Title: February 2026 – WordPress Playground --- # Monthly Archives: February 2026 [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/fellyph/) [Fellyph Cintra](https://profiles.wordpress.org/fellyph/) 6:41 pm _on_ February 24, 2026   # 󠀁[Simplify your workflow with the new Playground CLI start command](https://make.wordpress.org/playground/2026/02/24/simplify-your-workflow-with-the-new-playground-cli-start-command/)󠁿 Setting up a local WordPress environment should be as simple as running a single command. We are excited to introduce the new `start` command in the WordPress Playground CLICLI Command Line Interface. Terminal (Bash) in Mac, Command Prompt in Windows, or WP-CLI for WordPress., simplifying how you run your local environments. ## A simpler way to start The WordPress Playground CLI is a powerful tool for running WordPress in your terminal. The command server allows users to customize the Playground instance at several levels, but those customizations can be daunting for users who want to run a WordPress instance with a theme/pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party.. With the introduction of the high- level `start` command (introduced in [PR #3040](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-playground/pull/3040)), you can launch a local WordPress instance more intuitively. Instead of configuring complex parameters, you can now run: ```wp-block-code npx @wp-playground/cli start ``` This command automatically configures the environment with sensible defaults, so you can focus on building. ## Persistence by default The most significant update in this release is **persistence** ([PR #3119](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-playground/pull/3119)). Previously, closing the CLI meant losing your database and file changes unless you manually configured mounts. This update is a major milestone toward simplifying the WordPress development ecosystem. By adding persistence and a high-level entry point, the Playground CLI achieves feature parity with `wp-now`. Now, the `start` command automatically saves your site’s state in your home directory(` ~/.wordpress-playground/sites/`). This ensures your plugins, themes, and content are preserved between sessions. You can stop your server and resume exactly where you left off. ## Quick reset for a fresh start Sometimes, you need to start over. If you want to wipe your persisted site and begin with a clean installation, use the `--reset` flag: ```wp-block-code npx @wp-playground/cli start --reset ``` Other flags are available for the `start` command: * **`--blueprint`** — Execute a Blueprint file to preconfigure your site with plugins, themes, settings, and content. * **`--php`** — Choose your PHPPHP PHP (recursive acronym for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used open source general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML. [https://www.php.net/manual/en/index.php](https://www.php.net/manual/en/index.php) version. Supported versions: `7.4`, to `8.5`. Defaults to `8.`3. * **`--wp`** — Set the WordPress version. Defaults to `latest`. * **`--port`** — Define the port for the local server. Defaults to `9400`. * **`--login`** — Automatically log in to the WordPress dashboard on launch. ## Get started The `start` command is available now in the latest version of `@wp-playground/cli`. Whether you’re testing a new plugin or building a theme, the Playground CLI provides a lightweight, zero-config environment directly in your terminal. To learn more, check the [Playground CLI documentation](https://wordpress.github.io/wordpress-playground/developers/05-local-development/04-wp-playground-cli). * [Login to Reply](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fmake.wordpress.org%2Fplayground%2F2026%2F02%2F24%2Fsimplify-your-workflow-with-the-new-playground-cli-start-command%2F%23respond&locale=en_US) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/fellyph/) [Fellyph Cintra](https://profiles.wordpress.org/fellyph/) 11:21 am _on_ February 20, 2026   # 󠀁[Manage your database directly from the Playground CLI](https://make.wordpress.org/playground/2026/02/20/manage-your-database-directly-from-the-playground-cli/)󠁿 Need to inspect WordPress data, debug a query, or check if a pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. saved options correctly? The Playground CLICLI Command Line Interface. Terminal (Bash) in Mac, Command Prompt in Windows, or WP-CLI for WordPress. now includes a `--phpmyadmin` flag that launches phpMyAdmin alongside your local WordPress instance. No extra setup, no separate database server, just one command. ## Where is your data? When developing locally with Playground CLI, you often need to verify what the database actually contains. Until now, doing that required writing custom PHPPHP PHP (recursive acronym for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used open source general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML. [https://www.php.net/manual/en/index.php](https://www.php.net/manual/en/index.php) queries or adding debug output to your code. The `--phpmyadmin` flag solves this by giving you a full phpMyAdmin interface right from the CLI. ## Getting started Add `--phpmyadmin` to your regular CLI command: ```wp-block-code npx @wp-playground/cli@latest server --phpmyadmin ``` After WordPress boots, the CLI prints the phpMyAdmin URLURL A specific web address of a website or web page on the Internet, such as a website’s URL www.wordpress. org: ```wp-block-code WordPress Playground CLI PHP 8.3 WordPress latest Extensions intl Ready! WordPress is running on http://127.0.0.1:9400 (11 workers) phpMyAdmin available at http://127.0.0.1:9400/phpmyadmin/index.php?route=/database/structure&db=wordpress ``` Open that URL in your browser, and you get full access to browse tables, run SQL queries, and inspect your WordPress data: ![](https://make.wordpress.org/playground/files/2026/02/playground-cli-phpmyadmin- 1024x695.webp) ## Custom URL path By default, phpMyAdmin serves at `/phpmyadmin`. Change this path to anything you prefer: ```wp-block-code npx @wp-playground/cli@latest server --phpmyadmin=/my-db ``` This serves phpMyAdmin at `http://127.0.0.1:9400/my-db/index.php` instead. ## Combine with other CLI flags The `--phpmyadmin` flag works alongside all existing CLI options: ### Test a plugin and inspect its database changes ```wp-block-code npx @wp-playground/cli@latest server --phpmyadmin --auto-mount ``` Run this from your plugin directory. Playground mounts your plugin automatically, and phpMyAdmin lets you verify the database tables and options your plugin creates. ### Pin a specific WordPress and PHP version ```wp-block-code npx @wp-playground/cli@latest server --phpmyadmin --wp=latest --php=8.5 ``` Useful when you need to check how your plugin handles data across different WordPress versions. ### Use a Blueprint with phpMyAdmin ```wp-block-code npx @wp-playground/cli@latest server --phpmyadmin --blueprint=my-blueprint.json ``` Combine Blueprints with phpMyAdmin to pre-configure your WordPress instance and then inspect the resulting database state. ## Cache phpMyAdmin for faster starts Each time you use `--phpmyadmin`, Playground downloads and installs phpMyAdmin into the instance. To skip the download on subsequent runs, mount a local directory to cache the files: ```wp-block-code mkdir -p ./pma-cache npx @wp-playground/cli@latest server --phpmyadmin --mount ./pma-cache:/tools/phpmyadmin ``` The first run populates `./pma-cache` with the phpMyAdmin files. On every subsequent run, Playground detects the existing installation and skips the download. ## Where this helps Here are some practical scenarios where `--phpmyadmin` saves time: * **Plugin development**: Verify that your plugin creates the correct custom tables and stores data in the expected format. * **Debugging options**: Check `wp_options` directly to confirm your plugin settings saved correctly, without writing `get_option()` debug code. * **Content migrationMigration Moving the code, database and media files for a website site from one server to another. Most typically done when changing hosting companies. testing**: Import content via a Blueprint and verify the resulting posts, terms, and metadata in the database. * **Learning WordPress internals**: Explore how WordPress organizes its database tables — see how posts relate to postmeta, how taxonomies link to terms, and how user data connects across tables. * **SQL query testing**: Run raw SQL queries against your test data before embedding them in your plugin code. ## How it works under the hood phpMyAdmin installs at `/tools/phpmyadmin` on the virtual filesystem — outside the WordPress document root at `/wordpress`. The CLI uses a path alias (similar to NginxNGINX NGINX is open source software for web serving, reverse proxying, caching, load balancing, media streaming, and more. It started out as a web server designed for maximum performance and stability. In addition to its HTTP server capabilities, NGINX can also function as a proxy server for email (IMAP, POP3, and SMTP) and a reverse proxy and load balancer for HTTP, TCP, and UDP servers. [https://www.nginx.com/](https://www.nginx.com/).’ s `alias` directive) to serve it at your chosen URL path. This design keeps phpMyAdmin files separate from your WordPress installation, so they never appear in site exports or interfere with your project files. Since Playground uses SQLite instead of MySQLMySQL MySQL is a relational database management system. A database is a structured collection of data where content, configuration and other options are stored. [https://www.mysql.com](https://www.mysql.com/), phpMyAdmin connects through a custom MySQL-on-SQLite driver that translates queries between the two dialects. ## Share your feedback The phpMyAdmin integration in the CLI came from the same effort that brought the [Database panel to the Playground web interface](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-playground/pull/2926). If you run into issues or have suggestions, share them on the [Making WordPress Slack](https://make.wordpress.org/chat/) or open an issue on [GitHub](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-playground/issues). Props to [@JanJakes](https://github.com/JanJakes) for reviewing this post. * [Login to Reply](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fmake.wordpress.org%2Fplayground%2F2026%2F02%2F20%2Fmanage-your-database-directly-from-the-playground-cli%2F%23respond&locale=en_US) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/fellyph/) [Fellyph Cintra](https://profiles.wordpress.org/fellyph/) 12:10 pm _on_ February 6, 2026   # 󠀁[wp-env now runs WordPress with Playground runtime](https://make.wordpress.org/playground/2026/02/06/wp-env-now-runs-wordpress-with-playground-runtime/)󠁿 `wp-env` is one of the alternatives to run a WordPress Environment; by default, it uses Docker. What if you could run a full WordPress development environment without installing Docker? With the new experimental Playground runtime for wp-env, you can. One command. Zero Docker. Full WordPress: ```wp-block-code npx @wordpress/env start --runtime=playground ``` This launches a complete WordPress environment in seconds using Node.js. **Why does this matter?** The Playground runtime offers a lightweight alternative for WordPress development. No extra software installation required; if you have Node.js, you’re ready to go. What makes the Playground runtime appealing: * **Zero additional installation** – Just Node.js, no Docker setup needed * **Lightweight bundle** – WordPress Playground runs lean with minimal resource usage * **Fast startup** – Get a running WordPress instance in seconds * **Works everywhere Node.js runs** – Linux, macOS, Windows, CI pipelines **What works in both runtimes?** The good news: most `wp-env` features work identically in both runtimes. Here’s the official comparison: | Feature | Docker | Playground | | PluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party./theme mounting | ✅ | ✅ | | Custom PHPPHP PHP (recursive acronym for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used open source general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML. [https://www.php.net/manual/en/index.php](https://www.php.net/manual/en/index.php) versions | ✅ | ✅ | | Xdebug support | ✅ | ✅ | | MultisiteMultisite Multisite is a WordPress feature which allows users to create a network of sites on a single WordPress installation. Available since WordPress version 3.0, Multisite is a continuation of WPMU or WordPress Multiuser project. WordPress MultiUser project was discontinued and its features were included into WordPress core. [Advanced Administration Handbook -> Create A Network.](https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/multisite/create-network/) | ✅ | ✅ (experimental) | | MySQLMySQL MySQL is a relational database management system. A database is a structured collection of data where content, configuration and other options are stored. [https://www.mysql.com](https://www.mysql.com/) database | ✅ | ❌ (SQLite) | | phpMyAdmin | ✅ | ❌ (planned) | | SPX profiling | ✅ | ❌ | | Separate tests environment | ✅ | ❌ | | wp-env run command | ✅ | ❌ | The Playground runtime uses SQLite instead of MySQL. For most WordPress development, you won’t notice the difference; your plugins and themes work the same way. Multisite support is available but hasn’t been extensively tested yet, so treat it as experimental for now. phpMyAdmin is not yet supported in the Playground runtime. Once it becomes available in the Playground CLICLI Command Line Interface. Terminal (Bash) in Mac, Command Prompt in Windows, or WP-CLI for WordPress., `wp-env` will integrate it. You can already use phpMyAdmin directly with the Playground CLI: ```wp-block-code npx @wp-playground/cli server --phpmyadmin # serves at http://127.0.0.1:9400/phpmyadmin npx @wp-playground/cli server --phpmyadmin=/custom-path # serves at http://127.0.0.1:9400/custom-path ``` **What about my existing configuration?** The Playground runtime supports most existing `.wp-env.json` configuration files: ```wp-block-code { "core": "WordPress/WordPress#6.8", "plugins": ["./my-plugin"], "themes": ["./my-theme"], "phpVersion": "8.2" } ``` This configuration works with both runtimes. Once you start wp-env with a specific runtime, wp-env remembers your choice. Subsequent commands `wp-env stop` automatically use the same runtime. To switch runtimes, destroy the environment with `wp-env destroy` and start fresh with your preferred runtime flag. **When should you still use Docker?** The Playground runtime is experimental. Choose Docker when you need: * **A separate test environment** – Docker’s wp-env creates an isolated instance for running tests * **The wp-env run command** – Execute arbitrary commands inside the environment * **MySQL database** – Some plugins require MySQL-specific features that SQLite doesn’t support * **SPX profiling** – Performance profiling with the SPX extension * **SSHSSH Secure SHell - a protocol for securely connecting to a remote system in addition to or in place of a password. access** – Shell into the environment directly For development workflows that require deep environment access, running WP-CLIWP- CLI WP-CLI is the Command Line Interface for WordPress, used to do administrative and development tasks in a programmatic way. The project page is [http://wp-cli.org/](http://wp-cli.org/) [https://make.wordpress.org/cli/](https://make.wordpress.org/cli/) commands inside the environment, debugging PHP processes, or customizing the server stack, Docker remains the right choice. **Resources:** * [wp-env documentation](https://developer.wordpress.org/block-editor/reference-guides/packages/packages-env/#experimental-wordpress-playground-runtime) * [WordPress Playground](https://wordpress.github.io/wordpress-playground/) * [Report issues on GitHub](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-playground/issues) **Share your feedback** This feature is experimental, and your feedback shapes its direction. Does it work for your workflow? What’s missing? What breaks? Share your experience at [#playground](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/playground) SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform [https://slack.com/](https://slack.com/). The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at [https://make.wordpress.org/chat/](https://make.wordpress.org/chat/) channel. Props to Riad Benguella([@youknowriad](https://profiles.wordpress.org/youknowriad/)) for announcing and advocating this feature, and to Jan Jakeš([@janjakes](https://profiles.wordpress.org/janjakes/)) for his work on phpMyAdmin and the Playground CLI. * [Login to Reply](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fmake.wordpress.org%2Fplayground%2F2026%2F02%2F06%2Fwp-env-now-runs-wordpress-with-playground-runtime%2F%23respond&locale=en_US) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/desrosj/) [Jonathan Desrosiers](https://profiles.wordpress.org/desrosj/) 8:18 am _on_ February 1, 2026 Tags: make.wordpress.org/ai, [p2-xpost ( 7 )](https://make.wordpress.org/playground/tag/p2-xpost/) # 󠀁[X-post: AI Guidelines for WordPress](https://make.wordpress.org/playground/2026/02/01/xpost-ai-guidelines-for-wordpress/)󠁿 X-comment from [+make.wordpress.org/ai](https://make.wordpress.org/ai/): Comment on [AI Guidelines for WordPress](https://make.wordpress.org/ai/2026/02/01/ai-guidelines-for-wordpress/#comment-81) * [Login to Reply](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fmake.wordpress.org%2Fplayground%2F2026%2F02%2F01%2Fxpost-ai-guidelines-for-wordpress%2F%23respond&locale=en_US)