[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":131},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f5mUuRzkpgDW1UFrasl1h0Na_QSh8okM-kTX2fvtw1-g":3,"post-tags-how-to-set-up-an-existing-wordpress-vip-site-locally-on-macos":89},[4],{"id":5,"date":6,"date_gmt":6,"guid":7,"modified":9,"modified_gmt":9,"slug":10,"status":11,"type":12,"link":13,"title":14,"content":16,"excerpt":19,"author":21,"featured_media":22,"comment_status":23,"ping_status":23,"sticky":18,"template":24,"format":25,"meta":26,"categories":27,"tags":28,"class_list":31,"post_image_original":41,"devto_meta":42,"_links":44},77,"2026-05-14T12:35:54",{"rendered":8},"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002F?p=77","2026-05-17T10:09:48","how-to-set-up-an-existing-wordpress-vip-site-locally-on-macos","publish","post","https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fhow-to-set-up-an-existing-wordpress-vip-site-locally-on-macos\u002F",{"rendered":15},"How to Set Up an Existing WordPress VIP Site Locally on macOS",{"rendered":17,"protected":18},"\n\u003Ch1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003C\u002Fh1>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A quick guide to cloning a live WordPress VIP site to your MacBook for local development. Follow these commands in order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Install the Required Tools\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Install Docker Desktop and VIP-CLI:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cpre class=\"wp-block-code\">\u003Ccode>brew install --cask docker\nnpm install -g @automattic\u002Fvip\n\u003C\u002Fcode>\u003C\u002Fpre>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After installing Docker, open it from your Applications folder so it starts running in the background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verify all tools are installed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cpre class=\"wp-block-code\">\u003Ccode>vip -v && node -v && npm -v && docker --version\u003C\u002Fcode>\u003C\u002Fpre>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003Cstrong>Please skip Step 2 & Step 3 if you are setting up an existing WordPress VIP site from a backup instead of cloning the WPVIP GitHub repository.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Log In to VIP-CLI\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cpre class=\"wp-block-code\">\u003Ccode>vip logout   # in case of stale session\nvip login\n\u003C\u002Fcode>\u003C\u002Fpre>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u003Ccode>logout\u003C\u002Fcode> command clears any old session. \u003Ccode>vip login\u003C\u002Fcode> opens a browser window to authenticate with your VIP account.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Clone the Site Repository\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cpre class=\"wp-block-code\">\u003Ccode>cd ~\u002FSites\ngit clone git@github.com:wpcomvip\u002Fyour-site-name.git\ncd your-site-name\n\u003C\u002Fcode>\u003C\u002Fpre>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Replace \u003Ccode>your-site-name\u003C\u002Fcode> with the actual repository name from your VIP application.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4: Create the Local Environment\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cpre class=\"wp-block-code\">\u003Ccode>vip dev-env create --slug=your-site\n\u003C\u002Fcode>\u003C\u002Fpre>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can name –slug anything unique you want but follow the rules lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only. No spaces, no underscores, no special characters. Common conventions: \u003Ccode>wp-vip-test-site\u003C\u002Fcode>.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>A setup wizard will appear. Match production for PHP version, WordPress version, and multisite settings. When asked for the application code source, choose \u003Cstrong>Local folder\u003C\u002Fstrong> and provide the path to your cloned repo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Site title\u003C\u002Fstrong>: anything\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Multisite\u003C\u002Fstrong>: match production\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>PHP version\u003C\u002Fstrong>: match production\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>WordPress version\u003C\u002Fstrong>: match production\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Source for application code\u003C\u002Fstrong>: choose \u003Cstrong>Local folder\u003C\u002Fstrong> and give it the absolute path to your cloned repo (e.g. \u003Ccode>\u002FUsers\u002Fyou\u002FSites\u002Fyour-site-name\u003C\u002Fcode>)\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Source for mu-plugins\u003C\u002Fstrong>: \u003Ccode>auto\u003C\u002Fcode> (pulls VIP’s mu-plugins automatically)\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Source for VIP MU plugins\u003C\u002Fstrong>: \u003Ccode>auto\u003C\u002Fcode>\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 5: Start the Environment\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cpre class=\"wp-block-code\">\u003Ccode>vip dev-env start --slug=your-site\n\u003C\u002Fcode>\u003C\u002Fpre>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once started, you’ll see the local site URL, login credentials, and an auto-login link. Save these for later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 6: Import the Database\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cpre class=\"wp-block-code\">\u003Ccode>vip dev-env import sql \u002Fpath\u002Fto\u002Ffile.sql --slug=your-site\n\u003C\u002Fcode>\u003C\u002Fpre>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Replace \u003Ccode>\u002Fpath\u002Fto\u002Ffile.sql\u003C\u002Fcode> with the actual path to your SQL dump on your Mac.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 7: Import Media Files\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cpre class=\"wp-block-code\">\u003Ccode>vip dev-env import media \u002Fpath\u002Fto\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads --slug=your-site\n\u003C\u002Fcode>\u003C\u002Fpre>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Replace \u003Ccode>\u002Fpath\u002Fto\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u003C\u002Fcode> with the path to the uploads folder on your Mac. The folder should contain year-numbered subfolders (\u003Ccode>2023\u002F\u003C\u002Fcode>, \u003Ccode>2024\u002F\u003C\u002Fcode>, etc.).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Done\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your local copy of the VIP site is now running. Open the site URL shown after \u003Ccode>vip dev-env start\u003C\u002Fcode> and log in with the credentials provided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day-to-Day Useful Commands\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once your environment is set up, these are the commands you’ll use most often.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cpre class=\"wp-block-code\">\u003Ccode># List all your local environments\nvip dev-env list\n\n# Check status, URLs, and credentials\nvip dev-env info --slug=your-site\n\n# Start the environment\nvip dev-env start --slug=your-site\n\n# Stop the environment (frees up RAM and CPU)\nvip dev-env stop --slug=your-site\n\n# Run any WP-CLI command inside the container\nvip dev-env exec --slug=your-site -- wp plugin list\nvip dev-env exec --slug=your-site -- wp cache flush\nvip dev-env exec --slug=your-site -- wp user list\n\n# Create a new admin user\nvip dev-env exec --slug=your-site -- wp user create yourname you@example.com --role=administrator\n\n# Check site URL after import\nvip dev-env exec --slug=your-site -- wp option get siteurl\nvip dev-env exec --slug=your-site -- wp option get home\n\n# Search and replace URLs in the database\nvip dev-env exec --slug=your-site -- wp search-replace 'old-url' 'new-url' --skip-columns=guid\n\n# Delete all manually imported media files (host path - faster)\nrm -rf ~\u002F.local\u002Fshare\u002Fvip\u002Fdev-environment\u002Fyour-site\u002Fuploads\u002F*\n\n# Delete all manually imported media files (container path - alternative)\nvip dev-env exec --slug=your-site -- rm -rf \u002Fwp\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F*\n\n# Destroy the environment completely\nvip dev-env destroy --slug=your-site\n\n# Update tooling to the latest version\nnpm update -g @automattic\u002Fvip\n\u003C\u002Fcode>\u003C\u002Fpre>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For official documentation, visit \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdocs.wpvip.com\u002Fvip-local-development-environment\u002F\">docs.wpvip.com\u002Fvip-local-development-environment\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",false,{"rendered":20,"protected":18},"\u003Cp>A quick guide to cloning a live WordPress VIP site to your MacBook for local development. Follow these commands in order. Step 1: Install the Required Tools Install Docker Desktop and VIP-CLI: After installing Docker, open it from your Applications folder so it starts running in the background. Verify all tools are installed: Please skip […]\u003C\u002Fp>\n",1,79,"open","","standard",{"footnotes":24},[21],[29,30],18,35,[32,12,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40],"post-77","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-wordpress","tag-wpvip","https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2026\u002F05\u002Fsetup-wordpress-vip-on-local.jpg",{"edited_at":43,"published_at":43,"reactions":43,"comments":43,"reading_time":43,"body_markdown":43},null,{"self":45,"collection":51,"about":54,"author":57,"replies":61,"version-history":64,"predecessor-version":68,"wp:featuredmedia":72,"wp:attachment":75,"wp:term":78,"curies":85},[46],{"href":47,"targetHints":48},"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F77",{"allow":49},[50],"GET",[52],{"href":53},"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts",[55],{"href":56},"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftypes\u002Fpost",[58],{"embeddable":59,"href":60},true,"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fusers\u002F1",[62],{"embeddable":59,"href":63},"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=77",[65],{"count":66,"href":67},2,"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F77\u002Frevisions",[69],{"id":70,"href":71},83,"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F77\u002Frevisions\u002F83",[73],{"embeddable":59,"href":74},"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F79",[76],{"href":77},"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=77",[79,82],{"taxonomy":80,"embeddable":59,"href":81},"category","https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=77",{"taxonomy":83,"embeddable":59,"href":84},"post_tag","https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=77",[86],{"name":87,"href":88,"templated":59},"wp","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.w.org\u002F{rel}",[90,112],{"id":29,"count":91,"description":24,"link":92,"name":93,"slug":93,"taxonomy":83,"meta":94,"_links":95},6,"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Ftag\u002Fwordpress\u002F","wordpress",[],{"self":96,"collection":101,"about":104,"wp:post_type":107,"curies":110},[97],{"href":98,"targetHints":99},"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags\u002F18",{"allow":100},[50],[102],{"href":103},"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags",[105],{"href":106},"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftaxonomies\u002Fpost_tag",[108],{"href":109},"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts?tags=18",[111],{"name":87,"href":88,"templated":59},{"id":30,"count":21,"description":24,"link":113,"name":114,"slug":114,"taxonomy":83,"meta":115,"_links":116},"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Ftag\u002Fwpvip\u002F","wpvip",[],{"self":117,"collection":122,"about":124,"wp:post_type":126,"curies":129},[118],{"href":119,"targetHints":120},"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags\u002F35",{"allow":121},[50],[123],{"href":103},[125],{"href":106},[127],{"href":128},"https:\u002F\u002Flab.aiarnob.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts?tags=35",[130],{"name":87,"href":88,"templated":59},1781010863395]