WordPress Plugin Development

Theme-agnostic WordPress plugin patterns that work with any theme — Newspaper, Elementor, Gutenberg, and more.

Core Concepts

Hooks and Filters

WordPress's event system for extending functionality without modifying core code:

• Actions — execute code at specific points (e.g., after a post is saved)
• Filters — modify data as it passes through WordPress (e.g., the_content)

Settings API

Register settings pages, sections, and fields. Handle validation, sanitization, and default values.

REST API

Extend WordPress with custom REST endpoints for AJAX operations and external integrations.

Best Practices

• Never modify theme files — use hooks to inject functionality
• Prefix all functions, classes, and database entries to avoid collisions
• Sanitize and validate all user input
• Use WordPress coding standards for PHP, JavaScript, and CSS
• Support translation with proper i18n function usage