Safely access your hosting server and control WordPress using commands
Before you can use SSH, your hosting account must allow it.
Log in to Plesk
Go to Websites & Domains
Click Web Hosting Access
Under Access to the server over SSH, choose:
Save changes
If SSH options are missing, contact your hosting provider to enable SSH access.
Go to:
Web Hosting Access → here you’ll find:
Username
IP address or domain
Port (usually 22)
Example credentials:
Use a free program like PuTTY or Windows Terminal.
Open PuTTY
Enter your domain or IP and port 22
Click Open
Log in with your credentials
Use your terminal and type:
Once logged in, you’ll see your username and the server name in the command line — like this:
WP-CLI is pre-installed on most Plesk servers with WordPress Toolkit.
Use this command to go to your WordPress folder:
You can list files with:
Make sure you see wp-config.php
in the list. That confirms you’re in the right place.
Here are some useful WP-CLI commands:
Command | What It Does |
---|---|
wp core update |
Updates WordPress core |
wp plugin list |
Lists all installed plugins |
wp plugin update --all |
Updates all plugins |
wp theme list |
Shows installed themes |
wp search-replace 'old' 'new' |
Replaces text in the database |
wp user list |
Shows WordPress users |
wp option get siteurl |
Displays the WordPress site URL |
When you’re done, simply type:
This safely disconnects you from the server.
Always use strong passwords for SSH accounts
Back up your site before running update or replace commands
WP-CLI is faster than using the WordPress dashboard
Use WP-CLI to manage multiple WordPress installations on the same server