Custom WordPress plugins without the bloat
Gjethe develops custom WordPress plugins: site-specific features, integrations with CRMs, payment and booking systems, WooCommerce extensions, custom Gutenberg blocks, admin tools and plugins for the WordPress.org directory. We follow WordPress coding standards, sanitise and escape all data, use nonces and capabilities correctly, and keep plugins lightweight so they don't slow your site.
- Free first consultation
- Written quote for your project
- Flexible payment milestones
At a glance
- Types
- Site features, integrations, blocks, WooCommerce
- Standards
- WordPress coding and security standards
- Editor
- Gutenberg blocks and block patterns
- Distribution
- Private, or WordPress.org directory
Definition
What is WordPress plugin development?
A WordPress plugin is a package of code that adds features to a WordPress site through WordPress's hooks and APIs, without changing WordPress core or the theme.
Many WordPress sites run dozens of plugins, each adding scripts, database tables and settings pages for features the site barely uses. When a site needs something specific, a small custom plugin is often faster, safer and easier to maintain than stacking three general-purpose ones and gluing them together.
Who is it for?
Sites with too many plugins
Replace several heavy plugins with one focused custom plugin.
WooCommerce stores
Custom checkout rules, product types and integrations.
Agencies
Custom plugins for your agency's own website and tools.
SaaS companies
An official WordPress plugin that connects your product to customers' sites.
What's included, and what you keep
What's included
- Plugin architecture and requirements
- Custom post types, taxonomies and fields
- Custom Gutenberg blocks
- Admin settings pages
- REST API endpoints
- Third-party API integrations
- WooCommerce extensions
- Security: sanitising, escaping, nonces, capabilities
- Translation-ready strings
- Automated tests and coding-standard checks
- WordPress.org submission, if public
What you receive
Handed over at the end. Yours to keep.
- The plugin, installed and configured
- Source code in your repository
- Documentation for admins and developers
- Translation files where needed
- Directory listing assets for public plugins
Why a custom plugin, not theme code
Functionality added to a theme's functions file disappears when the theme changes. A plugin keeps features independent of design, so you can redesign the site without losing them. It also keeps code organised, testable and easier for another developer to understand.
Security is built in
A large share of WordPress vulnerabilities come from plugins. We validate and sanitise all input, escape all output, check user capabilities before any action, use nonces against forged requests, prepare database queries safely and avoid storing secrets in the database where possible. Code is checked against WordPress coding standards and common vulnerability patterns before release.
Blocks, shortcodes or settings?
| Need | Usually best as |
|---|---|
| Content editors place a feature on pages | A Gutenberg block |
| A site-wide behaviour or integration | Hooks with a settings page |
| Structured content such as events or properties | Custom post types and fields |
| Data shared with apps or other sites | REST API endpoints |
WooCommerce extensions
WooCommerce stores often need custom logic: special product types, pricing rules, checkout fields, shipping calculations or integrations with warehouses and accounting. We build these as WooCommerce-compatible plugins that respect its hooks and the newer storage systems, so they survive WooCommerce updates.
Publishing on WordPress.org
If your plugin is meant for the public, the WordPress.org directory has guidelines on licensing, security, data collection and how plugins may promote paid services. We prepare the code, readme, screenshots and listing to meet them, and support you through review.
What helps us start
- What the plugin must do, step by step
- Plugins it replaces or must work with
- Systems or APIs it connects to
- Who will use it: admins, editors or visitors
- A staging copy of the site
- Whether it will be private or public
Integrations that don't break the site
Plugins that connect WordPress to CRMs, booking tools, payment providers or internal systems must cope with slow or failing APIs. If a call to an external service runs while a visitor waits, a problem on that service becomes a slow or broken page on yours. We move slow work into background tasks, cache responses where appropriate and log failures so they can be retried.
API keys are stored securely and never exposed in the page source, and admins can see the status of the connection from the settings page.
Multisite and multilingual
Plugins on WordPress Multisite networks or multilingual sites need extra care: settings per site or per network, translations of user-facing text, and compatibility with plugins such as WPML or Polylang. We plan for these from the start when your set-up needs them.
How WordPress plugin development works, step by step
Every step has a clear output you can review. Timing is agreed in your quote.
- 1
Requirements
Features, users, integrations and constraints written down.
- 2
Architecture
Hooks, data storage, blocks and settings planned.
- 3
Build
Development on a staging site.
- 4
Review and test
Security review, standards checks and testing with your theme and plugins.
- 5
Deploy
Installation on the live site, or directory submission.
- 6
Maintain
Optional updates for WordPress and WooCommerce releases.
Tools, and what shapes your quote
Pricing is based on your project and agreed in your quote. These are the things that move it.
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Feature scope | More features and screens mean more development. |
| Integrations | Each external API adds error handling and testing. |
| Blocks | Custom editor blocks add React development. |
| WooCommerce | Checkout and order logic needs careful testing. |
| Public distribution | Directory submission and wider compatibility add work. |
| Compatibility | Testing with many themes and plugins takes time. |
| Area | Tools |
|---|---|
| WordPress | PHP, WordPress APIs, Gutenberg and React, WP-CLI |
| Quality | PHPCS with WordPress standards, PHPUnit, Plugin Check |
| Development | wp-env, Local, Git, Composer |
Common mistakes to avoid
What we see go wrong most often, and how a good project avoids it.
Editing other plugins' code
Changes are lost on update. Extend through hooks instead.
Features in the theme
Theme-based features disappear when the design changes.
Skipping sanitising and escaping
The most common cause of plugin vulnerabilities.
Loading scripts on every page
Load assets only where the plugin is used.
Frequently asked questions
Can you replace several plugins with one custom plugin?
Often, yes. We review which features you actually use and build them into one focused plugin.
Do you build Gutenberg blocks?
Yes, custom blocks and patterns your editors can use without touching code.
Can you extend WooCommerce?
Yes. We build WooCommerce extensions for products, pricing, checkout, shipping and integrations.
Can you publish our plugin on WordPress.org?
Yes. We prepare the code and listing to meet the directory guidelines and support you through review.
Will the plugin survive WordPress updates?
We use official APIs and hooks, which change rarely. For long-term peace of mind, an update plan keeps the plugin tested with new releases.
Can you fix a plugin someone else wrote?
Yes. We review the code, fix bugs and security issues, and document what we changed.
Do you also build WordPress themes?
Yes, through our WordPress development service.
Who owns the plugin code?
You do, once the project is paid.
How is plugin development priced?
It is quoted on features, integrations, blocks and whether the plugin will be distributed publicly.
Can you make our plugin compatible with WPML or Polylang?
Yes. We make strings translatable and register content correctly so multilingual plugins can handle it.
Do you write automated tests for plugins?
Yes, for important logic, using PHPUnit and WordPress's test tools, plus coding-standard checks.
Can you add a custom booking or quote feature?
Yes. We build booking, quote and enquiry features as plugins, connected to your calendar, CRM or email.
How do you keep the plugin fast?
We load scripts and styles only where they're used, avoid heavy database queries on page load and cache external data.
Can the plugin have its own admin dashboard?
Yes. We build admin screens that follow WordPress's interface conventions, so they feel familiar to editors.
Can you document the plugin for future developers?
Yes. We provide developer documentation covering hooks, data structures and how to extend it.
Do you support older PHP versions?
We follow WordPress's supported PHP versions and recommend upgrading hosting where an old PHP version is holding the site back.
Related services
WordPress Development
Custom themes, plugins and WooCommerce without bloat.
API Integration
Connect the tools you already use so data flows on its own.
Website Maintenance & Support
Updates, backups, monitoring and fixes every month.
Website Security
Hardening, malware clean-up and security reviews.
E-commerce Development
Online stores on Shopify, WooCommerce or a headless stack.
WordPress Plugin Development by industry
Add the feature, not the bloat.
Tell us what you need. You get an honest assessment, a clear plan and a written quote. The first consultation is always free.
- What happens next
- 1You tell us what you need
- 2We aim to reply within 24 hours with questions
- 3You get a written quote for your project