lwp

name	lwp
description	Manage Local WordPress development sites using the lwp CLI. Use when the user asks about WordPress sites, Local development, starting/stopping sites, running WP-CLI commands, or managing local WordPress environments. Local is a free development tool built and supported by WP Engine.
allowed-tools	Bash(lwp *)

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

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:

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:

# 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

# 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:

1. Export first - Always run lwp db export <site> before destructive operations
2. Dry run - Use --dry-run when available to preview changes:

   lwp wp <site> search-replace 'old' 'new' --dry-run
   

3. Confirm intent - Ask "Are you sure you want to delete/overwrite X?" before proceeding
4. Never auto-confirm - Do not add -y or --yes flags without explicit user approval

Tips

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