Title: WP-CLI with VIP-CLI
Author: WordPress VIP Documentation
Published: April 28, 2023
Last modified: November 12, 2025

---

 1. [VIP-CLI](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-cli/)
 2. WP-CLI with VIP-CLI

#  WP-CLI with VIP-CLI

[WP-CLI](https://wp-cli.org/) is a powerful and extensible way to interact with 
WordPress from the command line.

On VIP, [WP-CLI commands](https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/) must be
run in the command line using [the VIP-CLI `vip wp` command](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-cli/commands/wp/).
In addition to the [commands provided by WP-CLI](https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/),
it is possible to [write custom WP-CLI commands](https://docs.wpvip.com/write-custom-wp-cli-commands/)
to accomplish tasks specific to the needs of an application on VIP.

 * [Not all WP-CLI commands](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-cli/wp-cli/disallowed-commands/)
   can be run against a VIP environment.
 * There is a limit of 4 WP-CLI commands that can be run on a [VIP environment](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-platform/environments/)
   concurrently. This limit applies whether the environment is a [WordPress single site](https://docs.wpvip.com/wordpress-single-site/)
   or a [WordPress multisite](https://docs.wpvip.com/wordpress-multisite/).
 * A logged history of all **Completed**, **Running**, **Cancelled** or **Errored**
   WP-CLI commands can be viewed in the [**WP-CLI Commands** panel in the VIP Dashboard](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-dashboard/wp-cli-panel/).

## Run a WP-CLI command with VIP-CLI

Running [WP-CLI commands](https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/) with VIP-
CLI requires a double dash (`--`) separating the arguments of the `vip` command 
from those of the `wp` command. The double dash must be included to avoid unexpected
issues due to parameter conflicts.

In this example command, VIP-CLI is used to run [the WP-CLI command `wp user list`](https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/user/list/)
to retrieve the list of WordPress users from the `preprod` environment of the `example-
app` application:

    ```wp-block-preformatted
    vip @example-app.preprod -- wp user list
    ```

## Cancel a WP-CLI command

WP-CLI commands that are still running can be canceled by the user that initiated
the command.

 * **From the VIP-CLI terminal:** Type the keyboard abort command `Control + C`.
 * **From the VIP Dashboard:** Navigate to the [WP-CLI Commands panel](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-dashboard/wp-cli-panel/).
   Select the “**Cancel**” option to the right of the **Running** command.

## Interactive WP-CLI console

VIP-CLI includes a WP-CLI console mode that provides a terminal-like interface to
a WordPress site. The interactive WP-CLI console mode is a convenient way to run
multiple WP-CLI commands on the same environment.

To enter the interactive WP-CLI console mode, run the VIP-CLI command: `vip @<app-
name>.<env> -- wp`

WP-CLI commands can then be run without the `vip @<app-name>.<env> --` argument 
structure.

    ```wp-block-preformatted
    $ vip @example-app.preprod -- wp 
    example-app.preprod:~$ wp option get home 
    https://example.com  
    example-app.preprod:~$ wp cache delete my-cache-key my-cache-group 
    Success: Object deleted.
    example-app.preprod:~$ 
    ```

### Limitations

 * While the interactive WP-CLI console looks and acts like a standard terminal,
   it does not support bash operators or commands (e.g. `xargs`, variable substitution,
   etc). Those commands need to be run in the standard VIP-CLI format.
 * Use double quotes (e.g. `"value"`) to pass arguments in a command in interactive
   WP-CLI console to ensure that they are recognized as valid JSON. Some operations
   will not complete as expected if arguments are passed with single quotes (e.g.`'
   value'`).

## Behavior of `--skip-plugins` on VIP

On the VIP Platform, including the `--skip-plugins[=<plugins>]` option with a WP-
CLI command will skip the loading of all plugins—or the plugin(s) specified—and 
skip the loading of [client-mu-plugins](https://docs.wpvip.com/wordpress-skeleton/client-mu-plugins-directory/).
[VIP MU plugins](https://docs.wpvip.com/vip-go-mu-plugins/), however, will still
load.

## Additional resources for WP-CLI

 * [Installation and use of WP-CLI](https://wp-cli.org/)
 * [WP-CLI Handbook](https://make.wordpress.org/cli/handbook/)
 * [WP-CLI Commands](https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/)
 * [Configuration of WP-CLI](https://make.wordpress.org/cli/handbook/references/config/)

Last updated: November 12, 2025