| name | pull-push |
| description | Use when syncing code, database, or files between local and Acquia Cloud environments, or pulling a Cloud database/files locally. |
| license | Proprietary |
| compatibility | acli>=2.x |
| metadata | {"category":"deployment","author":"Acquia","version":"1.0.0","tags":"acli, acquia-cloud, sync, deployment, database, files","software_requirements":"acli>=2.x"} |
Pull & Push with Acquia CLI
Use when:
- Syncing your local environment with a Cloud Platform environment
- Pulling code, database, or files from Cloud to local
- Pushing code, database, files, or build artifacts to Cloud
Pull: Copy from Cloud to Local
Pull everything (code + database + files)
acli pull:all
Aliases: acli refresh, acli pull
Prompts you to select an environment, then copies code, database, and files to your local environment.
Options:
acli pull:all \
--dir=/path/to/project \
--no-code \
--no-databases \
--no-files \
--no-scripts
Pull code only
acli pull:code
Pulls the latest code from the selected Cloud environment into your local directory.
acli pull:code --dir=/path/to/project
Pull database only
acli pull:database
Alias: acli pull:db
Imports a database backup from a Cloud environment into your local database.
Options:
acli pull:database \
--on-demand \
--no-import \
--multiple-dbs
Pull files only
acli pull:files
Copies Drupal public files (sites/default/files) from the Cloud environment to your local.
Run post-pull scripts manually
If you skipped scripts during a pull, run them separately:
acli pull:run-scripts
acli pull:run-scripts --dir=/path/to/project
Push: Copy from Local to Cloud
Push database
acli push:database
Alias: acli push:db
Uploads your local database to a Cloud Platform environment. Requires both a local and remote database to be configured.
Push files
acli push:files
Copies your local Drupal public files to the selected Cloud environment.
Push code (IDE only)
acli push:code
Push code from your Cloud IDE to a Cloud Platform environment. This command is only available inside a Cloud IDE or Lando environment.
Build and push a code artifact
Build your project and push the compiled artifact to a Cloud environment or custom git remote:
acli push:artifact
Common options:
acli push:artifact --destination-git-branch=deploy/main
acli push:artifact --destination-git-tag=release-1.2.3
acli push:artifact --destination-git-urls=git@github.com:myorg/myrepo.git
acli push:artifact --no-push
acli push:artifact --dir=/path/to/project
acli push:artifact --no-sanitize
Typical Workflows
Refresh local dev environment
acli pull:all
Pull only the database (fastest for testing)
acli pull:database --on-demand
Deploy a build artifact to Cloud
acli push:artifact --destination-git-branch=tags/deploy-branch
Sync files to production (use with care)
acli push:files
Best Practices
- Always pull before you push — Avoid overwriting recent Cloud changes.
- Use
--on-demand for fresh data — The default pull uses a cached backup; --on-demand forces a new one.
- Test artifact builds with
--no-push — Verify the artifact is correct before pushing.
- Use
--no-scripts in CI — Post-pull scripts are designed for local dev, not CI pipelines.
- Backup before pushing a database — A push:database overwrites the remote database.
Troubleshooting
"Local database not found"
pull:all and pull:database require a running local database. Make sure your local Drupal stack (Lando, DDEV, etc.) is running.
"Access denied" on push
Verify your SSH key is set up and your account has write access to the environment:
acli ssh-key:list
acli auth:me
Artifact push fails
Check that composer install and any build steps complete without errors before pushing:
acli push:artifact --no-push
Related Topics
