How to import database using WP-CLI in wordpress?

Updated: 28 September 2026 · Applies to: WordPress 7.1 with WP-CLI 2

WP-CLI can import an SQL file into your WordPress database, for example to restore a backup.

Steps

1. Upload the .sql file to your home folder.
2. Open Terminal in cPanel (or SSH) and go to the WordPress folder:

   cd ~/public_html

3. Back up the current database first, then import:

   wp db export ~/before-import.sql
   wp db import ~/backup.sql

4. If the site address changed, update it:

   wp search-replace 'https://old.example.com' 'https://new.example.com' --skip-columns=guid

Note: Importing replaces the current tables with the ones in the file.