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wp config list

Overview

Display all constants and variables from wp-config.php in one command. Use it to audit configuration, debug environment issues, or compare values across servers.

What It Does​

wp config list reads wp-config.php and outputs all defined constants and variables in a structured format. By default it shows a table with name, value, and type columns.

Syntax​

wp config list [--fields=<fields>] [--format=<format>] [--strict] [--config-file=<path>]

Options & Flags​

FlagDefaultDescription
--fields=FIELDSname,value,typeComma-separated list of columns to display
--format=FORMATtableOutput format: table, json, csv, yaml, count
--strict—Return only definitions actually set in the file
--config-file=PATH—Read from a file at a custom path

Basic Usage​

Default table output​

wp config list

Output:

+--------------------+-----------------------------+----------+
| name               | value                       | type     |
+--------------------+-----------------------------+----------+
| table_prefix       | wp_                         | variable |
| DB_NAME            | wpdb                        | constant |
| DB_USER            | wpuser                      | constant |
| DB_PASSWORD        | ********                    | constant |
| DB_HOST            | localhost                   | constant |
| WP_DEBUG           | false                       | constant |
+--------------------+-----------------------------+----------+
Passwords are masked

Sensitive values like DB_PASSWORD and authentication salts are automatically masked in the output.

JSON output​

wp config list --format=json

CSV output (for spreadsheet import)​

wp config list --format=csv > wp-config-audit.csv

YAML output​

wp config list --format=yaml

Show only names​

wp config list --fields=name

Count total entries​

wp config list --format=count

Real-World Scenarios​

Scenario 1: Pre-deployment config audit​

echo "=== Config Audit: $(date) ===" >> audit.log
wp config list --format=csv >> audit.log

Scenario 2: Compare configs between environments​

# On staging
wp config list --format=json > staging-config.json

# On production (run separately)
wp config list --format=json > prod-config.json

diff staging-config.json prod-config.json

Scenario 3: Verify a specific constant exists​

wp config list | grep WP_CACHE

Scenario 4: Check all database connection values​

wp config list --fields=name,value | grep -E "^DB_"

Best Practices​

  1. Run after every config change (wp config set, wp config create) to confirm the result.
  2. Export to CSV for documentation — useful for audits or client handoffs.
  3. Use --format=json in automation to process values programmatically.
  4. Combine with grep to quickly check if a constant is defined.

Troubleshooting​

ProblemCauseFix
Error: No wp-config.php foundRun from wrong directorycd /var/www/html or use --path
Salts and secrets visibleOlder WP-CLI versionsUpdate WP-CLI; newer versions mask sensitive data
Missing expected constantNot defined in configUse wp config set to add it

Quick Reference​

wp config list                          # Table view of all config
wp config list --format=json            # JSON output
wp config list --format=csv             # CSV export
wp config list --fields=name,value      # Name and value only
wp config list --format=count           # Count total entries

Next Steps​