What It Does
Config Manager provides a GUI for toggling and editing common wp-config.php constants like WP_DEBUG, WP_MEMORY_LIMIT, WP_POST_REVISIONS, and more. It reads the current wp-config.php file, shows each constant's runtime value vs. WordPress default, and lets you add, update, or remove constants without touching a text editor. Every change is preceded by a backup to a protected directory, the result is checked for valid PHP before it is written, and any backup can be restored from the admin, from WP-CLI, or - if the site is already down - from a rescue command that runs without WordPress.
Features
- Visual editor for 19 wp-config.php constants across 8 categories (debugging, performance, content, security, updates, environment, development, Redis)
- Shows current value, WordPress default, and recommended value for each constant
- Add new constants, update existing values, or remove (comment out) constants
- Automatic wp-config.php backup before every modification, written to a protected directory under wp-content/uploads - never the web root
- One-click restore of any of the last 10 backups, from the admin or from WP-CLI
- Rescue command that restores a backup without loading WordPress, for a site that is already down
- Refuses to write a wp-config.php that PHP cannot parse, and re-checks the bytes on disk before they go live
- Identical no-op edits do not create a backup, so real history is never pushed out of the window
- Normalizes malformed wp-config.php formatting (fixes multi-define lines, missing newlines)
- Extensible via wpmultitool_config_constants filter — add your own constants to the manager
- Redis auto-detection — tests common hostnames (127.0.0.1, localhost, redis, wp-test-redis); the Redis section only appears when a server is detected
- Real-time updates via DataStar SSE — no page reloads needed
- Constants are categorized: debugging, performance, content, security, updates, environment, redis
- Two tiers: "essential" constants shown by default, "advanced" and "redis" available for power users
- Fires wpmultitool_before_config_update and wpmultitool_after_config_update action hooks for developers
How to Use
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Navigate to Config Manager
Go to WP Multitool > Config Manager in the WordPress admin menu.
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Review current constants
Each row shows a constant name, its description, current status (whether it exists in wp-config.php or is using the WordPress default), and the current value.
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Add a new constant
For constants not yet in wp-config.php, select your desired value from the dropdown or input field and click "Add". The constant will be inserted before the "That's all, stop editing" comment.
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Update an existing constant
Change the value in the dropdown/input and click "Update". The file is modified in place.
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Remove a constant
Click "Remove" to comment out the constant in wp-config.php. The line is preserved as a comment, not deleted.
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Roll back if needed
The Backups section lists the last 10 copies of your wp-config.php, newest first. Click Restore on any of them to put it back. Your current file is backed up first, so you can undo the undo. Reload the page afterwards to see the restored values.
Settings
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Managed Constants | 19 built-in constants |
The set of constants that appear in the manager. Extendable via the wpmultitool_config_constants filter. |
FAQ
Can I break my site with Config Manager?
It is unlikely. The module backs up wp-config.php before every change, coerces values to the expected type, and refuses to write a file that PHP cannot parse. What it cannot judge is whether a valid value is a good idea: setting WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY to true on a production site will expose error messages to visitors, and a wrong memory limit can still cause problems. If a change does go badly, restore the previous version from the Backups section - and if the site will not load at all, use the rescue command below.
Why can't I edit a specific constant?
Config Manager manages a predefined set of 19 constants. You can add custom constants using the wpmultitool_config_constants filter in your theme's functions.php or a custom plugin.
What happens when I "Remove" a constant?
The define() line is commented out (prefixed with //), not deleted. WordPress will then use its built-in default value for that constant.
Where is the backup stored?
In a protected directory at wp-content/uploads/wpmultitool-backups/config/, with an unguessable filename. It is deliberately not the WordPress root: a file named wp-config.php.backup sitting in the web root is served as plain text by nginx and Apache, credentials and salts included. Older versions did exactly that; the file is deleted automatically when you update. The last 10 backups are kept.
How do I restore a backup?
Go to WP Multitool > Config Manager > Backups and click Restore on the version you want. The current wp-config.php is backed up first, so the restore is itself reversible. You can also use WP-CLI: wp multitool config list-backups, then wp multitool config restore <name>.
What if the site will not load at all after a config change?
A wp-config.php with wrong database credentials kills WordPress before it loads, so wp-admin is gone and the normal WP-CLI command is gone with it. For that case there is a rescue command that runs before WordPress and works with the database completely unreachable. Run both from the WordPress root. First list what you have: wp --require=wp-content/plugins/wp-multitool/cli-rescue.php multitool-rescue list-backups. Then restore one: wp --require=wp-content/plugins/wp-multitool/cli-rescue.php multitool-rescue restore FILENAME --yes. Worth saving somewhere you can find it when the site is down, because you will not be able to read this page from that site.
Does it support Redis configuration?
Yes. It can manage WP_REDIS_HOST, WP_REDIS_PORT, and WP_REDIS_DATABASE constants, and includes auto-detection that tests common Redis hostnames to find a working connection.
What if wp-config.php is not writable?
If the file is not writable, the interface will display current values in read-only mode. The Add/Update/Remove buttons will not appear.
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