WP-CLI for developers

Look up every Link Manager Pro WP-CLI command with its options and defaults, and run them safely from scripts and cron jobs.

Link Manager Pro registers 12 WP-CLI commands under wp link-manager-pro. This page is the reference for scripts and cron jobs: options, defaults, which commands ask first and what they print.

The task-based guide is WP-CLI commands. It covers the commands step by step. This page adds the scripting details.

Run commands in scripts

Add --yes to every command that asks a question, or a script waits for input. Use --dry-run first on the commands that have it.

• --yes skips the confirmation of import, backup restore, replace-shortcodes, replace-prefix-links, link, unlink, uninstall and migrate-link-markers. uninstall also needs --delete-data.
• --dry-run exists on replace-shortcodes, replace-prefix-links, link, unlink and migrate-link-markers. It changes nothing and never asks.
• A dry run of link only counts the posts it would scan. It doesn't say which links would change.
• --user=<admin> is a global WP-CLI option. backup restore needs it when --items includes posts, because the posts are saved as that user. The other commands work without it (WP-CLI commands).
• On a multisite network, add --url=<site address> to choose the site.
• WP-CLI checks options against each command's list before it runs. A mistyped option stops the command with Error: Parameter errors: unknown --<name> parameter, and nothing changes. migrate and migrate:status declare no options, so they ignore extra ones.

Errors come from WP_CLI::error(). WP-CLI prints Error: <message> and stops the command. Test the exit status of your script step, not the output text.

wp link-manager-pro purge-clicks --days=90 || echo "purge failed"

migrate is the one command where Success can follow an error. It collects the errors of each migration file as output lines, then always prints Success: Migrations completed. Search its output for Error: instead of relying on the status.

Every command at a glance

A dash means the command has no such option.

Command	Options (defaults)	Reads or writes	Asks first	Dry run
import	--source=<betterlinks|prettylinks|thirstyaff> (none: lists what it found and stops with an error), --items=<csv> (every item with data, never settings), --conflict=skip|overwrite (skip), --affiliates=suggested|none|<domains> (suggested), --yes	Writes	Yes	None
backup export	--items=<csv> (all 12 items), --file=<path> (./link-manager-pro-backup-<Ymd-His>.json)	Reads the database, writes one file	No	None
backup restore <file>	--items=<csv> (all but posts and webhooks), --yes	Writes	Yes	None
replace-shortcodes	--dry-run, --yes	Writes posts	Yes	--dry-run
replace-prefix-links	--from=<prefix> (every remembered previous prefix), --affiliate, --dry-run, --yes	Writes posts	Yes	--dry-run
link	--per-batch=<n> (100), --dry-run, --yes	Writes posts	Yes	--dry-run (counts posts only)
unlink	--scope=scanned|all (scanned), --post-types=<csv> (post,page), --ids=<csv>, --per-batch=<n> (200), --restore-shortlinks, --strip-rel, --disable-autolink, --dry-run, --yes	Writes posts	Yes	--dry-run
purge-clicks	--days=<n> (the tracking.click_retention_days setting)	Deletes click rows	No	None
uninstall	--delete-data (required), --yes	Deletes all plugin data, then deactivates the plugin	Yes	None
migrate-link-markers	--per-batch=<n> (200), --dry-run, --yes	Writes posts	Yes	--dry-run
migrate	None	Creates or updates tables	No	None
migrate:status	None	Reads the migration files and checks which tables exist and have every column	No	Not needed

wp help link-manager-pro <command> prints the same options. The import options are explained in WP-CLI commands. After a finished ThirstyAffiliates import, while general.affiliate_prefix is empty and ThirstyAffiliates' prefix passes the prefix rules, import prints two hint lines before Success: Migration completed successfully. They name that prefix and the command wp link-manager-pro replace-prefix-links --affiliate --dry-run. The command saves nothing and asks nothing.

Back up and restore from the command line

backup export writes the same JSON file as the backup screen, and backup restore reads it back. Neither has an upload size limit, because they run in your shell and not in a web request.

backup export

wp link-manager-pro backup export writes a backup file to disk and prints the record count and file size.

Option	Default	What it does
--items	All 12 items	Comma-separated list from categories, tags, links, link_rules, clicks, affiliates, campaigns, link_health, redirects, settings, webhooks, posts.
--file	link-manager-pro-backup-<Ymd-His>.json in the current folder	Where to write the file. The time in the name is UTC.

An unknown item name stops the command with Unknown item(s): ... and the list of valid items. The command refuses to overwrite: if the file exists it stops with <file> already exists. Choose another --file. It also stops when the folder doesn't exist or isn't writable. Both checks run before the export starts when you pass --file.

It stops with an error while an unfinished restore exists, because a backup would capture half-restored data. Resume or roll back that restore on the backup screen first (Back up and restore).

wp link-manager-pro backup export --items=links,clicks --file=/tmp/links.json

It ends with Success: Backup written to /tmp/links.json (N records, SIZE).

backup restore

wp link-manager-pro backup restore <file> replaces the chosen items with the contents of the file and keeps everything else.

Option	Default	What it does
<file>	Required	Path to the backup .json file. Backup file not found. if it isn't a file.
--items	All items except posts and webhooks	Same item names as the export.
--yes	Off	Skips the question Restore <items> from <file>? ...

Posts and webhooks are the exception to the default. To restore webhooks, list webhooks in --items. To restore posts, list posts in --items and add the global --user=<administrator>. Without a user who can edit others' posts, the command stops with Restoring posts saves them as a user: add --user=<administrator>.

WARNING

A restore replaces the current data in the chosen items, and once it finishes you can't undo it. Export a backup first. If the restore can't put back every record, it rolls back and your data stays as it was. The command's own help says a restore stopped part-way can be resumed or rolled back on the backup screen.

wp link-manager-pro backup restore /tmp/links.json --items=links,clicks --yes

It ends with Success: Restore finished: N records. When the restore has notes, a Warning follows. It can name a short link prefix that wasn't restored because it breaks a prefix rule. If another restore is in progress, the command stops with A restore is already in progress. Resume or roll it back first. The file is copied, never moved.

Move links to a new prefix with replace-prefix-links

wp link-manager-pro replace-prefix-links rewrites your own short link addresses in post content from a previous short link prefix to the current one.

It works on the prefixes the plugin remembers after you change Short link prefix, Internal link prefix or Affiliate link prefix. The plugin keeps the last 5 of them. It changes only links on your site whose slug is an existing short link, in published, scheduled and private posts and pages. It saves a revision of each post first. While general.affiliate_prefix is set, a link to an affiliate's domain moves to that prefix instead of the link or internal prefix.

Option	Default	What it does
--from	Every remembered previous prefix	Moves only this prefix, for example link. It must not be a prefix in use now, or the command stops with --from must be a prefix that isn't in use now.
--affiliate	Off	Moves only links to an affiliate's domain, from any of your prefixes or a remembered affiliate prefix to general.affiliate_prefix. With that prefix empty, it moves links under a remembered affiliate prefix back to the link prefix. With --from, the command stops with --affiliate and --from can't be used together.
--dry-run	Off	Counts the links and posts that would change. It never asks.
--yes	Off	Skips the question Update N link(s) in N post(s)? A revision of each post is saved first.

Before it changes anything, the command prints the previous prefixes and warns about posts it can't save (permission, markup or schedule) and posts with old short links in page-builder data, such as Elementor. It lists the builder posts but doesn't change them. Update those in the builder.

WARNING

The real run edits your posts. Run --dry-run first and back up before you answer y (Back up and restore).

wp link-manager-pro replace-prefix-links --dry-run
wp link-manager-pro replace-prefix-links --from=link --yes
wp link-manager-pro replace-prefix-links --affiliate --dry-run

The dry run ends with Success: Dry run: N link(s) would be updated in N post(s). The real run ends with Success: Updated N link(s) in N post(s). Posts it couldn't change print as [skipped] #ID Title: reason. With no previous prefix it says No previous short-link prefix: nothing to update. When no post holds an old link it says No post links use a previous prefix., or No affiliate links in posts need a new prefix. with --affiliate. With --affiliate, it prints Affiliate links under: /link/, /go/ first, and says No affiliate prefix is set and none was used before: nothing to update. when there is nothing to scan. A second run finds nothing, because rewritten links no longer match. To change the prefix itself, see Change your short link prefix.

Database commands

Two commands manage the plugin's tables: migrate and migrate:status. Both are safe to run. The plugin also runs its migrations when you activate or update it, so you rarely need them by hand.

migrate

wp link-manager-pro migrate creates the plugin's missing tables and brings existing ones up to the current layout, using WordPress's dbDelta. It has no options.

wp link-manager-pro migrate

It prints Running migrations..., a Migrating: and a Migrated: line for each of the 8 migration files, any errors, and Success: Migrations completed. The success line prints even after an error line.

migrate:status

wp link-manager-pro migrate:status prints a table with the name, file and status of each migration and changes nothing. It has no options.

wp link-manager-pro migrate:status

The Status column reads Ran when the table that migration creates exists with every column. It reads Incomplete when columns are missing, Missing when the table doesn't exist, and Unknown when the migration creates no table. For each incomplete table the command prints <migration> is missing columns: a, b and Run "wp link-manager-pro migrate" to add them. The check only reads the database.

Examples

Nightly backup with system cron

This crontab line writes a dated backup file every night at 3:00. The command refuses to overwrite a file, so a second run on the same day fails instead of replacing the first backup.

0 3 * * * cd /var/www/html && wp link-manager-pro backup export --file=/var/backups/lmp/link-manager-pro-$(date +\%Y\%m\%d).json

The \% is crontab syntax for a literal percent sign. Create the folder first and let the cron user write to it. Delete old files on your own schedule, because the plugin doesn't prune them.

Purge old clicks after a deploy

purge-clicks deletes for good and doesn't ask. Pass --days to override the Keep click data for setting for one run (Keep click data for).

wp link-manager-pro purge-clicks --days=90

It ends with Success: Purged N click records older than 90 days. If another purge is running, it stops with Another click purge is running. Try again in a few minutes.

Dry run before masking on staging

Count the posts link would scan, then run it for real with --yes only when the count matches what you expect.

wp link-manager-pro link --dry-run
wp link-manager-pro link --yes

The dry run answers like Success: Dry run: 120 post(s) (110 published, 4 scheduled, 6 private) would be scanned for masking. Undo masking with unlink.

Related

• WP-CLI commands
• Back up and restore
• Database tables
• Backup file format
• Developer docs