The cPanel WP Toolkit includes a command-line utility called wp-toolkit. This tool allows server administrators to manage WordPress installations directly from the Linux command line, automate routine tasks, and integrate WordPress maintenance into cron jobs.
This guide explains how to use wp-toolkit on Colonelserver infrastructure, including common commands for managing WordPress sites, plug-ins, thema's, updates, and backups.
Important Requirements
- wp-toolkit is available only on servers with root access
- You must run all commands as the root user
- Basic familiarity with the Linux command line is required
About wp-toolkit
wp-toolkit is part of the cPanel WordPress Toolkit ecosystem. It provides fast, scriptable access to WordPress management features that are otherwise handled through the graphical interface.
With wp-toolkit you can:
- List and inspect WordPress installations
- Installeren, update, and remove plugins and themes
- Manage plugin and theme sets
- Configure Smart Updates
- Back up and restore WordPress sites
- Reset administrator passwords
- Automate tasks using cron
Viewing Available Commands
To display the full list of available commands:
wp-toolkit --help
To view help for a specific command, for example the list command:
wp-toolkit --help -command list
Listing WordPress Installations
To list all WordPress installations detected by WP Toolkit:
wp-toolkit --list
Voorbeelduitvoer:
ID Installation Path Owner ID State Website URL
1 /public_html/wp 2 OK https://example.com
2 /public_html/blog 2 Outdated PHP https://example.com/blog
De ID value is required for most wp-toolkit operations.
Viewing Installation Details
To view detailed information about a specific WordPress installation:
wp-toolkit --info -instance-id X
Replace X with the installation ID.
This command displays:
- Installation path
- WordPress version
- Site URL
- Admin email address
- Update and security status
- SSL configuration
- Installed plugins and themes
Managing Plugins and Themes with Sets
wp-toolkit supports sets, which are reusable collections of plugins and themes.
Uploading a Plugin to the Cache
wp-toolkit --plugins -operation add \
-source-url https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/hello-dolly.1.7.2.zip
Uploading a Theme to the Cache
wp-toolkit --themes -operation add \
-source-url https://downloads.wordpress.org/theme/twentytwenty.1.8.zip
Creating a Set
wp-toolkit --sets -operation add -name Basic
After creation, note the returned set ID.
Adding Plugins and Themes to a Set
wp-toolkit --sets -operation add-plugin \
-set-id 7 -plugin-slug hello-dolly
wp-toolkit --sets -operation add-theme \
-set-id 7 -theme-slug twentytwenty
Installing a Set on a Site
wp-toolkit --sets -operation install \
-set-id 7 -instance-id X
Configuring Smart Updates
Smart Updates allow safe testing of WordPress updates on a cloned environment.
Checking Smart Update Status
wp-toolkit --smart-update -operation status -instance-id X
Enabling Smart Updates
wp-toolkit --smart-update -operation enable -instance-id X
Disabling Smart Updates
wp-toolkit --smart-update -operation disable -instance-id X
Backing Up and Restoring WordPress Sites
Backups include all files and the database and are stored as compressed archives.
Creating a Backup
wp-toolkit --backup -operation backup -instance-id X
Backups are stored in:
/home/USERNAME/wordpress-backups/
Listing Available Backups
wp-toolkit --backup -operation list -instance-id X
Restoring a Backup
wp-toolkit --backup -operation restore \
-instance-id X -filename backup-file.tar.gz
Resetting the WordPress Administrator Password
To reset an administrator password:
wp-toolkit --site-admin-reset-password \
-admin-login adminusername -instance-id X
If only one administrator exists, de -admin-login option can be omitted.
Automating Tasks with Cron
wp-toolkit can be safely used in cron jobs.
Voorbeeld: Daily backup at 02:15 AM
15 2 * * * /usr/local/bin/wp-toolkit \
--backup -operation backup -instance-id X >/dev/null 2>&1
Samenvatting
Using wp-toolkit on Colonelserver servers provides full command-line control over WordPress environments. It is ideal for advanced users, systeembeheerders, and automated hosting workflows where speed, consistency, and reliability are required.
For GUI-based management, the standard cPanel WordPress Toolkit interface remains available for supported hosting plans.