Pressable Hosting Skill
pressable
Manage Pressable WordPress hosting via API. Use when creating/cloning sites, managing backups, purging cache, updating PHP versions, managing plugins, checking site status, or any Pressable hosting operations.
SKILL.md
Full skill instructions
Pressable Hosting Skill
Manage WordPress sites on Pressable managed hosting.
Overview
This skill covers:
- API — Site management, cache, backups, plugins, DNS
- SSH/SFTP — Command-line access, WP-CLI
- Git Deploy — Auto-deploy from GitHub on push
Setup
1. Enable API Access
- Log in to my.pressable.com
- Navigate to API Applications → Create New API Application
- Name your app and select permission levels:
- Read-only — Safe for monitoring/reporting
- Full access — Required for modifications
- Save the Client ID and Client Secret
2. Store Credentials Securely
Create a credentials file (keep outside of git repos):
mkdir -p ~/.credentials
chmod 700 ~/.credentials
// ~/.credentials/pressable.json
{
"client_id": "YOUR_CLIENT_ID",
"client_secret": "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET"
}
chmod 600 ~/.credentials/pressable.json
Agent configuration: Reference as {baseDir}/../../.credentials/pressable.json (relative to workspace).
3. Set Up SSH Keys (Recommended)
SSH keys allow passwordless access to all your Pressable sites.
# Generate a dedicated key
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f ~/.credentials/pressable-ssh/id_ed25519 -C "pressable-agent"
# Secure permissions
chmod 700 ~/.credentials/pressable-ssh
chmod 600 ~/.credentials/pressable-ssh/id_ed25519
Add the public key to Pressable:
- Go to my.pressable.com → Profile → Settings → SSH Keys
- Paste contents of
~/.credentials/pressable-ssh/id_ed25519.pub
Supported key types:
ssh-ed25519(256 bit) — recommendedecdsa-sha2-nistp256(256 bit)ssh-rsa(2048–16384 bit)
API Reference
Authentication
# Load credentials
CREDS=$(cat ~/.credentials/pressable.json)
CLIENT_ID=$(echo $CREDS | jq -r '.client_id')
CLIENT_SECRET=$(echo $CREDS | jq -r '.client_secret')
# Get access token (valid 1 hour)
TOKEN=$(curl -s --location 'https://my.pressable.com/auth/token' \
--form "grant_type=\"client_credentials\"" \
--form "client_id=\"$CLIENT_ID\"" \
--form "client_secret=\"$CLIENT_SECRET\"" | jq -r '.access_token')
# Use in requests
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" "https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites"
Note: Tokens expire after 1 hour. Refresh before expiry for long-running operations.
Sites
# List all sites
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" "https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites" | jq '.data'
# Get site details
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" "https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{id}"
# Create site
curl -s -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
"https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites" \
-d '{"name":"my-new-site","datacenter_code":"DFW"}'
# Clone site
curl -s -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
"https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{id}/clone" \
-d '{"name":"cloned-site"}'
# Delete site
curl -s -X DELETE -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" "https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{id}"
# Update PHP version (8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5)
curl -s -X PUT -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
"https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{id}" \
-d '{"php_version":"8.3"}'
Datacenters
| Code | Location |
|---|---|
| AMS | Amsterdam |
| BUR | Burbank |
| DCA | Washington DC |
| DFW | Dallas |
Edge Cache
# Get cache status
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" "https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{id}/edge-cache"
# Toggle cache on/off
curl -s -X PUT -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" "https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{id}/edge-cache"
# Purge cache
curl -s -X DELETE -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" "https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{id}/edge-cache"
# Enable defensive mode (DDoS protection)
curl -s -X PUT -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
"https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{id}/edge-cache/defensive-mode" \
-d '{"duration":"1-hour"}'
On-Demand Backups
# List backups
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" "https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{id}/ondemand-backups"
# Create backup (type: "fs" for filesystem, "db" for database)
curl -s -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
"https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{id}/ondemand-backups" \
-d '{"backup_type":"db"}'
# Download backup
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
"https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{site_id}/ondemand-backups/{backup_id}/download"
# Delete backup
curl -s -X DELETE -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
"https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{site_id}/ondemand-backups/{backup_id}"
Limits: 3 filesystem + 3 database backups max. Auto-deleted after 7–30 days.
Plugins
# List plugins
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" "https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{id}/plugins"
# Install & activate (from WordPress.org or URL)
curl -s -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
"https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{id}/plugins" \
-d '{"plugins":[{"path":"jetpack"},{"path":"akismet","version":"5.1"}]}'
# Update plugins
curl -s -X PUT -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
"https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{id}/plugins" \
-d '{"plugins":[{"path":"jetpack"}]}'
# Activate / Deactivate
curl -s -X PUT -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
"https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{id}/plugins/activate" \
-d '{"plugins":[{"path":"jetpack"}]}'
curl -s -X PUT -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
"https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{id}/plugins/deactivate" \
-d '{"plugins":[{"path":"jetpack"}]}'
# Delete
curl -s -X DELETE -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
"https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{id}/plugins" \
-d '{"plugins":[{"path":"jetpack"}]}'
Note: Plugin operations are async. Use webhooks for completion status.
DNS Zones
# List zones
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" "https://my.pressable.com/v1/zones"
# Get zone records
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" "https://my.pressable.com/v1/zones/{zone_id}/records"
# Create record
curl -s -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
"https://my.pressable.com/v1/zones/{zone_id}/records" \
-d '{"type":"A","name":"www","value":"192.0.2.1","ttl":3600}'
# Delete record
curl -s -X DELETE -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
"https://my.pressable.com/v1/zones/{zone_id}/records/{record_id}"
Account & Collaborators
# Get account info
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" "https://my.pressable.com/v1/account"
# Activity logs
curl -s -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
"https://my.pressable.com/v1/account/logs/activity" \
-d '{"page":1,"per_page":20}'
# List collaborators
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" "https://my.pressable.com/v1/collaborators"
# Add collaborator to sites
curl -s -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
"https://my.pressable.com/v1/collaborators/batch_create" \
-d '{"email":"[email protected]","siteIds":[123,456],"roles":["wp_access","sftp_access"]}'
SSH & WP-CLI
SSH Access
Each Pressable site has unique SSH credentials. To connect:
- Go to Sites → Select site → Connections tab
- Find SSH Username and click Reset to generate password
- Note the SSH/SFTP URL (format:
ssh.pressable.com)
# Connect with password
ssh {ssh-username}@ssh.pressable.com
# Connect with SSH key (after adding to account)
ssh -i ~/.credentials/pressable-ssh/id_ed25519 {ssh-username}@ssh.pressable.com
SSH Config (optional): For easier access, add to ~/.ssh/config:
Host pressable-mysite
HostName ssh.pressable.com
User id959e223a7c76e64
IdentityFile ~/.credentials/pressable-ssh/id_ed25519
IdentitiesOnly yes
Then connect with: ssh pressable-mysite
WP-CLI Commands
WP-CLI is pre-installed. After connecting via SSH:
# List plugins
wp plugin list
# Deactivate a problem plugin
wp plugin deactivate plugin-name
# Activate a theme
wp theme activate theme-name
# View PHP errors
wp php-errors
# Skip themes/plugins (for broken sites)
wp --skip-plugins --skip-themes plugin deactivate plugin-name
WP-CLI via API
Run WP-CLI commands without SSH:
curl -s -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
"https://my.pressable.com/v1/sites/{id}/ssh/command" \
-d '{"command":["plugin list --format=json"]}'
Note: Don't include wp prefix — it's added automatically. Use webhooks for async responses.
SSH Limitations
- Session time: 8 hours max
- Memory: 1GB RAM per session
- Processes: 25 max concurrent
- Connections: 10 per site (across all users)
- Background processes: Killed on disconnect (even with
nohup) - Root access: Not available
GitHub Auto-Deploy
Deploy changes automatically when you push to GitHub.
Setup
-
Prepare your repo:
your-repo/ └── wp-content/ ├── themes/ ├── plugins/ └── mu-plugins/ -
Connect to Pressable:
- Go to Sites → Select site → Git tab
- Paste your repo's HTTPS URL (from GitHub's "Code" button)
- Click Set Repository URL
- Click Authorize and log in to GitHub
-
Select branch:
- Choose the branch to deploy (e.g.,
main) - Configure sync settings:
- ✅ Sync themes / plugins / mu-plugins
- ⚠️ Delete files not in repo (optional, use carefully)
- Click Set and Deploy
- Choose the branch to deploy (e.g.,
How It Works
- Push changes to configured branch
- GitHub sends webhook to Pressable
- Pressable clones repo and rsyncs to
wp-content/ - Only themes, plugins, mu-plugins sync (not core or uploads)
Troubleshooting
- Private repos: Must grant OAuth access to organization
- Wrong branch: Check Git tab settings
- Files not syncing: Ensure they're in
wp-content/{themes,plugins,mu-plugins}/ - Deployments failing: Check GitHub History in Git tab
Best Practices
Security
- Store credentials in
~/.credentials/with600permissions - Use SSH keys instead of passwords when possible
- Create read-only API apps for monitoring/reporting
- Rotate API credentials periodically
Operations
- Always backup before destructive operations
- Test on staging sites first
- Use webhooks for async operation status
- Cache API tokens (1hr validity) to reduce auth calls
Agent Usage
When the agent uses this skill:
- Load credentials from configured path
- Get fresh token if expired
- Look up site ID from name if needed
- Execute operation
- Verify result
Quick Reference
| Task | Method |
|---|---|
| List sites | GET /v1/sites |
| Purge cache | DELETE /v1/sites/{id}/edge-cache |
| Create backup | POST /v1/sites/{id}/ondemand-backups |
| Run WP-CLI | POST /v1/sites/{id}/ssh/command or SSH |
| Deploy from Git | Push to connected branch |
API Base: https://my.pressable.com
SSH Host: ssh.pressable.com
Docs: my.pressable.com/documentation/api/v1
