WordPress
WordPress engineering: custom blocks, plugins and headless builds
WordPress sites built on custom block themes and PHP plugins, not page builders. Editors get blocks shaped around their content; developers get version-controlled code, a staging site and repeatable deployments. Headless builds are an option when a fast custom front end earns its place.
- Typical timeline
- Several weeks for most sitesLonger for headless builds or large migrations
- How it’s quoted
- IndividuallyAfter a 30-minute call
- Who edits it
- Your teamIn the block editor, with blocks designed for your content
- Stack
- WordPress block themeCustom PHP plugins, managed hosting you own
In your name Accounts and repositories, from day one Yours The code and documentation, under the signed agreement
On this page
Is it the right call?
When it’s the right call
- Several people publish often and need roles, drafts and scheduling
- Your content has structure, such as locations, products or case studies
- The site needs integrations with a CRM, booking tool or membership system
- An existing WordPress site is slow, fragile or buried in plugins
When it isn’t
- One person updates a small site a few times a year We’d suggest: Squarespace, with less to maintain
- Visitors log in to manage accounts, data or workflows We’d suggest: A custom web app
Sound like you? The first step is a 30-minute scoping call with the engineer who would lead the work.Request a scoping call
Standard equipment
What we usually hand over on a project like this. Your proposal lists exactly what’s included.
- WordPress
- PHP
- Gutenberg
- React
- WP-CLI
- Next.js
- Astro
- SCSS
Custom block theme
A theme built on theme.json and custom blocks, with no page builder to maintain.
Custom plugins
Post types, fields and integrations in version-controlled PHP, not a stack of third-party plugins.
Performance and security hardening
Caching, image handling, update policy and access controls, configured and documented.
Migration and redirects
Content moved from your old site, with URL redirects mapped to protect search rankings.
Editor guide
How to use each block, publish safely and keep the site healthy.
What we build
Block themes and custom blocks that match your content, PHP plugins that add post types, fields and integrations, and headless builds where WordPress manages content behind a fast Astro or Next.js front end.
Fixing sites that already exist
Many projects start with a site that has grown slow or fragile. We audit plugins and theme code, remove what is not earning its place, fix Core Web Vitals and accessibility issues, and put updates on a schedule. Sometimes the honest answer is a rebuild, and we will say so.
21 October 2026: the PHP project fixed two critical vulnerabilities (PHP2Shell) in PHP 8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36 and 8.2.35; PHP 8.1 and older get no fixed release. PHP2Shell: what to do now →
Is the site still on PHP 8.2? Its security support ends on 31 December 2026, and WordPress recommends PHP 8.3 or greater. How to upgrade a WordPress site before 2027 →
How many WordPress sites still run a PHP version that no longer gets security fixes? We track it every day from WordPress.org’s published figures. The WordPress PHP tracker →
When WordPress isn’t enough
If editors are fine but the site now needs accounts, dashboards or workflows, WordPress can stay as the content layer while a custom application handles the rest. WordPress as the content layer for a custom application →
More in Websites & commerce
WooCommerce
A store you own outright, wired into the inventory, shipping and accounting systems you already use.
Squarespace
A site your team updates in minutes, with structure, accessibility and code extensions done properly from the start.
Wix & Wix Studio
A Wix site your team edits visually, with custom code doing the work the editor cannot.
Questions about WordPress
WordPress or Squarespace: which should we choose?
Choose Squarespace if one or two people update a mostly simple site and you want hosting and security handled for you. Choose WordPress if several people publish, your content has structure, or the site needs integrations. WordPress offers more control and needs more upkeep.
What is headless WordPress, and when is it worth it?
Headless WordPress keeps the familiar editor for content while a separate front end, built in Astro or Next.js, renders the site. It is worth it when speed, security or a design system shared with an app matters more than plugin convenience. For most marketing sites, a well-built block theme is simpler to run, and we will say which fits.
Who keeps WordPress and its plugins updated after launch?
Either your team or ours keeps WordPress, its theme and its plugins updated, on a written update policy. Every site we hand over has a short list of plugins that earn their place and a documented routine for core, theme and plugin updates. If you’d rather not run it yourselves, ongoing engineering covers updates, monitoring and fixes on a monthly basis.
Every build, any stack
One standard.
Performance
A performance budget is set before launch and enforced on every change.
Accessibility
Built to WCAG 2.2 AA and tested against it, with automated checks and manual keyboard and screen-reader passes on client builds.
Security
Least-privilege access, secrets kept out of code, dependencies monitored and security headers configured.
Handover
Accounts and repositories in your name from day one. The code and documentation are yours under the signed agreement, written so another team could take over.
Start a project
Tell us what you’re building.
We reply within one business day, with questions or a time to talk.
Pittsburgh, PA · Since 2015 · First step: a 30-minute call