> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://libops-renovate-github-com-libops-sitectl-isle-0-x.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# lifecycle

> Build, start, stop, inspect, and roll out a WordPress stack with core sitectl commands.

export const Compose = () => <Tooltip headline="Compose" tip={<>
        Docker Compose is Docker's tool for defining and running multi-container applications.{" "}
        <a href="https://docs.docker.com/compose/">https://docs.docker.com/compose/</a>.
      </>}>
    <>
      <Icon icon="docker" />
      {" "}
      Compose
    </>
  </Tooltip>;

WordPress does not define its own lifecycle commands. Like every application plugin, a
WordPress stack is built, started, stopped, inspected, and rolled out with the **core**
`sitectl` commands, which operate on whichever context is active:

```bash theme={null}
sitectl create wp             # scaffold the stack and its context
sitectl compose build         # build images
sitectl compose up -d         # start the stack
sitectl compose ps            # service status
sitectl compose logs -f       # follow logs
sitectl compose down          # stop the stack
sitectl deploy                # pull updates and restart (rollout)
```

`sitectl wp ...` is reserved for WordPress-specific operations — [WP-CLI](/plugins/wordpress/wp-cli),
[Composer](/plugins/wordpress/composer), [plugin and theme](/plugins/wordpress/plugins-themes)
maintenance, and [core, cache, and database](/plugins/wordpress/core-cache-db) helpers.
General <Compose /> lifecycle stays in the core CLI so the same operational contract
applies to every stack.

See [`sitectl create`](/commands/create), [`sitectl compose`](/commands/compose), and
[`sitectl deploy`](/commands/deploy) for the full lifecycle reference.