Build a safe wp search-replace

What the options do

--dry-run

Reports how many replacements would happen, without changing the database. Always run this first.

Which tables

Registered tables (default) covers WordPress's own tables — right for most domain moves. With the WP prefix also includes custom/plugin tables that share your prefix. All tables touches every table in the database regardless of prefix — only when you know why (e.g. multiple installs in one DB). Specific tables lets you name exact tables. The prefix itself is read from wp-config.php automatically, so there's no prefix to type.

--skip-columns

Columns to leave untouched. guid is the classic one — a post's GUID is a permanent identifier and must never be rewritten, even during a domain move.

--recurse-objects

WordPress stores serialized PHP arrays/objects (widget and plugin settings) in the database; this replaces safely inside them instead of corrupting the length-prefixed data. WP-CLI enables it by default — only tick the box if you want the flag stated explicitly.

--precise

Forces PHP (instead of the faster MySQL path) for replacement — more thorough with serialized data, but slower on big databases.

--network

Multisite only. Runs across every site in the network (wp_2_*, wp_3_*, …) rather than just the current site. The Multisite URL field instead targets one specific site.

--allow-root

WP-CLI refuses to run as the Unix root user by default (a safety guard). This overrides it — handy when you're SSH'd in as root.

Common WordPress tables: wp_posts, wp_postmeta, wp_options, wp_users, wp_usermeta, wp_comments, wp_commentmeta, wp_terms, wp_term_taxonomy, wp_term_relationships.