Title: Database access
Author: WordPress VIP Documentation
Published: September 11, 2024
Last modified: August 13, 2026

---

 1. [Databases](https://docs.wpvip.com/databases/)
 2. Database access

#  Database access

Direct access to an environment’s database is limited, but users can view data in
a read-only phpMyAdmin console session or interact with the databases on WPVIP through
WP-CLI commands run via VIP-CLI.

Copies of [database backups can also be downloaded](https://docs.wpvip.com/databases/backups/)
from an application’s VIP Dashboard or with VIP-CLI.

## phpMyAdmin

Users can view data in a read-only phpMyAdmin console session using the VIP Dashboard
or VIP-CLI.

 * VIP Dashboard
 * VIP-CLI

**Prerequisites**

 * **To view** the Database Backups panel, a user must have at minimum an [Org member role](https://docs.wpvip.com/manage-user-access/vip-dashboard/org-roles/)
   or an [App read role](https://docs.wpvip.com/app-role/) for that application.
 * Users with an [Org admin role](https://docs.wpvip.com/manage-user-access/vip-dashboard/org-roles/)
   or an [App admin role](https://docs.wpvip.com/manage-user-access/vip-dashboard/app-role/)
   can access a read-only phpMyAdmin console with the VIP Dashboard.

To open a phpMyAdmin console for an application environment’s database:

 1. Navigate to the [VIP Dashboard](https://dashboard.wpvip.com/) for an application.
 2. Select an environment from the environment dropdown located at the upper left of
    the VIP Dashboard.
 3. Select “**Database**” from the sidebar navigation at the left of the screen.
 4. Select **“Database Backups”** from the submenu.
 5. Select **“Open phpMyAdmin”** under the “**Browse Database**” card located in the
    bottom right of the VIP Dashboard to enable phpMyAdmin and generate an access link.
    This may take a minute.
 6. A banner will appear at the top of the VIP Dashboard with the generated access 
    link when complete. This link will expire after 60 seconds.
 7. Select the access link in the banner, or select **“Open phpMyAdmin”** again, to
    open the phpMyAdmin console in a new tab in the user’s browser.

![](https://docs.wpvip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Database-Backups-phpMyAdmin-
1024x529.png)

Example screenshot of the Database Backups panel of the VIP Dashboard and the “**
Browse Database**” card located in the bottom right of the VIP Dashboard

**Prerequisites**

 * [VIP-CLI is installed](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-cli/installing-vip-cli/) and
   has been updated to [the most current version](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@automattic/vip/v/latest).
 * Users with an [Org admin role](https://docs.wpvip.com/manage-user-access/vip-dashboard/org-roles/)
   or an [App admin role](https://docs.wpvip.com/manage-user-access/vip-dashboard/app-role/)
   can access a read-only phpMyAdmin console with [the VIP-CLI command `vip db phpmyadmin`](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-cli/commands/db/phpmyadmin/).

The `vip db phpmyadmin` command opens a phpMyAdmin console for an environment’s 
database in the user’s default browser. The phpMyAdmin session will persist for 
6 hours. To begin a new session run the `vip db phpmyadmin` command again.

For example, to access phpMyAdmin for the develop environment of the “example-app”
application:

    ```lang-shell
    $ vip @example-app.develop db phpmyadmin
    ```

**Note**

For sites behind a [reverse proxy configuration](https://docs.wpvip.com/reverse-proxy/configure/),
all request paths that begin with `[PROXIED_DOMAIN]/.wpvip/pma` must be configured
to forward to VIP in order to access the phpMyAdmin console.

Refer to [phpMyAdmin’s documentation](https://www.phpmyadmin.net/docs/) for additional
guidance on performing read-only actions in the console.

## WP-CLI

[WP-CLI commands](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-cli/wp-cli-with-vip-cli/disallowed-commands/)
can be run in the command line using [the VIP-CLI `vip wp` command](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-cli/commands/wp/).
Most WP-CLI `wp db *` [commands are disallowed](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-cli/wp-cli-with-vip-cli/disallowed-commands/),
but `wp db query` is allowed and defaults to read-only. For write operations, `wp
db query` must be passed with `--read-write`.

The user will be prompted to confirm the action before a command with  `--read-write`
is run against the database. To skip the confirmation prompt, include the `--skip-
confirm` in the command.

As an alternative, [a custom WP-CLI command](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-cli/wp-cli-with-vip-cli/write-custom-wp-cli-commands/)
could run a function that leverages `$wpdb->query()`.

Database queries that include `DROP`, `TRUNCATE`, or `CREATE` cannot be executed.

Last updated: August 13, 2026