When the admin UI is down, WP-CLI is often the fastest way back. It bypasses the web stack and gives you clear feedback so you can disable plugins, clear caches, or run updates from the shell.
Common uses
- Disable broken plugins (e.g. rename or move the plugin folder, or use
wp plugin deactivate) - Clear caches
- Run core or plugin updates manually
Why it helps
- Bypasses web UI and PHP-FPM request limits
- Clear error output in the terminal
- No browser timeouts during long operations
FAQ
Do I need WP-CLI on every server?
It’s most valuable on servers where you do maintenance or recovery. Install once and use for safer plugin updates and post–PHP-upgrade debugging.
The site is in maintenance mode and I can’t log in.
Remove the .maintenance file from the WordPress root (see fixing WordPress stuck in maintenance mode). If the admin is still broken, use WP-CLI to disable plugins or switch themes.
Related
- Safer plugin updates on production WordPress — reduce update risk
- Debugging WordPress after a PHP upgrade — isolate broken plugins after PHP bump