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Comprehensive WP-CLI Learning Curriculum

Module 1: Introduction to WP-CLI​

  • Topic 1.1: What is WP-CLI?
  • Definition, purpose, advantages over wp-admin
  • Requirements (PHP, WordPress, shell access)
  • Topic 1.2: Installation & Setup
  • Installing via Phar, Composer, Homebrew, package managers
  • Global vs per-user installation
  • Verifying with wp --info
  • Topic 1.3: Basic Command Syntax
  • General syntax: wp [command] [subcommand] [options] [ARGS]
  • Command hierarchy (command → subcommand → options → arguments)
  • Short vs long flags (-h vs --help)
  • Global parameters: --path, --url, --user, --skip-plugins, --skip-themes, --quiet, --debug

Module 2: Core WordPress Management​

  • Topic 2.1: Core Commands
  • wp core download (all flags: --locale, --version, --force)
  • wp core install (syntax, operators: --url, --title, --admin_user, --admin_password, --admin_email)
  • wp core update, wp core update-db
  • wp core verify-checksums, wp core version
  • Topic 2.2: Configuration Files
  • wp config create (all operators: --dbname, --dbuser, --dbpass, --dbhost, --dbprefix)
  • wp config list, wp config set, wp config delete, wp config shuffle-salts

Module 3: Plugin Management​

  • Topic 3.1: Plugin Installation & Updates
  • wp plugin install SLUG_OR_ZIP_OR_URL (operators: --activate, --force, --version)
  • wp plugin update PLUGIN_OR_ALL
  • wp plugin uninstall, wp plugin delete
  • Topic 3.2: Plugin Status & Activation
  • wp plugin activate, wp plugin deactivate
  • wp plugin status (columns, formatting flags)
  • Topic 3.3: Edge Cases
  • Installing remote plugins via .zip or Git repo
  • Bulk activation/deactivation (xargs, --all)

Module 4: Theme Management​

  • Topic 4.1: Installation & Updates
  • wp theme install SLUG_OR_ZIP_OR_URL (operators: --activate, --version)
  • wp theme update THEME_OR_ALL
  • Topic 4.2: Theme Switching & Info
  • wp theme activate, wp theme status, wp theme list
  • Topic 4.3: Customization Files
  • wp theme mod get, wp theme mod set, wp theme mod remove

Module 5: Database Management​

  • Topic 5.1: Database Operations
  • wp db create, wp db drop, wp db reset
  • wp db export, wp db import, wp db query (syntax like MySQL CLI)
  • Topic 5.2: Search & Replace
  • wp search-replace SEARCH REPLACE
  • Operators: --dry-run, --network, --skip-columns, --precise
  • Topic 5.3: Optimize & Repair
  • wp db optimize, wp db repair

Module 6: User Management​

  • Topic 6.1: Creating & Managing Users
  • wp user create LOGIN EMAIL (operators: --role, --user_pass, --display_name)
  • wp user update, wp user delete, wp user set-role
  • Topic 6.2: Listing & Authentication
  • wp user list (columns: ID, login, email, role)
  • wp user meta subcommands (add, get, delete, update)

Module 7: Content Management​

  • Topic 7.1: Posts
  • wp post create, wp post update, wp post delete
  • Arguments: --post_type, --post_status, --post_author
  • Bulk imports with JSON/CSV
  • Topic 7.2: Taxonomies
  • wp term create, wp term list, wp term delete
  • Operators: --slug, --description, --parent
  • Topic 7.3: Comments
  • wp comment create, wp comment approve, wp comment spam, wp comment delete

Module 8: Media Management​

  • Topic 8.1: Upload & Attachments
  • wp media import FILE_OR_URL (operators: --title, --alt, --caption, --featured_image)
  • Topic 8.2: Regenerating Thumbnails
  • wp media regenerate (operators: --only-missing, --yes)

Module 9: Multisite Management​

  • Topic 9.1: Network Setup
  • wp core multisite-convert, wp core multisite-install
  • Topic 9.2: Site Management
  • wp site create, wp site list, wp site delete
  • Topic 9.3: Network User & Plugin Management
  • wp super-admin, wp plugin --network, wp theme --network

Module 10: Advanced Tools​

  • Topic 10.1: Cron Jobs
  • wp cron event list, wp cron event run, wp cron schedule
  • Topic 10.2: Transients & Cache
  • wp transient get, wp transient set, wp transient delete
  • wp cache flush, wp cache get, wp cache set
  • Topic 10.3: REST API & Scaffold
  • wp scaffold plugin, wp scaffold theme, wp scaffold post-type, wp scaffold taxonomy
  • wp rest subcommands

Module 11: Security & Maintenance​

  • Topic 11.1: Checksum Verification
  • wp core verify-checksums
  • wp plugin verify-checksums, wp theme verify-checksums
  • Topic 11.2: Site Health & Debugging
  • wp doctor, wp doctor check
  • --debug, --skip-plugins, --skip-themes advanced usage

Module 12: Automation & Scripting​

  • Topic 12.1: Chaining Commands
  • Using &&, pipes, and xargs with WP-CLI
  • Topic 12.2: Aliases & Config Files
  • ~/.wp-cli/config.yml global config
  • Defining aliases (@prod, @staging)
  • Topic 12.3: Remote & SSH Execution
  • wp @prod plugin update --all
  • Using wp --ssh=[user@host]

Module 13: Extending WP-CLI​

  • Topic 13.1: Custom Commands
  • Structure of a custom WP-CLI command
  • Registering with WP_CLI::add_command()
  • Topic 13.2: Best Practices
  • Namespacing commands
  • Handling arguments & errors gracefully

Module 14: Special Cases & Edge Syntax​

  • Aliasing multiple sites with wildcard operators
  • Dry-run vs force execution (--dry-run, --force, --yes)
  • Using --format (table, json, csv, yaml, count)
  • Edge case handling for large databases & search-replace precision

Module 15: Mastery & Real-World Scenarios​

  • Automating daily maintenance with WP-CLI
  • Backup & migration workflows (db export/import, search-replace)
  • Scaling for agencies: managing 100+ sites with aliases
  • CI/CD pipelines integrating WP-CLI

This curriculum covers command syntax, workflows, troubleshooting, and advanced operations in a progressive sequence from onboarding to production-grade automation.

Next Steps​