19 articles
Building on WordPress: custom blocks, headless front ends with Next.js, and automation.
Headless front ends, plugins and integrations, with the tests and release habits that keep them maintainable. The custom development and plugin pages describe the same work as an engagement.
Not covered yet: plugin dependency design, custom admin settings pages, and block editor accessibility.
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Development8 min read
WooCommerce payment gateways for the Checkout block: a working integration
A WooCommerce payment gateway Checkout block integration needs a PHP payment method type and a JavaScript payment method registration. Your existing WC_Payment_Gateway can still process the payment, but the block will not list it until both sides are registered with the same gateway ID.
Development7 min read
The WordPress Interactivity API: add front-end behavior to a custom block
The WordPress Interactivity API gives custom blocks a standard way to connect front-end HTML to state and JavaScript actions. Since WordPress 6.5, you can declare an interactive block in block.json, add directives to server-rendered markup, and load behavior through a script module.
Development7 min read
End-to-end WordPress Playwright testing for editor, admin and checkout
WordPress Playwright testing lets a browser verify the editor, wp-admin, and checkout paths that a release depends on. Run those flows against wp-env, reuse a saved admin session, keep test data fixed, and save traces and screenshots when CI fails.
Development5 min read
WordPress plugin database migrations with dbDelta, done safely
WordPress plugin database migrations should compare a stored schema version with the version your plugin expects, then run only the missing steps. Use dbDelta() for table creation and supported schema changes, and use explicit, guarded migrations for destructive or unsupported changes.
Development7 min read
WordPress plugin unit testing with wp-env and PHPUnit
WordPress plugin unit testing stays repeatable when pure PHP tests stay small and WordPress integration tests run in a wp-env environment. Set up wp-env, bootstrap the WordPress PHPUnit files through WP_TESTS_DIR, write tests with WP_UnitTestCase, then run the same command in GitHub Actions.
Development7 min read
WordPress Script Modules: load ES modules the WordPress way
WordPress Script Modules are the core API for registering and loading front-end ES modules with named dependencies. Since WordPress 6.5, you can let WordPress build the import map, preload static module dependencies, and print the module entry point in the right order.
Development6 min read
How to write a custom WP-CLI command for your plugin
A WP CLI custom command belongs in your plugin when a maintenance or data task needs a repeatable command-line interface. Register a command class only when WP-CLI is running, describe its arguments in PHPDoc, then add dry-run handling, bounded batches, machine-readable output and exit codes.
Development6 min read
Headless WordPress examples and architectural patterns
Practical headless WordPress examples divide the platform into two separate systems: WordPress acting solely as a structured content repository, and an external frontend framework rendering the user interface.
Development4 min read
AI automation for small businesses: where to start
AI automation for small businesses is most useful when it handles a repeatable step that someone can check. Start with one workflow, such as sorting incoming enquiries or drafting a reply for review. Decide who owns the result, how mistakes will be caught and what happens when a connection fails.