01
Block & classic themes
theme.json tokens, block patterns, and template hierarchy chosen to fit the build.
[ Platform service ]
WordPress Development — built properly, handed over completely.
Custom WordPress websites with clean PHP themes, structured content, reliable plugins, and a maintainable editorial workflow.
[ What you get ]
5 deliverables. Nothing implicit.
- Theme or block build
- A custom PHP or block theme assembled around your content model — templates, partials, and theme.json design tokens that keep editors inside the system.You own: The production theme in your repository
- Plugin & security audit
- Every installed plugin reviewed for maintenance, conflicts, and attack surface; vulnerabilities and dead weight removed rather than inherited.You own: A written audit with a keep, replace, or remove verdict per plugin
- Content migration
- Posts, pages, media, and redirects moved in staged passes with the URL map verified, so nothing loses its ranking or its reader.You own: A migrated site plus a checked redirect map
- Editor workflow & handoff
- Post types and taxonomies configured so editors compose without touching templates, with a recorded walkthrough for the team.You own: The admin, a content guide, and a recorded walkthrough
- Performance & SEO pass
- Caching, image handling, and Core Web Vitals measured against a budget; crawlability and schema checked before launch.You own: A pre-launch CWV report and the cache configuration
- Done means
- Done means the theme, plugins, and content all live in accounts you own, Core Web Vitals pass the agreed budget on templates an editor actually uses, and a walkthrough recording shows your team publishing without help.
- Not included
- Hosting fees, premium plugin licenses, and ongoing content production are yours to own — we scope the build, not your content calendar.
$3k–$15k
Typical focused build, fixed price
3–6
Weeks from kickoff to handover, typical
100%
Owned by you at handover
[ How it works ]
The wordpress development engagement, phase by phase.
- Audit & scope
- We audit the existing WordPress install — or the content sources moving into it — then agree the plugin, security, and hosting baseline in a written scope.
- Theme build
- The custom theme or block build is developed against the agreed information architecture, with the block editor configured so editors compose pages without touching templates.
- Migration & integration
- Content, redirects, and integrations move in staged passes. The REST API and application passwords are configured wherever third-party tools need safe access.
- Handoff
- Editors get a recorded walkthrough, WP-CLI routines are documented, and hosting, credentials, and repositories are transferred to your ownership in full.
[ Capabilities ]
The surface area of a wordpress development build.
The platform and discipline surface we work across — what an engagement can cover when the scope calls for it.
02
Custom blocks
Gutenberg blocks registered with block.json so editors compose without touching PHP.
03
Hooks & plugins
do_action and apply_filters extensions; plugins judged on maintenance cost, not marketing.
04
REST API & headless
wp-json endpoints, application passwords, and safe read and write access for other tools.
05
WP-CLI & automation
Scripted migrations, updates, and data fixes that stay repeatable and auditable.
06
Caching & performance
Page caching, image pipelines, and CWV work measured against a written budget.
07
Security hardening
Login protection, file permissions, and the audit that keeps the attack surface known.
08
Content model & taxonomies
Custom post types registered to mirror how your team actually organizes content.
09
Accessibility
Contrast, focus states, and semantic markup editors cannot easily break.
10
Staging & deployment
Staging environments and deploy routines so releases never touch production blind.
[ Field notes ]
How we think about wordpress development.
- Why choose a custom WordPress build
- WordPress powers an outsized share of the web, and a custom build puts that ecosystem behind a site tailored to your content and business. By combining a clean PHP theme with a structured content model, you get a CMS your editors can actually run day to day.
- Who this WordPress service is for
- This is for publishers, marketing teams, and growing businesses that need an editorial workflow without a bespoke application layer. If your team already lives in WordPress or needs a dependable publishing platform, a custom theme and plugin discipline give you control.
- What's included in a WordPress engagement
- Deliverables cover a custom theme or block build, a plugin and security audit, content migration from your current platform, and an editor handoff. These map directly to the build, hardening, and enablement work that keeps a WordPress site maintainable.
- Discovery: audit and content architecture
- Work starts with a CMS or platform audit and a migration assessment so we understand what content exists and what must move. We then define the information architecture and content model, choosing custom post types and custom taxonomies via register_post_type() and register_taxonomy() to reflect your structure.
- Block themes, Full Site Editing & the Block Editor
- Depending on your needs, we build with classic themes and child themes in functions.php or adopt block themes with Full Site Editing, theme.json, wp_template, and wp_template_part. On the editing side, block.json and registerBlockType underpin custom Gutenberg blocks so authors compose without touching templates.
- Hooks, plugins, shortcodes & the settings API
- PHP logic runs on the hook system—do_action for firing actions and apply_filters for transforming output—so we extend core without forking it. Plugin work uses the plugin.php header, shortcodes, cron jobs, and the Settings API, with the plugin and security audit validating what stays installed.
- The REST API, application passwords & headless hooks
- Content is exposed through the REST API under wp-json, with custom routes built where the default endpoints fall short. Application passwords or OAuth handle authenticated access, letting third-party tools read and write content safely.
- WP-CLI, Composer, Docker & CI
- Routine operations are scripted through WP-CLI commands so migrations, updates, and data fixes are repeatable and auditable. Composer manages PHP dependencies, while Docker or Local powers consistent development environments and GitHub Actions CI runs checks before anything ships.
- Quality, Core Web Vitals & accessibility
- Performance work targets Core Web Vitals, including caching, image handling, and lean asset loading on the front end. Accessibility follows WCAG with a responsive strategy, and technical SEO uses schema and crawlability checks so content is both usable and findable.
- Launch: migration, review & go-live
- Launch is a controlled sequence: content migration verified against the new content model, staging reviews, then the cutover. The WordPress environment is confirmed stable with caching configured and security checks rerun before traffic is switched.
- Handoff: editor and developer enablement
- Your editors get a tailored editorial and authoring workflow, with documentation covering the Block Editor and the content model. Developers receive a repo with the theme and plugin code so the site remains maintainable by any competent WordPress team.
- Ongoing care and related services
- Post-launch support covers updates, security monitoring, and content operations built on the initial plugin and security audit. Related work includes editorial platform migrations and headless integrations that reuse the same REST API and content model.
[ Common questions ]
It depends on the project. We support classic themes and child themes in functions.php as well as block themes with Full Site Editing, theme.json, wp_template, and wp_template_part, choosing the approach that fits your team and content.
Yes. Migration is a core deliverable and typically uses WP-CLI and custom import scripts, with the content model planned during the audit and migration assessment.
They are registered in code with register_post_type() and register_taxonomy() so the structure is version-controlled and portable, rather than built through clicks.
Content is exposed through wp-json with custom routes where needed, and authenticated access is secured with application passwords or OAuth.
It covers updates, security monitoring, and editorial support, building on the plugin and security audit and the WP-CLI and Composer toolchain established during the build.
[ Industry examples ]
Web Development work by other teams.
Industry case studies in this practice area — the problem, the build, and the results, credited to the agency that delivered each one.
Web DevelopmentUberall · 2026
Five-language Webflow rebuild lifts demo requests 21.4%
+21.4%YoY demo requests (Q1 2026)
By Flow NinjaWebflow migration
Web DevelopmentDevelop Health · 2026
Swiss-style brand and Webflow site for a health-AI startup
$1.8Mfunding raised
By Halo LabBranding
Web DevelopmentMerton College, University of Oxford · 2026
Oxford college moves 4,000 pages to headless Payload CMS
~4,000pages migrated
By Lemon HiveHeadless CMS build
[ Sibling platforms ]
Other ways we build in web development.
01
Webflow Development
Scalable Webflow marketing sites with structured CMS collections, reusable components, Data API connections, and a clean handoff for internal teams.
02
Wix Studio Development
Responsive Wix Studio builds using Extend Websites with Velo, CMS content, and Wix Headless APIs where the platform fit is right.
03
HubSpot CMS Development
HubSpot CMS websites built with HubL, reusable modules, themes, and content schemas that keep marketing teams independent.
04
Next.js Development
Fast, search-ready Next.js applications using App Router, server rendering, Cache Components, headless content, and reliable edge deployment.
05
React Development
Product interfaces and web applications built in React with reusable components, React 19 Actions, clear state management, and stable API integration.
06
Nuxt Development
Nuxt and Vue websites for content-heavy or product-led teams using the current app directory conventions and flexible rendering.
07
Framer Development
Fast Framer sites with polished motion, Code Components, reusable sections, and an editor-friendly setup for campaigns and product launches.
[ Field guides ]
Go deeper on wordpress development.
01
How to Choose a Web Development Agency in 2026
Twelve questions that expose how an agency actually works: ownership, handoff, process, references, support terms, and the pricing structure behind the pitch.
02
Website Redesign Without Losing SEO: A Practical Guide
Most redesign traffic drops are self-inflicted: changed URLs, missing redirects, thinner content. A migration plan built before design starts prevents them.
[ Next step ]
Start with a scoped proposal. Price attached.
contact@nexsumlabs.tech — we reply within one business dayBack to Web Development