Overview

This guide explains how to safely run WP-CLI commands in WHM Terminal as the root user to perform WordPress imports for a specific cPanel account.

This method does not require enabling shell access for the cPanel user and ensures that no other customers or sites on the server are affected.

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Prerequisites

• Root access to WHM Terminal.

• WP-CLI installed on the server.

• A WordPress XML export file (for example, export-posts.xml) located in the cPanel user’s home directory.

• The path to the target WordPress installation (for example, /home/username/public_html).

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Step 1 – Open WHM Terminal

1. In WHM, go to Server Configuration → Terminal.

2. You’ll be logged in automatically as root.

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Step 2 – Navigate to the User’s WordPress Directory

From the Terminal, run the following command (replace username with the actual cPanel username):

cd /home/username/public_html

Confirm you are in the correct location:

ls

You should see the folders wp-admin, wp-content, and wp-includes.

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Step 3 – Verify WordPress Installation

Use the following command to confirm WP-CLI can see the WordPress installation:

wp core version --path=/home/username/public_html --allow-root

You should receive the installed WordPress version number (for example, 6.6.2).
If the command fails with “wp not found”, you’ll need to install WP-CLI (see Step 7).

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Step 4 – Run the Import Command

To import the posts and their associated images, use this command:

wp import /home/username/export-posts.xml --authors=create --path=/home/username/public_html --allow-root

What this does:

• Imports only the posts listed in the XML file.

• Downloads and attaches all referenced images.

• Creates any missing authors.

• Does not affect pages, users, themes, or plugins.

If you already copied the /uploads/ folder manually and don’t need images re-downloaded, add the --skip=attachment flag:

wp import /home/username/export-posts.xml --authors=create --skip=attachment --path=/home/username/public_html --allow-root

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Step 5 – Flush Permalinks

After completing all XML imports, flush permalinks once at the very end:

wp rewrite flush --path=/home/username/public_html --allow-root

Note: Flushing permalinks regenerates WordPress rewrite rules so that URLs work correctly.
You only need to run this command once after all imports are finished, not after each individual import file.

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Step 6 – Optional Cleanup and URL Updates

If the domain name changed, update URLs inside post content and metadata:

wp search-replace 'https://oldsite.com' 'https://newsite.com' --skip-columns=guid --path=/home/username/public_html --allow-root

To regenerate missing thumbnails:

wp media regenerate --only-missing --path=/home/username/public_html --allow-root

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Step 7 – Installing WP-CLI (If Needed)

If the wp command isn’t available, install WP-CLI once globally:

curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wp-cli/builds/gh-pages/phar/wp-cli.phar
php wp-cli.phar --info
chmod +x wp-cli.phar
mv wp-cli.phar /usr/local/bin/wp
wp --info

Confirm the installation using:

wp --info

If your server uses EasyApache PHP (for example, EA-PHP82), run WP-CLI through that PHP binary:

/opt/cpanel/ea-php82/root/usr/bin/php /usr/local/bin/wp --info

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Safety Notes

• Always specify the --path parameter to ensure commands run only inside the intended WordPress installation.

• Using --allow-root lets WP-CLI execute as root without enabling shell access for the cPanel user.

• File ownership may change for newly uploaded media; if needed, reset ownership after the import:

chown -R username:username /home/username/public_html/wp-content/uploads

• This method affects only the specified site and cannot impact other cPanel accounts or WordPress installations on the server.

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Summary

Running WP-CLI from WHM Terminal as root with the --path and --allow-root flags provides a safe and reliable way to import WordPress posts and images without enabling shell access or risking timeouts.

By targeting a specific cPanel user’s site, you ensure precise control, zero downtime, and complete safety for all other customers on the server.