Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →If you administer the site, run wp core version over SSH. If you only have the dashboard, open Tools > Site Health. If the site belongs to someone else, you can only collect public clues, and those can’t prove an exact version. For a client list, the reliable method is to build an inventory of sites you are authorized to access and run WP-CLI against each one. Use wp find when many installs sit under one server directory.
Pick the method by the access you have
| Method | Access needed | Result | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
wp core version |
Shell or SSH, with WP-CLI installed | Exact installed version string | One site, or scripted runs across many |
wp find <path> |
Shell access to the directory holding the installs | Each install found, with its version and path details | Many sites on one server |
| Tools > Site Health | Dashboard login | Health checks with critical or recommended improvements | Owners who don’t use a terminal |
| Public clues | None | Evidence only, not confirmation | Sites you don’t administer |
Check one site you administer
With WP-CLI
The WP-CLI command reference (WordPress Developer Resources) describes wp core version in one sentence: “Displays the WordPress version.” It is read-only.
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cd /path/to/site
wp core version
wp core version --extraThe first command prints the version string. The --extra option adds extended version details. If you run the command from outside the site’s directory, point WP-CLI at the files with --path=/path/to/site. On multisite, --url selects the target site. WP-CLI’s global parameters also include --ssh and --http for remote operation.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFrom the dashboard
Go to Tools > Site Health. WordPress added Site Health in version 5.2 (WordPress.org documentation). It runs checks and lists critical issues and recommended improvements. It is a good first stop if you can’t use a terminal. The documented route to a plain version string remains the CLI command.
#1 Best Overall
Check many installs on one server with wp find
When a host holds many WordPress installs under a common directory, wp find searches recursively and reports each installation it finds, including its version, depth and path information. For this command, an installation is a directory containing wp-includes with a version.php file.
wp find /var/www
wp find /var/www --format=csvThe path is only an example. Use your host’s real web root. Use --format=csv or --format=json if you want output you can store or diff. It only sees what the account running it can read. Installs outside that tree won’t appear.
Check client sites on separate hosts
WP-CLI doesn’t ship a hosted dashboard or a single command that scans a client portfolio. The WordPress.org overview describes it as scriptable, so you can bundle commands into scripts, cron jobs or deployment steps. The inventory and the credential handling are yours to build.
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1. Build the inventory first
Keep a file listing every site you’re authorized to touch, with the SSH user, host and WordPress path. Authorization comes from the client contract, not from the fact that you can reach a server.
# sites.txt (user@host path)
[email protected] /var/www/clientone/public_html
[email protected] /home/clienttwo/public_html2. Loop over it with read-only commands
while read -r target path; do
v=$(ssh -n "$target" "wp core version --path='$path'" 2>&1)
echo "$target,$path,$v"
done < sites.txt > versions.csvThis assumes key-based SSH and WP-CLI installed on each host. Failures end up in the output rather than being silently dropped, so scan the file for rows that aren’t version numbers. WP-CLI’s own --ssh parameter is an alternative to wrapping the call in ssh. Either way, use dedicated keys, limit them to the accounts that need them, and don’t put passwords in scripts.
3. Schedule it
Run the script from cron or a CI job and compare each run with the last. That turns a one-off check into a repeatable inventory. Hosting panels and managed-maintenance tools offer similar inventories, but they need the same authorized access.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Sites you don’t administer: public clues only
Without credentials you can look for evidence. Two clues are documented:
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- A generator value in the page source. Some sites expose one, but operators can remove or change it.
- REST API discovery. The REST API handbook says front-end pages advertise the API through a
Linkheader, and the API’s namespaces show which capabilities are present. Corewp/v2endpoints exist in WordPress 4.7 and later, or on older versions with the REST API plugin. That shows support for an API, not an exact version.
Treat anything you find as a clue with a confidence level. Record the clue itself, such as “generator tag says X” or “REST namespace present”. Don’t record it as fact. Operators can change what is publicly exposed, so a missing or altered clue says little, and a clue can be stale or misleading. For a client audit or a security report, ask for dashboard, SSH or hosting-panel access and query each install directly.
Best Value
Version, updates and integrity are three separate questions
| Question | Command | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| What is installed? | wp core version |
The installed version |
| Is an update available? | wp core check-update |
Queries the WordPress Version Check API. It can output formats such as CSV or JSON. Its --minor option compares only the first two version components. |
| Do core files match the originals? | wp core verify-checksums |
Compares core files with WordPress.org checksums. It supports choosing a version and locale. |
Knowing the version doesn’t show that core files are intact or that the site is secure. A checksum pass can also coexist with an unexpected extra file, as Milana Cap’s WordPress Developer Blog article “Website security checks – WP-CLI for site owners and administrators” (September 9, 2024) cautions. Report a pass as “core files match checksums”, not “clean”, and investigate any warnings.
When WordPress itself checks for updates, wp_version_check() sends the installed WordPress version, the PHP version and the locale to api.wordpress.org (core function reference). So check-update relies on a network call to WordPress.org. Make sure outbound access works on locked-down servers.
Quick Recap
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