / wp theme and confirm you’re acting on the intended site (and network) first. Read: references/packages and updates.md C) Cron and queues Inspect cron state and run individual events for debugging rather than “run everything blindly”. Read: references/cron and cache.md D) Multisite operations Multisite changes can affect many sites. Always decide whether you’re operating: on a single site ( url= ), or network wide ( network / iterating sites) Read: references/multisite.md 3) Automation patterns (scripts + wp cli.yml) For repeatable ops, prefer: wp cli.yml for defaults (path/url, PHP memory limits) shell scripts that log commands and stop on error CI jobs that run read only checks by default Read: references/automation.md Verification Re run wpcli inspect after changes that could affect targeting or config. Confirm intended side effects: correct URLs updated plugins/themes in expected state cron/caches flushed where needed If there’s a health check endpoint or smoke test suite, run it after ops changes. Failure modes / debugging “Error: This does not seem to be a WordPress installation.” wrong path , wrong container, or missing wp config.php Multisite commands affecting the wrong site missing url or wrong URL Search replace causes unexpected serialization issues wrong flags or changing serialized data unsafely See: references/debugging.md Escalation If you cannot confirm environment safety, do not run write operations. If the repo uses containerized tooling (Docker/wp env) but you can’t access it, ask for the intended command runner or CI job.

wp-wpcli-and-ops