Automated WordPress Theme File Downloader: A Node.js-based crawler using Puppeteer to log in to WordPress, navigate the theme editor, and efficiently download theme files. Ideal for backup, migration, or development purposes.
No access to the WordPress server for FTP, thanks to external consultants or smth. Needed to dive into files, many of which had duplicate names or were useless. The goal: to export theme files for code editor searches. WordPress UI wasn't cutting it – no search through all file contents, no export option. This is one of the many reasons I don't like WordPress and don't use it.
Looked up solutions, found only WordPress plugins. Not about to load another plugin into this legacy system, basically run by consultants. So, the plan: download these files, but without the drag of manual saving and copying. Started with a browser script, ended up crawling the site. Way more efficient, and I could stash files exactly where and how I wanted.
- Install Dependencies: Run
npm install. - Environment Variables: Create a .env file in the root directory. Add
WP_URL,WP_USER, andWP_PASSWORDvariables for your WordPress credentials.
Note
WP_URL should include the protocol (https://) and domain, but not any trailing slashes or paths (e.g., https://example.com).
- Run the Script: Execute
npm run devto start the crawling process.
The script logs into the WP admin, accesses the theme editor, and downloads files, handling duplicates by versioning. Files are saved in a structured format for easy navigation and searchability in any code editor.