Install Drush inside your Drupal project with Composer, then run it from that project’s vendor/bin directory. SSH into the VPS, confirm the project’s PHP and Drupal versions are compatible with the Drush major version you intend to use, run composer require drush/drush from the directory containing composer.json, and verify the site with vendor/bin/drush status.
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This project-local approach keeps the Drush version tied to the Drupal codebase you deploy. It also prevents a server-wide binary from silently using the wrong command set or bootstrapping a different site. The sections below show how to install, target single-site and multisite installations, run common administration tasks, use aliases for remote environments, and recover from the failures most often seen on a VPS.
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What Drush is and why a VPS installation is project-local
Drush is Drupal’s command-line administration tool. Depending on the installed major version and the extensions enabled by the project, it can clear caches, apply database updates, export or import configuration, install modules and themes, generate boilerplate code, and create dummy content. Drush commands run through Drupal’s bootstrap process, so they need the correct codebase, settings, database connection, and site URL.
The supported installation model is Composer-based. You add Drush as a dependency of the Drupal project rather than treating it as an unrelated operating-system package. Composer places the executable at vendor/bin/drush. Running that path from the project root invokes the version selected in the project’s dependency lock file.
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A command named drush can still be convenient, but convenience must not hide which project is being used. A project-local binary is explicit. A PATH entry or the optional Drush Launcher can dispatch to a project-local binary, but you should still check the working directory, root, URI, and status output before changing a production site.
Prerequisites to check before installing
SSH and filesystem access
You need terminal access to the VPS and an account that can read the Drupal codebase, read its configuration, and run PHP and Composer. If the web server user owns the files, use an approved deployment or operations account rather than changing ownership casually. Drush must be able to read the same project files and environment values that Drupal uses.
A Composer-managed Drupal project
Find the directory that contains the Drupal project’s composer.json. A typical layout has the Drupal web root in a subdirectory such as web, while composer.json and vendor are one level above it. Do not assume the document root is the Composer root; inspect the actual project layout first.
PHP, Drupal, and Drush compatibility
Check the current Drush compatibility table before adding the dependency. The compatibility values available for this guide list Drush 13 with PHP 8.3 or newer and compatibility with Drupal 10.2 and Drupal 11. Drush 12 is listed with PHP 8.1 or newer and older Drupal compatibility. These values can change as Drupal and PHP releases move, so verify the live table at the time you install or upgrade.
Check the server’s PHP CLI version, not only the PHP-FPM version used by the web server:
php -v
composer --versionIf the CLI reports an older PHP release than your web server, Composer and Drush will use the CLI release. Resolve that mismatch before installation. Composer may also be configured to use a platform PHP version in composer.json; that constraint must agree with the PHP binary actually running Composer.
Operational safeguards
- Confirm that the latest database and files backup is restorable before database updates, configuration imports, or synchronization.
- Know whether the command will affect a staging copy, a live site, or every site in a multisite installation.
- Run deployment changes through the same release process used for the Drupal codebase, rather than modifying a disposable copy and forgetting to commit the dependency files.
Install Drush step by step on the VPS
- Connect over SSH. Use the account approved for Drupal maintenance and move to the Composer project root, the directory containing
composer.json.ssh user@example-vps cd /path/to/drupal-project - Confirm the working directory. Check that the expected
composer.jsonis present and that the project’s PHP CLI version meets the Drush major version’s requirement.pwd ls composer.json php -v - Add Drush to the project. Run the documented Composer command from that directory:
composer require drush/drushComposer resolves a compatible Drush release and its dependencies, updates
composer.json, and writes the exact dependency set tocomposer.lockwhen the project uses a lock file. - Run the site-local executable.
vendor/bin/drush statusThe status command should report details such as the Drupal root, site URI, database connection, Drupal version, and Drush version. Treat those values as a routing check: if the URI, root, or database is not the intended site, stop and correct the target before running an administrative command. This article does not assume a successful run on your server; the output must be checked on the VPS itself.
- Commit and deploy the dependency change. In a version-controlled project, commit the changed
composer.jsonandcomposer.lockand deploy the resulting dependency set consistently to each environment. Do not copy a vendor directory from an unrelated release.
For repeatable deployments, run Composer in the release or build process and make the resulting project-local binary available to the release that contains the matching Drupal code. Installing a different Drush version globally does not replace the dependency declared by the project.
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Use the correct command form and discover available commands
The documented general form is:
drush [options] <command> [argument1] [argument2]When working from the project root, substitute vendor/bin/drush for drush unless you have deliberately configured a safe launcher or PATH entry. Drush’s command names, aliases, and options vary between major versions, so inspect the binary installed in this project instead of relying on a command remembered from an older server.
vendor/bin/drush help
vendor/bin/drush topic
vendor/bin/drush list
vendor/bin/drush help crhelp gives command-specific usage, topic opens longer conceptual documentation, and list shows commands available from the installed Drush and Drupal extensions. Run these commands on the target server before putting a command into an automation script.
Common Drush administration tasks
These are representative workflows. Run them from the Drupal project root and replace the executable path if you use a verified launcher.
| Task | Command | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Check bootstrap and environment | vendor/bin/drush status |
Drupal root, URI, database, Drupal version, and Drush version identify the intended site. |
| Rebuild caches | vendor/bin/drush cr |
Run after code, module, theme, or configuration changes when the site requires a cache rebuild. |
| See pending database updates | vendor/bin/drush updatedb:status |
Review the listed updates and the release that introduced them before applying changes. |
| Apply database updates | vendor/bin/drush updatedb |
Take a restorable backup and follow the project’s deployment order first. |
| Export configuration | vendor/bin/drush config:export |
Confirm the export directory and review the resulting configuration changes before committing them. |
| Import configuration | vendor/bin/drush config:import |
Ensure the import is intended for this environment; it can change enabled modules, fields, views, and site settings. |
The Drupal User Guide describes Drush as a tool for generating boilerplate code, installing modules and themes, clearing cache, and creating dummy content. The exact command set and option names depend on the installed Drush and Drupal versions, so use vendor/bin/drush list and vendor/bin/drush help <command> as the authority for your installation.
Make Drush target the right Drupal site
Run from the project root whenever possible
From the Composer project root, Drush can normally discover the codebase and its Drupal root. Running the same command from a random directory can leave Drush unable to find the project or can select an unintended installation if several projects share a server.
Specify a root and URI explicitly
When the working directory is not the project root, provide the Drupal root and the site URI. The exact path and hostname are environment-specific:
vendor/bin/drush --root=/path/to/drupal-project/web --uri=https://example.com status--root points to the Drupal web root. --uri selects the site context, which matters for generated links, domain-based settings, and multisite installations. Use the real scheme and hostname configured for the target environment; do not substitute a public production hostname when you intend to operate on staging.
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Use the DRUSH_OPTIONS_URL environment variable
For a shell session or automation job that repeatedly needs one URL, set DRUSH_OPTIONS_URL instead of repeating the option:
export DRUSH_OPTIONS_URL=https://staging.example.com
vendor/bin/drush status
vendor/bin/drush crKeep environment files protected because URLs can reveal internal hostnames and because the rest of the shell environment may contain credentials or other sensitive settings. Unset the variable when switching environments in the same session.
Understand multisite selection
A multisite codebase can share one Drupal installation while using different databases and site directories. The URI is the selector. If Drush cannot infer the site, combine an explicit root with the exact site URI, then confirm the selected database and site in status before making changes. Never infer the target solely from the VPS hostname.
Use site aliases for staging and production
Drush aliases give environments stable names beginning with @. An alias contains the connection and site-targeting details needed by the project, so it must be configured and reviewed by the team that manages those environments. Alias definitions can include a remote host, Drupal root, URI, SSH connection, and other options; their exact location and format depend on the project’s Drush setup.
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drush @staging updatedb
drush rsync @staging:%files/ @live:%files
drush sql:sync --structure-tables-key=custom @live @selfThe first runs pending database updates through the staging alias. The second synchronizes files from staging to live. The third synchronizes a database while using the project’s custom structure-table definition to exclude cache tables. These are operationally significant actions, not harmless demonstrations: inspect the resolved alias, destination, include/exclude rules, and backup state before executing them.
Review an alias before a destructive command
- Display or inspect the alias definition using the project’s documented Drush alias tools.
- Confirm the SSH host, Drupal root, URI, database, and file paths resolve to the intended environment.
- Check which direction a synchronization will run. A typo in source and destination can overwrite the newer copy.
- Use a dry run or confirmation option when the installed command provides one, then take a fresh backup.
- Run the operation during a maintenance window and verify the destination with
drush status.
Do not copy alias examples unchanged into production. The names @staging, @live, and @self only have meaning after your project defines them.
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Choose between vendor/bin/drush, PATH, and the Launcher
Project-local binary
vendor/bin/drush is the least ambiguous choice. It uses the Drush version Composer installed for the current project. Use it in deployment scripts, cron jobs, and runbooks unless there is a documented reason to do otherwise.
A temporary PATH entry
You can add the project’s binary directory to PATH for the current shell:
export PATH="$(pwd)/vendor/bin:$PATH"
drush statusThis is convenient only while you remain in, or deliberately reference, the intended project. A permanent PATH entry that points to one site can cause an operator working on another site to run the wrong Drush binary. If you use PATH, document it and verify with command -v drush and drush status.
The optional Drush Launcher
The optional Drush Launcher is designed to find and dispatch to a project-local Drush. It can make drush available across projects, but it does not remove the need to choose the correct directory, root, and URI. Treat the launcher as a dispatcher, not as a replacement for Composer dependencies. Confirm which project it selected with drush status before every environment-changing operation.
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| Drush line | PHP compatibility stated for this guide | Drupal compatibility stated for this guide | Composer and invocation model | Support status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drush 13 | PHP 8.3 or newer | Drupal 10.2 and Drupal 11 | Install in the Drupal project with Composer and invoke the project-local binary or a launcher that dispatches to it. | Check the current Drush support policy; a fixed end-of-life date is not established here. |
| Drush 12 | PHP 8.1 or newer | Older Drupal compatibility; exact range must be checked in the current table | Composer-managed project installation; use the project-local binary. | Check the current Drush support policy for the release you maintain. |
| Drush 8 | Not stated in the current compatibility summary | Legacy Drupal compatibility | Historical documentation may describe older installation methods; do not use it as the current workflow for a Composer-managed Drupal project. | Legacy; current support status is not stated here. |
Pin the major version appropriate for the project in Composer when your release policy requires predictable upgrades. Commit composer.json and composer.lock, review dependency changes, and deploy the locked set consistently. Before upgrading Drush, read the compatibility table and run the project’s test, update, and cache-rebuild procedures on staging.
Do not mix instructions from historical Drush 8 documentation with a current Drupal 10 or 11 project. A command that existed under an older major version may have a different name, option, or behavior now. Ask the installed binary:
vendor/bin/drush --version
vendor/bin/drush list
vendor/bin/drush help <command>Troubleshoot installation and bootstrap failures
composer require drush/drush fails on PHP requirements
Read the Composer error and compare it with php -v. The CLI PHP binary may be older than the web server’s PHP, or another dependency may impose a stricter constraint. Install or select a supported CLI PHP version through the VPS provider’s documented method, then rerun Composer. Do not bypass the constraint merely to force an incompatible Drush release.
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vendor/bin/drush does not exist
Confirm that Composer completed successfully and that you are in the directory containing the project’s vendor directory. A deployment that omitted production dependencies will not contain the binary. Re-run the project’s documented Composer installation step, such as installing from the committed lock file, rather than copying an arbitrary vendor directory.
Drush reports that it cannot find Drupal
Move to the Composer project root or provide --root explicitly. If the codebase is multisite, add the correct --uri. Check path permissions and confirm that the Drupal root contains the expected core files.
Status shows the wrong site or database
Stop immediately. Check the current directory, alias, --root, --uri, and DRUSH_OPTIONS_URL. Read the status output’s root, URI, and database values, then correct the selector and run status again. A successful bootstrap of the wrong site is still a failure.
A command is unknown or an option is rejected
Use vendor/bin/drush list and vendor/bin/drush help <command> on that server. The command may belong to a different Drush major version, require a Drupal module, or use a renamed option. Update scripts only after confirming the syntax supported by the installed dependency.
Remote alias or synchronization fails
Validate SSH access independently, then inspect the alias’s host, user, root, URI, and file or database paths. Confirm that both environments have compatible code and that the account has the required permissions. For file or database synchronization, verify source and destination direction and restore from backup if an operation produced an unexpected result.
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A safe repeatable VPS routine
- SSH into the approved maintenance account.
- Change to the directory containing the target project’s
composer.json. - Check CLI PHP, Composer, and the Drush compatibility requirements.
- Install or update the dependency with the project’s Composer workflow.
- Run
vendor/bin/drush statusand confirm root, URI, database, Drupal, and Drush versions. - Use
help,topic, andlistto confirm command syntax for this installation. - Back up before
updatedb, configuration imports, or remote synchronization. - Run the smallest command that accomplishes the task, then verify the site and logs.
- Commit dependency changes and deploy the locked Composer set consistently across environments.
With that routine, Drush remains tied to the Drupal project it is meant to administer, while explicit roots, URIs, and reviewed aliases prevent a VPS operator from changing the wrong site.
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