WordPress Development
Backend-focused WordPress development for businesses that need more than a theme install — architecture, custom functionality, and systems built to stay maintainable as they grow.
When off-the-shelf WordPress isn't enough
Most WordPress sites hit a ceiling where plugins stop being enough — a workflow that doesn't fit any existing tool, a data structure that needs custom logic, or a system that has to talk to something outside WordPress entirely. That's where a generalist page-builder approach breaks down and backend engineering takes over.
What I build
Custom WordPress backends: plugin architecture, admin tooling, data models, REST endpoints, and integrations — built with the WordPress APIs the platform already gives you rather than fighting them. The goal is always a site the next developer can actually understand.
Technical capabilities
- ✓Custom post types, taxonomies, and field-driven content models (ACF)
- ✓REST API endpoints and webhook integrations
- ✓Database schema and query optimization
- ✓Server-level performance tuning (object caching, Redis)
- ✓Security hardening — nonces, capability checks, sanitization/escaping
- ✓WP-CLI tooling for deployment and data migrations
Typical project types
- ✓Legacy WordPress rebuilds
- ✓Multi-site and multi-language architecture
- ✓Headless WordPress (REST/GraphQL front ends)
- ✓Membership and gated-content systems
- ✓Internal admin tools built on WordPress
Relevant experience
Most of my WordPress work has been for teams that already had a site and needed the backend rebuilt without breaking what worked — data migrations, plugin consolidation, and performance fixes on platforms handling real production traffic, not staging demos.
Related Case Studies
Questions I get asked
Do you work with an existing WordPress site, or only new builds?
Existing sites, mostly. Most of my work is auditing, fixing, or extending a site that's already live rather than starting from a blank install.
Do you use page builders like Elementor or Divi?
Not for the build itself — I hand-code themes on the template hierarchy for performance and control. I'll work alongside an existing page builder if a client is already using one and doesn't want to migrate off it.
How do you handle maintenance after launch?
I hand off with documentation and a codebase that doesn't depend on me personally to maintain — most clients bring me back for specific feature work, not open-ended retainers.
What's your typical project timeline?
Depends on scope — a plugin or integration is usually 1–3 weeks; a full backend rebuild is more like 4–8 weeks. I'll give a real estimate after a scoping call, not a guess upfront.
Have a project like this?
Tell me what you're building and I'll get back to you within 24–48 hours.