WP-CLI lets you install, convert, inspect, and administer a WordPress Multisite network without opening the dashboard. Use wp core multisite-install for a new network, wp core install-network (the alias of wp core multisite-convert) to convert an existing site, wp site commands for individual sites, wp network and wp super-admin for network-wide administration, and the global --url option whenever a command must run in one site’s context.
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This guide covers local and remote execution, subdomain and subdirectory networks, site lifecycle operations, migration safety, and the failure points that most often leave a network unusable.
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WP-CLI is the official command-line tool for interacting with and managing WordPress sites. In Multisite, one WordPress codebase serves several sites that share a database and a network-level administration layer. WP-CLI exposes both layers: commands such as wp site list work with the network’s sites, while ordinary plugin, theme, user, option, and cache commands can be directed at one site with --url.
The distinction between network and site context matters. A command run without a selector generally uses the installation’s default site. A command intended for every site must be deliberately looped over the site inventory or implemented with a network-aware command; WP-CLI does not silently turn every command into a network-wide operation.
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Three contexts to keep straight
- WordPress files:
--path=<path>points WP-CLI at the installation containingwp-config.php. - Site context: In a Multisite installation, global
--url=<url>selects the site whose options, plugins, themes, users, or content a command should address. - Network context:
wp network,wp super-admin, and network metadata commands operate on the installation-wide administration layer.
Prerequisites and a safe operating model
Run commands from a shell account that can read the WordPress files and connect to the configured database. The account also needs the filesystem permissions required for whatever the command changes. Before conversion, deletion, or a URL migration, take a database and file backup and verify that you can restore them.
Check the installation before changing it
- Change to the directory containing
wp-config.php, or plan to supply the absolute directory with--path. - Run
wp core versionto confirm that WP-CLI is reading the intended WordPress installation. - Run
wp site list --field=urlon an existing network. The output should be a list of the network’s site URLs, one per line. - Use
wp help <command>, for examplewp help site create, to inspect the syntax supported by the WP-CLI version installed on that server. The command reference is regenerated at every release, so options can differ between versions.
Use a repeatable configuration
A wp-cli.yml file can hold aliases and common options for environments such as production, staging, and a local copy. This avoids repeatedly typing paths and remote connection details. Keep credentials out of files that are committed to a public repository, and review the resolved path and URL before running a destructive command.
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Install a new Multisite network with WP-CLI
For a new network, use wp core multisite-install. It creates the WordPress and Multisite database tables and adds the required Multisite constants to wp-config.php. Decide the URL model before running it: a subdirectory network places sites below the main path, while a subdomain network gives each site its own host name.
Choose subdirectory or subdomain URLs
| Model | Example site address | What to pass | Operational consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subdirectory | https://example.com/store/ |
Use a path-oriented --base and omit --subdomains. |
All sites share the main host; web-server rewrites must route the extra paths. |
| Subdomain | https://store.example.com/ |
Add --subdomains; provide a base domain in --url. |
DNS and the web server must accept the additional host names, commonly through a wildcard configuration. |
The table describes URL structure, not a guarantee that DNS or TLS is already configured. Prepare those services before users need to reach the new sites.
Run the installation command
From the directory where WordPress should be installed, adapt the documented workflow:
wp core multisite-install --url=example.com --base=/ --title="Company Network" --admin_user=networkadmin --admin_password="use-a-unique-secret" [email protected]For a subdomain network, add --subdomains:
wp core multisite-install --url=example.com --base=/ --subdomains --title="Company Network" --admin_user=networkadmin --admin_password="use-a-unique-secret" [email protected]Supply the administrator and title values appropriate for your installation. Do not place a real password in shell history on a shared machine; use the credential-handling method approved for your environment.
Apply the web-server changes
The command writes the Multisite constants to wp-config.php, but the web server still has to route requests correctly. Apache users must apply the Multisite rewrite rules shown by the WP-CLI output or documentation to .htaccess. The official installation guidance specifically reminds Apache users to update that file. If you omit this step, the network can appear installed while site URLs return 404 errors, redirect loops, or downloads instead of rendered pages.
Verify the new network
- Run
wp site list --field=url; the main site should be present. - Run
wp option get homeandwp option get siteurlto confirm the primary URL. - For a subdomain network, resolve the intended host names in DNS and request each host over the configured protocol.
- Run a harmless command against the main site, such as
wp plugin list, to confirm that WP-CLI can bootstrap the network.
Convert an existing single site into Multisite
To convert an existing WordPress installation, use wp core install-network. It is an alias for wp core multisite-convert. The command creates the Multisite database tables and adds the required constants to wp-config.php; it does not create a second copy of the existing site’s files.
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Conversion checklist
- Back up the database and the complete WordPress files, including
wp-config.phpand uploads. - Confirm the canonical domain and whether new sites will use subdirectories or subdomains.
- Ensure you have administrator access and the ability to edit configuration and rewrite files.
- Schedule a maintenance window if the site receives writes during the conversion.
Run and finish the conversion
wp core install-networkIf your workflow or installed WP-CLI version presents the command under its canonical name, the equivalent is:
wp core multisite-convertAfter the command completes, inspect the constants it added to wp-config.php and apply the rewrite rules required by your web server. For Apache, update .htaccess with the appropriate Multisite rules. Test the existing site before creating additional sites; a conversion that reaches the database but not the web-server layer is incomplete from a visitor’s perspective.
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The global --url parameter is the key to site-scoped work. Put it before or after the command’s subcommand according to the syntax accepted by your WP-CLI version, and use the complete URL that WordPress recognizes.
Read a site’s settings
wp --url=https://example.com/store/ option get blognameThis reads the blogname option for the store site rather than the network’s default site. The same selector can be used with plugin, theme, user, role, rewrite, cache, and other site-level commands.
Run a change against one site
wp --url=https://example.com/store/ plugin update --allUse a site URL that matches the network’s scheme, host, and path. A missing trailing path on a subdirectory site, an unexpected HTTP/HTTPS scheme, or a host alias not registered in the network can select the wrong context or produce a “site not found” error.
Inventory before looping over sites
wp site list --field=urlFor a controlled batch operation, capture this output, review it, and then process one URL at a time. Site-list supports network and site-ID filters; consult wp help site list for the exact filter names available in your release. A reviewable inventory is safer than assuming that numeric IDs or URL patterns cover every site.
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Create and inspect sites
Create a site on a subdirectory network
wp site create --slug=exampleThe documented example returns a success message such as Success: Site 3 created: www.example.com/example/. The slug becomes the path below the network base. Choose a slug that is unique, URL-safe, and consistent with your naming policy.
Create a site on a subdomain network
On a subdomain network, use a subdomain slug or provide a complete address with --site-url:
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wp site create --slug=storewp site create --site-url=https://store.example.com/ --title="Store"DNS, TLS, and web-server host handling still determine whether that address is reachable. WP-CLI creates the WordPress record; it does not provision external DNS or certificates.
Confirm the new record
wp site list --field=urlUse wp site get when you need details for one site, and wp site meta or wp site option for metadata and settings. These commands are site administration tools, so include --url when the target is not the default site.
Use the site lifecycle commands
The wp site command family covers state changes and per-site data. Treat state changes as operational controls, not as substitutes for backups.
Availability and visibility
wp site activate <id>andwp site deactivate <id>change whether a site is active.wp site archive <id>andwp site unarchive <id>archive or restore a site.wp site public <id>andwp site private <id>change public visibility.wp site spam <id>andwp site unspam <id>mark or clear spam status.wp site mature <id>andwp site unmature <id>set or clear the mature flag.
Run wp help site <subcommand> before changing a state if you need the accepted arguments or confirmation behavior for your installed release.
Empty or delete a site
wp site empty removes a site’s content while preserving the site record; wp site delete removes the site itself. Both are destructive. Export or back up anything required for recovery, verify the numeric ID or URL, and read the command’s local help for confirmation switches before proceeding. Do not treat a successful command response as proof that a backup is restorable.
Manage site metadata and options
Use wp site meta to get, add, update, delete, or list metadata associated with a site. Use wp site option for site-level options. Include the site ID or --url as required by the command syntax, and avoid editing serialized values manually when a dedicated command can preserve their structure.
Administer the network layer
Network metadata
wp network meta can get, add, update, delete, and list custom fields attached to the network. This is distinct from a site option: network metadata belongs to the network record and should not be changed with a site-scoped option command.
Super administrators
Super administrators have network-wide capabilities. The quick-start handbook recommends wp super-admin add to grant those capabilities to an existing user.
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wp super-admin listwp super-admin add usernamewp super-admin remove usernameUse the account’s existing user name as accepted by your installation, review the list before and after a change, and keep membership limited to people who require network administration. A site administrator is not automatically a super administrator.
Separate network actions from per-site actions
Installations, database upgrades, and super-administrator membership are network concerns. Plugin activation, theme settings, options, and content are usually site concerns. When uncertain, run wp help and test a read-only command with --url before issuing a write command.
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The global --ssh parameter executes WP-CLI on a remote server or container. Its documented form is:
--ssh=[<scheme>:][<user>@]<host|container>[:<port>][<path>]Remote command examples
wp --ssh=ssh://[email protected]/var/www/wordpress core versionwp --ssh=ssh://[email protected]/var/www/wordpress site list --field=urlThe remote path must point to the WordPress installation on that host. Authentication, SSH keys, the selected port, and container transport are infrastructure concerns; confirm them with a harmless version or site-list command before running updates or deletions.
Combine remote execution with site targeting
wp --ssh=ssh://[email protected]/var/www/wordpress --url=https://example.com/store/ option get blognameHere --ssh selects where WP-CLI runs and --url selects which site WordPress bootstraps. Keeping those selectors explicit prevents a remote command from silently operating on the server’s default site.
Use aliases for repeated environments
Aliases in wp-cli.yml make staging and production targets easier to address consistently. Give each alias a clear name, include the remote path, and require an explicit environment choice in deployment scripts. Never assume that a command sent to an alias reached the intended host; print or log the resolved target before a destructive operation.
Maintain plugins, themes, languages, and caches
Once the network is healthy, the normal WP-CLI command index provides commands for core updates, plugin and theme management, language packs, cache operations, exports, users, roles, rewrites, search-replace, and site health. The important Multisite rule is scope: a plugin may be installed for the network but activated for individual sites, and a setting command may affect only the URL selected with --url.
Plan a network-wide update
- Inventory sites with
wp site list --field=url. - Back up the database and files, then test the backup.
- Update a staging copy first and exercise representative sites.
- Run the relevant core, plugin, theme, or language command with an explicit path and, where needed, an explicit site URL.
- Check front-end responses, login, scheduled tasks, and network administration after the change.
Do not infer network-wide success from one site’s result. A shared codebase can still expose site-specific plugin settings, themes, domains, and content failures.
Migrate URLs safely with search-replace
For a domain or URL migration, begin with a dry run. The quick-start workflow uses:
wp search-replace 'http://oldsite.com' 'http://newsite.com' --dry-runReview the reported tables and replacement counts. The dry run does not write changes, so it is the point to catch an incorrect domain, protocol, path, or database target.
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wp search-replace 'http://oldsite.com' 'http://newsite.com'Run the write operation only after the dry-run output matches the intended scope and you have a restorable backup. Test redirects, media, serialized settings, login, and every affected site. If the migration is for one site in a network, add the appropriate site context or otherwise constrain the database operation according to the command’s documented options; never assume a network database replacement is site-local.
Troubleshoot common failures
“Site not found” or the wrong site is changed
- Confirm the exact URL with
wp site list --field=url. - Include the scheme and path in
--url, especially for subdirectory sites. - Check that
--pathpoints to the intendedwp-config.php. - On a remote host, verify the
--sshpath and account.
Pages return 404 after installation or conversion
Check the web-server rewrite layer. Apache installations require the Multisite rules in .htaccess; subdomain networks also require DNS and host configuration. Confirm that the request reaches the same WordPress path used by WP-CLI.
A subdomain site does not resolve
Creating a site record does not create DNS. Verify the subdomain or wildcard DNS record, the web server’s host matching, and the TLS certificate. Then rerun wp site list and test the exact URL with the same scheme used in WordPress.
A command succeeds but settings are unchanged
Check scope first. A command without --url may have run on the network’s default site. Re-run a read-only query with the target URL, inspect the command’s local help, and confirm that the operation was not network-level when you expected site-level behavior.
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Remote execution fails before WordPress loads
Test SSH authentication and the remote path with wp --ssh=... core version. A successful SSH connection is not enough if the remote user cannot read the WordPress files or the path does not contain the expected configuration.
A practical operating sequence
- Identify the target: choose the local path or SSH destination, then verify it with
wp core version. - Inventory: list URLs and record the site ID or URL you intend to change.
- Classify the action: decide whether it is network-level, site-level, read-only, or destructive.
- Select context: add
--urlfor a site and usewp networkorwp super-adminfor network administration. - Preview: use a list, get, help, or
--dry-runmode where available. - Back up: take and verify a restore-capable backup before conversion, deletion, or replacement.
- Execute: run the smallest command that accomplishes the change.
- Verify: query the resulting state and test the affected URL, login, and network functions.
- Record: keep the command, target, time, operator, and result so the change can be reproduced or reversed.
Command reference by task
| Task | Command or selector | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Install a new network | wp core multisite-install |
Creates WordPress and Multisite tables and configuration. |
| Convert an existing site | wp core install-network or wp core multisite-convert |
Adds Multisite tables and constants to the existing installation. |
| List site URLs | wp site list --field=url |
Read-only network inventory. |
| Create a site | wp site create --slug=example |
Adds a site record using a path or subdomain slug. |
| Select one site | --url=<url> |
Sets the WordPress site context. |
| Select files | --path=<path> |
Points WP-CLI at the installation. |
| Run remotely | --ssh=[<scheme>:][<user>@]<host|container>[:<port>][<path>] |
Executes on a server or container. |
| Manage network metadata | wp network meta |
Network custom fields. |
| Manage super administrators | wp super-admin list|add|remove |
Network-wide administrator membership. |
| Preview a URL migration | wp search-replace ... --dry-run |
Reports replacements without writing them. |
When managed hosting is useful
A managed WordPress hosting plan designed for Multisite can reduce the infrastructure work around SSH access, backups, DNS, certificates, and server-level rewrites. It does not remove the need to understand WP-CLI scope: you still need the correct remote path, URL selector, permissions, backup process, and verification steps. Evaluate hosting on those operational requirements rather than on a dashboard label alone.
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