WP Builds

In this episode, Nathan Wrigley interviews Ross Morsali, creator of the popular WordPress plugin Search & Filter. Ross shares the origin story of the plugin, its evolution from a free tool to a full-fledged business, and how it enables advanced faceted search and filtering on WordPress sites. They discuss technical integrations (like ACF, various page builders, and Gutenberg), scalability, onboarding improvements, future features, and Ross's commitment to long-term support. The conversation offers insight into both the challenges and opportunities of building a complex, widely used WordPress product.

Ahoy, it's Monday again, and you know what that means? This Week in WordPress - the best place for a roundup of WordPress news. Today. I'm with Michelle Frechette, Dave Grey and Miriam Schwab. This episode covers the latest WordPress news, including Gutenberg updates, community trends, and the state of the WordPress ecosystem. The panel discusses new AI tools like Angie, the launch of WPWiki, plugin developments, and positive signs from global WordPress events. They address WordPress’s reputation, event attendance, youth engagement, and hosting news like Jess Frick joining Rocket.net. The hosts reflect on the challenges and optimism within the community, sharing insights into initiatives supporting students, plugin innovation, and upcoming events, highlighting their confidence in WordPress’s ongoing growth and adaptability.

In this episode of WP Builds' "Feeling Insecure," Nathan Wrigley and WordPress security consultant Tim Nash discuss the rising impact of AI on internet and WordPress security. They explore how AI is being used both by hackers to rapidly exploit vulnerabilities and generate sophisticated phishing emails, and by defenders to counter threats. They highlight recent industry reports, the cat-and-mouse dynamics of cybersecurity, and the role of hosting companies in mitigation. Tim also plugs his WordPress Security 101 course. If you want to understand the new ways AI is shaping security threats (and defences) in the WordPress ecosystem, or if you’re curious about what’s changed in phishing and plugin vulnerabilities, this episode is for you.

Another week, and we're bringing you the latest WordPress news from the last seven days. I'm with Jess Frick, Rob Cairns. This episode covers the latest WordPress news, including updates to the Block Editor, the future of neglected blocks, and the launch of the Abilities API. The panel discusses what it takes to succeed as a WordPress plugin vendor, Divi’s ongoing popularity and development, and changes ahead for WordCamp US, including a more interactive Contributor Day. They debate the state and future of WP Tavern and the challenges of maintaining independent journalism in WordPress. Other highlights include plugin repository issues, the importance of authentic marketing, and opportunities for community involvement in accessibility and development teams.

In this episode, Nathan Wrigley chats with Dave Gray about his journey transitioning from a corporate career to running his own WordPress focused business. Dave discusses his decision to create utility plugins like Administrator Toolkit and Nag Me Not, aimed at helping freelancers and site maintainers manage client sites more effectively. He also talks about his other projects like Launch That Website, demonstrating his focus on small, purposeful tools rather than all in one solutions. The conversation covers the challenges of deciding which features to add, building a product ecosystem, and balancing work-life as an entrepreneur. If you’re managing client sites, building WordPress plugins, or looking for ways to make your WordPress admin life simpler and more secure, this episode is for you.

This week I'm joined by Mark Westguard, Jesse Friedman, Marc Benzakein. We cover the upcoming WordPress 6.9 release, including new features like enhanced site editing, improved template management, block-level visibility, and built-in AI integration. The panel also discusses the declining activity in WordPress testing, the evolving WordPress admin redesign, and the importance of owning your online influence in a world dominated by third-party platforms. News about the upcoming WordCamp US, Automatic’s 20-year milestone, gatekeeping in the WP creator community, and the impact of AI on documentation and workflows round out the episode.

In this WP Builds episode, Nathan Wrigley talks with Matt Schwartz, founder of CheckView, a SaaS platform designed to automate testing of WordPress forms and WooCommerce checkouts. Matt explains how CheckView helps agencies and site owners ensure forms work properly by simulating real user interactions, catching issues before customers do. They discuss features, supported plugins, integration challenges with security tools like Cloudflare, and how automated monitoring can prevent lost sales or leads due to unnoticed form failures. The episode also touches on pricing, agency use cases, and CheckView’s expanding roadmap. If you’ve ever experienced the embarrassment, or financial consequences, of a broken form or silent checkout failure, or if you’re simply looking for ways to make your processes more bulletproof and client-friendly, you’ll definitely want to tune in.

This Week in WordPress #342, titled "AI is Lit," dives deep into the rapid integration of AI into the WordPress ecosystem. Nathan Wrigley, Michelle Frechette, Andrew Palmer, and Rob Cairns discuss new community initiatives like WP Includes Me and WP Trailbodies, recent accessibility improvements in WooCommerce, and upcoming events. The main focus is on the transformative impact of AI projects, such as the new Abilities API, agentic plugins, and tools from Elementor and Hostinger. The panel also explores the implications of AI on design, security, and content creation in the WordPress space.

In this WP Builds episode, Nathan Wrigley chats with Robert Abela of MelaPress about managing WordPress user roles and capabilities. Robert shares insights on the importance of granular role control for site security and accountability, introducing their new free plugin, MelaPress Role Editor, which lets users create, customise, and assign multiple roles and capabilities. They discuss real-world scenarios, UX improvements, and future plans for enhanced features. Listeners learn how to streamline WordPress permissions, avoid security risks, and improve site management with user-friendly tools. If you’ve ever wanted more control over your site’s access, need to lock down who can touch what (and how), or just want to avoid the all-too-common admin free-for-all, this episode is for you.

In episode #341 of "This Week in WordPress," Nathan Wrigley is joined by Michelle Frechette, Tim Nash, and Tammie Lister to discuss the latest WordPress and tech news. Key topics include WordPress’s new AI integration roadmap, advancements in AI for healthcare, a recent security issue with Gravity Forms, and the push for a decentralised plugin repository. They also review recent and upcoming WordPress events, talk about plugins and core updates, and reflect on community stories. The episode balances technical discussion, community highlights, fun banter, and a touch of “doomsaying” about web security and browser competition. Check it out!