Beginner
Modern WordPress Fast Track
- 7 Sections
- 88 Lessons
- 0m Duration
How WordPress Runs the Web
10 Lessons
Inside a WordPress Web Server
11 Lessons
- Inside a WordPress Web Server
- From URL to WordPress
- Web Server is a Computer with 3 Programs
- Computers vs. Containers
- Setup a Web Server with Docker
- Nginx and Apache Routing for WordPress
- How Web Server Talks to WordPress
- WordPress Template Routing for Classic and Block Themes
- Block Theme Overview
- Semantic HTML, Accessibility and SEO
- Progressive Enhancement and Web Standards
Set Up Your Development Environment
13 Lessons
- Your Development Environment (Your Happy Place)
- Ideal Development Environment
- Note on Cross-Platform Development Environments
- Developer App Store with Homebrew and Chocolatey
- Required Development Software
- Install Everything Using Homebrew (macOS)
- [Windows] Install Everything Using Chocolatey
- $PATH and Symlinks
- VS Code Overview
- Clone Project Repository
- Project Structure Overview
- Adding WordPress as a Dependency using Composer
- Configure wp-config.php and .htaccess for WordPress in a Subdirectory
Tooling for Development and Automations
19 Lessons
- Tooling for Development and Automations
- Shipping Code
- Sample Tool: WP-CLI Overview
- Install WP-CLI using Composer
- Dangers of the root User and How to Solve Them
- Your First Dockerfile: Adding `less` for WP-CLI
- Adding Composer to Docker Image
- Adding Node.js to Docker Image
- Project Task Runners
- The Magic of -- (double-dash)
- Configure WP-CLI with wp-cli.yml
- Configure WP_SITEURL and WP_HOME in wp-config.php (Why so Hard?)
- Composer Package Registry for WordPress
- Adding PHPMyAdmin
- Adding Mailhog Email Catcher (and *.wp-env.net domains)
- Set Up Automations with GitHub Actions
- Enabling and Sharing VS Code Extensions
- Setup GitHub Copilot AI Assistant
- The Benefits of Bundled Tooling
WordPress Content Model and Templates
14 Lessons
- From URL Request to Theme Template
- WordPress Content Model
- WordPress Content Storage in Database
- From Database to WP-Admin
- Permalinks and Rewrite Rules
- From Rewrite Rules to WP_Query and Theme Files
- Setup Xdebug for Breakpoint Debugging and Ultimate Insight
- How Themes Template Files are Loaded
- The Minimal Theme and Plugin
- From Rewrite Rules to WP_Query Posts
- Templates in Themes and Database
- Block Themes and theme.json Overview
- Sitemaps, Feeds, REST API and Other Routes + Actions and Filters
- Summary: From Routing to Output
WordPress Blocks: Ingredients, Utensils and Recipes
10 Lessons
Extending Blocks
11 Lessons
- Extending Blocks with Patterns, Variations and Styles
- Block Patterns as Starter Templates
- Synced or Reusable Patterns
- Locked Blocks in Patterns (Removal, Content, Movement)
- Block Variations or Presets
- Block Styles
- Block Styles Example
- Block Settings (Block Supports)
- Disable Specific Blocks
- Block API Versions 2 and 3
- Block Bindings
Learn to build high-value block themes and plugins with AI and automation in a focused 10-week course.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Understand WordPress lifecycle, routing, hooks, and potential performance bottlenecks.
- Use AI to assist when building and deploying modern WordPress block themes and plugins.
- Embrace Node.js, Composer, PHPUnit and GitHub Actions for tooling and automation.
- Optimize for scale with caching, dependency injection, and lazy loading.
- Confidently deploy professional-grade WordPress solutions.