# WordPress Built Like Software. WordPress Development at Workflow Apps. We write the code behind WordPress sites: custom plugins, integrations, headless front ends, and migrations, all in version control with a real release process behind them. [Start a Project](/start/?interest=ai-accelerated-development) ## Why WordPress. **A Platform Your Team Knows.** Your editors already know the admin, the hosting market is mature, and the content model is flexible. Keeping WordPress where it works, and engineering around its limits, is often cheaper than replacing it. **Built to Be Extended.** Hooks, custom post types, and the REST API let WordPress connect to almost anything. The difference between a stable site and a fragile one is whether those extensions are written as maintainable plugins or stacked as one-off snippets. **How We Build It.** Custom code lives in plugins and must-use plugins, never in edits to core or third-party code. Local environments run in Docker, changes go through Git and CI, and data changes run as WP-CLI scripts with a dry run before anything touches production. ## What We Build With WordPress. ### Custom Plugin Development Purpose-built plugins for the features your site needs and the plugin directory doesn't cover. We build plugins the way we build any software: a clear scope, namespaced PHP, settings that survive updates, and code your next developer can read. That includes must-use plugins for site-wide behavior that shouldn't be switched off by accident. - Custom post types, fields, and admin screens - Must-use plugins for site-wide behavior - Bridges between WordPress and document or file systems ### Theme Development in Code Themes and child themes built from your designer's files, with templates your editors can't break. We implement themes from approved designs as clean, versioned code: custom themes, child themes for intranets and portals, and Advanced Custom Fields layouts that give editors structure without a page builder's overhead. - Custom and child theme development - Advanced Custom Fields layouts and options - Intranet themes with role-based access ### Integrations & REST API Work WordPress connected to the rest of your stack: forms, CRMs, databases, and internal tools. We extend the REST API with custom endpoints and fields, fix the plugins that corrupt its JSON output, and wire form submissions and content into external systems so data moves without someone copying it by hand. - Custom REST endpoints and exposed ACF fields - Gravity Forms submissions routed to Quickbase and other systems - Content ingestion for search, reporting, and AI assistants ### Headless & Static Front Ends Keep WordPress as the editor, serve the public site from a fast static or headless front end. Editors keep the admin they know. Visitors get pages built with Astro or Next.js and served from Cloudflare's edge, with no PHP or database exposed to public traffic. Where WordPress isn't needed at all, we migrate the content out entirely. - Headless front ends with Astro or Next.js - Full WordPress to static site migrations - Deployment on Cloudflare with build previews ### Migrations & WP-CLI Automation Content, template, and data changes run as scripts, not as an afternoon of clicking. Moving page-builder templates onto pages, restructuring content, or pulling reports out of a legacy plugin's tables. We write WP-CLI commands with dry-run, apply, and restore modes so every change is reviewable and reversible. - WP-CLI commands with dry-run and restore - Page-builder content cleanup and restructuring - Reporting from legacy plugin and LMS data ### Security, Cleanup & Maintenance Compromised or neglected sites brought back under control, then kept there. We remove malicious code, trace how it got in, and harden the install. After that, updates run through a staging environment and CI instead of the live dashboard, so a plugin update doesn't take the site down. - Malware removal and post-incident hardening - Dependency and plugin audits - Staged updates with version control and CI ## When WordPress Is the Right Call **A strong fit when:** - Your team publishes content often and already knows the WordPress admin - You need features or integrations no existing plugin handles cleanly - Your site has years of content and custom fields worth keeping - You want a faster public site without retraining editors on a new CMS **Worth a second look when:** - If the site is mostly static pages that rarely change, a static build on Astro and Cloudflare is faster, cheaper to host, and has nothing to patch. We migrate WordPress sites this way. - If WordPress is acting as the database for complex workflows, a custom application is usually the better long-term home ## What We Pair With WordPress - **Platform:** WordPress, PHP, Advanced Custom Fields, Gravity Forms, WooCommerce - **Tooling:** WP-CLI, Composer, Docker, GitHub Actions - **Headless:** WP REST API, Astro, Next.js, Cloudflare ## Related Work - [RAG Website Assistant for an Engineering Firm](/case-studies/engineering-firm-rag-assistant/): A retrieval-augmented assistant for a national engineering firm's website: daily WordPress ingestion, vector search, cited answers, and edge deployment on Cloudflare. ## How an Engagement Runs 1. **Scope (Week 1):** Audit what exists and define what needs to be built. 2. **Architect (Week 2):** Architecture, stack decisions, and a delivery roadmap. 3. **Build (Weeks 3–8):** AI-accelerated development with something to review every week. 4. **Ship & Support (Week 8+):** Deployment, documentation, and handoff. See [the full process](/process/). ## FAQ ### Do you design WordPress websites? No. We're a software development company, so our work is the code: plugins, themes built from approved designs, integrations, migrations, and infrastructure. If you have a designer or agency, we build from their files. ### Can you build a custom WordPress plugin? Yes. We scope what the plugin needs to do, build it as namespaced, versioned code, and document how it's configured. Custom functionality goes in a plugin rather than the theme, so it survives a redesign. ### Can you take over a WordPress site another developer built? Yes. We start with an audit of the theme, plugins, custom code, and hosting, then give you a prioritized list of what to fix, what to replace, and what to leave alone. ### Should we go headless? Sometimes. Headless makes sense when you want a faster, more secure public site and your team still needs the WordPress editor. If nobody edits the site often, a full static migration is usually simpler. We'll tell you which fits after scoping. ### How long does a WordPress project take? Most projects follow our standard process: scoping in week one, architecture in week two, and builds you can review every week through weeks three to eight. Smaller plugin or integration work often fits inside that window with room to spare. ### Where are you located? Malvern, PA, near Philadelphia. We work with organizations across the U.S., and most engagements run remotely with weekly reviews. ## Need a WordPress Developer? Tell us what the site does and where it's falling short. You'll hear back within one business day with a yes, a scope estimate, or a better question. [Start a Project](/start/?interest=ai-accelerated-development)