How to Set Magento 2 Developer and Production Mode via SSH

Switching between Developer and Production mode in Magento 2 is often necessary for development, debugging, or optimizing performance in a live environment. Here’s how to manage it via SSH.

1. Connect via SSH

Use an SSH client to connect to your server. Your hosting provider will supply the SSH credentials.

👉 If you run into connection issues, make sure your IP is whitelisted.

2. Navigate to Your Magento Root Directory

Once connected, move into the root of your Magento 2 installation. Typically, this is inside the html folder.

cd mymagentostore.com/html

3. Check the Current Store Mode

Run the following command to see which mode your Magento store is currently using:

php bin/magento deploy:mode:show

4. Switch Between Modes

a. Set Magento 2 to Developer Mode

Developer Mode is useful for debugging and module development.

php bin/magento deploy:mode:set developer

b. Set Magento 2 to Production Mode

Production Mode is recommended for live sites to maximize performance.

php bin/magento deploy:mode:set production

Notes

• On some servers, the php bin/magento command may not work directly.
• Depending on your hosting provider, you may need to specify the PHP binary path. For example:

/usr/local/php56/bin/php-cli bin/magento deploy:mode:set developer

or

/usr/local/php70/bin/php-cli bin/magento deploy:mode:set production

✅ That’s it! You’ve successfully switched Magento 2 between Developer and Production modes using SSH.

Updated on: 18/09/2025