Local CLI (lwp)

The lwp command manages WordPress sites in Local, a local WordPress development environment built and supported by WP Engine.

Prerequisites

•Local must be installed and running
•CLI installed: npm install -g @local-labs-jpollock/local-cli

Quick Reference

Site Management

bash

lwp sites list                    # List all sites
lwp sites list --size             # Include disk usage
lwp sites list --status running   # Filter by status
lwp sites list --json             # JSON output for parsing
lwp sites get <site>              # Get site details
lwp sites start <site>            # Start a site
lwp sites stop <site>             # Stop a site
lwp sites restart <site>          # Restart a site
lwp sites create <name>           # Create new site
lwp sites delete <site>           # Delete a site
lwp sites open <site>             # Open in browser
lwp sites open <site> --admin     # Open WP Admin

WP-CLI Commands

Run any WP-CLI command against a Local site:

bash

lwp wp <site> plugin list                    # List plugins
lwp wp <site> plugin install <plugin> --activate
lwp wp <site> theme list
lwp wp <site> option get siteurl
lwp wp <site> user list --format=json
lwp wp <site> db query "SELECT * FROM wp_options LIMIT 5"
lwp wp <site> cache flush
lwp wp <site> search-replace 'old' 'new' --dry-run

Plugin-provided CLI commands (e.g., wp migrate):

By default, plugins are skipped for safety. Use --with-plugins to load them.

Important: Options must come BEFORE the site name:

bash

# Correct - option before site:
lwp wp --with-plugins <site> migrate push <target>
lwp wp --with-plugins <site> migrate pull <source>

# Wrong - option will be passed to WP-CLI:
lwp wp <site> --with-plugins migrate push  # DON'T DO THIS

Database Operations

bash

lwp db export <site>                # Export to SQL file
lwp db export <site> -o path.sql    # Export to specific path
lwp db import <site> <file.sql>     # Import SQL file
lwp db adminer <site>               # Open Adminer UI

Site Configuration

bash

lwp sites php <site> 8.2.10         # Change PHP version
lwp sites xdebug <site> --on        # Enable Xdebug
lwp sites xdebug <site> --off       # Disable Xdebug
lwp sites logs <site>               # View PHP logs
lwp sites logs <site> -t nginx      # View nginx logs
lwp sites ssl <site>                # Trust SSL certificate
lwp sites rename <site> <newName>   # Rename site

Blueprints

bash

lwp blueprints list                 # List saved blueprints
lwp blueprints save <site> <name>   # Save site as blueprint
lwp sites create <name> --blueprint <blueprint>  # Create from blueprint

Clone & Export

bash

lwp sites clone <site> <newName>    # Clone a site
lwp sites export <site>             # Export to zip
lwp sites import <zipFile>          # Import from zip

Common Workflows

Create and configure a new site

bash

lwp sites create my-project
lwp sites start my-project
lwp wp my-project plugin install woocommerce --activate
lwp sites open my-project --admin

Backup before making changes

bash

lwp db export my-site -o ~/backups/my-site-backup.sql
# Make changes...
# If needed, restore:
lwp db import my-site ~/backups/my-site-backup.sql

Debug PHP issues

bash

lwp sites xdebug my-site --on
lwp sites logs my-site -t php -n 100

Output Formats

•Default: Human-readable tables
•--json: Machine-readable JSON (use for parsing)
•--quiet: Names/IDs only (for scripting)

bash

# Parse JSON output
lwp sites get my-site --json | jq '.url'
lwp sites list --json | jq '.[].name'

Error Handling

Error	Solution
"Local is not installed"	Install Local from localwp.com
"Timed out waiting for Local"	Start the Local application
"Site not found"	Check site name with `lwp sites list`

Destructive Commands - Confirm First

Always confirm with the user before running these commands:

Command	Risk
`lwp sites delete <site>`	Permanently deletes site and files
`lwp db import <site> <file>`	Overwrites entire database
`lwp wpe push <site>`	Pushes to production WP Engine site
`lwp backups restore <site>`	Overwrites site from backup
`lwp wp <site> db reset`	Drops all database tables
`lwp wp <site> search-replace`	Modifies database content

Safe practices:

•Export first - Always run lwp db export <site> before destructive operations
•
Dry run - Use --dry-run when available to preview changes:
bash
```
lwp wp <site> search-replace 'old' 'new' --dry-run
```
•Confirm intent - Ask "Are you sure you want to delete/overwrite X?" before proceeding
•Never auto-confirm - Do not add -y or --yes flags without explicit user approval

Tips

•Always check site status before running WP-CLI commands
•Use --json output for reliable parsing
•Export database before destructive operations
•Site names are case-sensitive