---
title: "Manage WordPress Plugins with WP-CLI"
description: "InMotion Hosting servers have WordPress Command Line Interface (WP-CLI) installed. Therefore, you can install and toggle a WordPress plugin using SSH in lieu of the WordPress dashboard. You may want..."
url: https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/edu/wordpress/wp-cli/manage-wordpress-plugins-wp-cli/
date: 2018-10-17
modified: 2022-04-04
author: "InMotion Hosting Contributor"
categories: ["WP-CLI"]
type: post
lang: en
---

# Manage WordPress Plugins with WP-CLI

InMotion Hosting servers have WordPress Command Line Interface (WP-CLI) installed. Therefore, you can [install and toggle ](/support/edu/wordpress/wp-cli/install-a-plugin-using-wp-cli/) a WordPress plugin using SSH in lieu of the [WordPress dashboard](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/edu/wordpress/wordpress-plugins-widgets/searching-for-a-installing-plugins). You may want to activate a newly uploaded plugin. Maybe a recently updated plugin prevents you from [logging into your WordPress site](/support/edu/wordpress/logging-into-wordpress-dashboard/). Or [WordFence Security](/support/edu/virtuemart-3/installation/) notified you that a plugin hasn’t been updated in over a year and you want to uninstall it for security purposes. Regardless of the reason, below we cover how to **deactivate, remove, and update a WordPress plugin via WP-CLI**.

[Deactivate](#deactivate) [Remove](#remove) [Update](#update)

## Activate and Deactivate Plugins

1. **[SSH into the cPanel account](/support/server/ssh/do-you-provide-ssh-access/)** which owns the website.
2. Use the cd command to **enter the [domain’s document root](/support/server/ssh/how-to-login-ssh/)**, e.g. `cd public_html`.
3. **Ensure you’re in the correct directory** with the following command: wp option get home && wp option get siteurl https://example.com https://example.com
4. **View the installed plugins** for the WordPress website: wp plugin list +--------------------+----------+--------+---------+ | name | status | update | version | +--------------------+----------+--------+---------+ | akismet | active | none | 4.0.8 | | redirection | inactive | none | 3.5 | | wp-piwik | active | none | 1.0.19 | | wp-super-cache | active | none | 1.6.4 | | advanced-cache.php | dropin | none | | +--------------------+----------+--------+---------+
5. Type the following to **activate the plugin**, replacing *plugin* with the plugin name from the wp plugin list: wp plugin activate *plugin* Plugin '*plugin*' activated. Success: Toggled 1 of 1 plugins.
6. Type the following to **deactivate the plugin** but leave it installed: wp plugin deactivate *plugin* Plugin '*plugin*' deactivated. Success: Deactivated 1 of 1 plugins.
7. Type the following to **activate or deactivate the plugin** depending on its former state with a single command: wp plugin toggle *plugin* Plugin '*plugin*' deactivated. Success: Toggled 1 of 1 plugins.

## Remove Plugins

### Uninstall Plugins

### Delete Plugins

## Update Plugins

1. Type the following to **update a plugin**: wp plugin update *plugin* Plugin updated successfully. Success: Updated 1 of 1 plugins.

You can read more about using WP-CLI in our [WP-CLI Education Channel](/support/edu/wordpress/wp-cli/).