wp db drop

Overview

Permanently delete the WordPress database. A destructive, irreversible operation — always take a backup first. Used for cleanup, decommissioning, or resetting an environment from scratch.

What It Does

wp db drop executes DROP DATABASE using the credentials from wp-config.php. All tables, data, and the database itself are permanently removed. There is no undo.

Syntax

wp db drop [--yes] [--dbuser=<value>] [--dbpass=<value>]

Options & Flags

Flag	Description
--yes	Skip the confirmation prompt (required for non-interactive use, e.g. scripts)
--dbuser=VALUE	Override DB user
--dbpass=VALUE	Override DB password

Basic Usage

Interactive drop (prompts for confirmation)

wp db drop

Are you sure you want to drop the 'wpdb' database? [y/n] y
Success: Database dropped.

Non-interactive (scripts, CI/CD)

wp db drop --yes

This is permanent

wp db drop removes the entire database — all tables, posts, users, options, and custom data. There is no recovery unless you have a backup.

Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: Environment teardown and rebuild

# Export first — always
wp db export backup_final_$(date +%Y%m%d).sql

# Tear down
wp db drop --yes

# Rebuild
wp db create
wp core install \
  --url="${SITE_URL}" \
  --title="${SITE_TITLE}" \
  --admin_user=admin \
  --admin_password=Admin1234! \
  --admin_email=admin@example.com \
  --skip-email

Scenario 2: CI/CD test cleanup

# After test run — clean up test DB
wp db drop --yes
echo "Test database cleaned up"

Scenario 3: Reset a staging environment

# Drop staging DB and reload from production dump
wp db drop --yes
wp db create
wp db import production_dump.sql
wp search-replace 'https://example.com' 'https://staging.example.com'

Scenario 4: Guarded drop in automation

#!/bin/bash
echo "Creating backup before drop..."
wp db export pre_drop_$(date +%Y%m%d%H%M).sql

read -p "Are you absolutely sure you want to drop the database? (type 'DROP'): " confirm
if [ "$confirm" = "DROP" ]; then
  wp db drop --yes
  echo "Database dropped."
else
  echo "Aborted."
fi

Best Practices

1. ALWAYS export first — run wp db export and confirm the file is valid before dropping.
2. Never use --yes in production without a guard (confirmation prompt or explicit approval step).
3. Use in pipelines only in controlled environments (local dev, CI test runners, disposable staging).
4. Prefer wp db reset when you want to clear tables but keep the database.

Comparison: Drop vs Reset vs Export+Import

Goal	Command
Permanently delete the entire database	wp db drop --yes
Delete all tables but keep the DB	wp db reset --yes
Wipe and reload from a dump	wp db drop --yes && wp db create && wp db import dump.sql

Troubleshooting

Problem	Cause	Fix
Access denied	DB user lacks DROP privilege	Grant DROP to the DB user
Prompt skipped unexpectedly	Running in a non-TTY terminal	Use --yes explicitly
Unknown database after drop	DB already didn't exist	Command may error — this is not a real issue

Quick Reference

wp db drop                             # Interactive (prompts)
wp db drop --yes                       # Non-interactive
wp db export dump.sql && wp db drop --yes   # Safe export then drop

Next Steps

• wp db create — recreate the database after dropping.
• wp db export — always export before dropping.
• wp db reset — clear all tables without dropping the database.