From f88908cba72da107a8b6b18caad67abd46e06c99 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Danny Painter <hello@dannypainter.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 19 Sep 2026 17:23:38 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] Add --database and --media flags to limit the sync

wp sync --database runs the database side only (export/import, URL
replace, plugin management), wp sync --media only the file transfers
(uploads, and the plugins folder on vanilla projects). The --no-
variants skip a part instead, and no flags syncs everything as before.
Media-only syncs skip maintenance mode, as the database is never
touched.
---
 README.md          |  2 ++
 core/variables.php |  4 ----
 wp-cli-sync.php    | 52 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---------
 3 files changed, 44 insertions(+), 14 deletions(-)

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4a9549b..db68941 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ Every variable in this README works either way. The environment is checked first
 
 3. Run `wp sync` from the project root.
 
+To sync only part of the site, pass a flag: `wp sync --database` (database only) or `wp sync --media` (uploads folder only). With no flags, everything is synced.
+
 ## First Sync
 
 You may find yourself working on a bedrock project that already exists on a production server and you don't have the database setup locally yet. Running `wp sync` in the project will fail in this case as it requires an active WordPress installation to run.
diff --git a/core/variables.php b/core/variables.php
index f219758..5678b60 100644
--- a/core/variables.php
+++ b/core/variables.php
@@ -55,7 +55,3 @@
 
 // Move to project root
 chdir($loc_proj_loc);
-
-// Activate Maintenance Mode
-$command = $local_wp_cli . ' maintenance-mode activate';
-exec($command);
diff --git a/wp-cli-sync.php b/wp-cli-sync.php
index d7ef200..f62b2d7 100644
--- a/wp-cli-sync.php
+++ b/wp-cli-sync.php
@@ -44,23 +44,50 @@
 
 // Define Sync Command
 if ( defined( 'WP_CLI' ) && WP_CLI ) {
-  $sync = function() {
+  $sync = function($args, $assoc_args) {
+
+    // Flags: --database / --media limit the sync; neither = sync everything.
+    // filter_var so --database=true/1 and --database=false/0 behave too.
+    $database_flag  = isset($assoc_args['database']) ? filter_var($assoc_args['database'], FILTER_VALIDATE_BOOLEAN) : null;
+    $media_flag     = isset($assoc_args['media']) ? filter_var($assoc_args['media'], FILTER_VALIDATE_BOOLEAN) : null;
+    $only_requested = ($database_flag === true) || ($media_flag === true);
+    $sync_database  = $database_flag ?? !$only_requested;
+    $sync_media     = $media_flag ?? !$only_requested;
+
+    if (!$sync_database && !$sync_media) {
+      WP_CLI::error('Nothing to sync: both --no-database and --no-media given.');
+    }
 
     // Include base functions
     require_once(__DIR__.'/core/functions.php');
     require_once(__DIR__.'/core/variables.php');
 
+    // Activate Maintenance Mode (media-only syncs leave the database alone)
+    if ($sync_database) {
+      $command = $local_wp_cli . ' maintenance-mode activate';
+      exec($command);
+    }
+
     // Include tasks
     require_once(__DIR__.'/tasks/connection_check.php');
-    require_once(__DIR__.'/tasks/database_sync.php');
-    require_once(__DIR__.'/tasks/url_replace.php');
-    require_once(__DIR__.'/tasks/uploads_sync.php');
-    require_once(__DIR__.'/tasks/plugins_sync.php');
-    require_once(__DIR__.'/tasks/plugins_management.php');
 
-    // Deactivate Maintenance Mode
-    $command = $local_wp_cli . ' maintenance-mode deactivate';
-    exec($command);
+    if ($sync_database) {
+      require_once(__DIR__.'/tasks/database_sync.php');
+      require_once(__DIR__.'/tasks/url_replace.php');
+    }
+
+    if ($sync_media) {
+      require_once(__DIR__.'/tasks/uploads_sync.php');
+      require_once(__DIR__.'/tasks/plugins_sync.php');
+    }
+
+    if ($sync_database) {
+      require_once(__DIR__.'/tasks/plugins_management.php');
+
+      // Deactivate Maintenance Mode
+      $command = $local_wp_cli . ' maintenance-mode deactivate';
+      exec($command);
+    }
 
     // Completion Message
     if ($fail_count > 0) {
@@ -74,5 +101,10 @@
 
   };
 
-  WP_CLI::add_command('sync', $sync);
+  WP_CLI::add_command('sync', $sync, array(
+    'synopsis' => array(
+      array('type' => 'flag', 'name' => 'database', 'optional' => true, 'description' => 'Only sync the database'),
+      array('type' => 'flag', 'name' => 'media', 'optional' => true, 'description' => 'Only sync the uploads folder'),
+    ),
+  ));
 }