Step-by-Step Guide to Resetting WordPress User Password Using WP-CLI

Step-by-Step Guide to Resetting WordPress User/Admin Password Using WP-CLI

Step 1: Install WP-CLI

WP-CLI is a command-line interface for managing WordPress installations. To install WP-CLI, follow these steps:

# Download WP-CLI
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wp-cli/builds/gh-pages/phar/wp-cli.phar

# Make the file executable
chmod +x wp-cli.phar

# Move it to a directory that is in your system's PATH
sudo mv wp-cli.phar /usr/local/bin/wp

# Check if WP-CLI is installed correctly
wp --info

Step 2: Update WP-CLI (Optional)

If you already have WP-CLI installed, you can update it to the latest version:

sudo wp cli update

Step 3: Switch to the Web Server User

To manage WordPress files, you often need to run WP-CLI commands as the web server user. This is common www-data or a user that your web server runs under. You can switch to this user by using either su or sudo:

# Switch to the web server user
su - www-data

# OR
sudo -u www-data -i

Step 4: List WordPress Users

Navigate to the path where your WordPress installation is located. Replace /var/www/example.com with the path to your WordPress installation.

# List all users in WordPress
wp --path=/var/www/example.com user list

If you prefer to run WP-CLI as the root user, use the --allow-root flag:

# List all users with root privileges
wp --allow-root --path=/var/www/example.com user list

Step 5: Filter Admin Users

To filter only the admin users, you can use a combination of wp user list with the --role flag:

# List only admin users
wp --path=/var/www/example.com user list --role=administrator

For running as root:

# List only admin users with root privileges
wp --allow-root --path=/var/www/example.com user list --role=administrator

This command will list all users with the administrator role.

Step 6: Reset the Password for a Specific User

To reset the password for a specific user, use the wp user update command. Replace USER_ID with the user ID of the admin whose password you want to reset, and NEW_PASSWORD_HERE with the new password.

For a regular user:

# Update the password for user ID 1
wp --path=/var/www/example.com user update 1 --user_pass=NEW_PASSWORD_HERE

Or specify the username:

# Update the password for a specific username
wp --path=/var/www/example.com user update username --user_pass=NEW_PASSWORD_HERE

To do this as the root user:

# Update the password for user ID 1 as root
wp --allow-root --path=/var/www/example.com user update 1 --user_pass=NEW_PASSWORD_HERE

Step 7: Return to the Root User

After you have finished resetting the password, you can return to your root shell:

exit

Additional Notes

1. Running Commands as Root (--allow-root): WP-CLI commands can be executed as the root user by adding the --allow-root flag. This is sometimes necessary when there are permission issues, or when you are working directly from a root shell.
2. Security Considerations: Running commands as root should be done with caution to avoid unintended changes or security risks. Always ensure that the commands you are running are safe and well-understood.

Conclusion

Using WP-CLI with either a regular user or the root user is a powerful way to manage WordPress installations from the command line. Always remember to use secure passwords and consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords.

Replace example.com with your actual domain or path where your WordPress is installed. This guide provides flexibility for both regular users and those who need to run commands as root.