WordPress Plugin Template 🚀

A modern, robust, and GPL-licensed code template for creating standards-compliant WordPress plugins with professional development practices.

⚡ TL;DR - Get Started in 30 Seconds

# Create a modern WordPress plugin with all features in one command
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kobkob/WordPress-Plugin-Template/refs/heads/master/install.sh | bash

Included: PHPUnit Tests ✅ Docker Environment ✅ GitHub Actions ✅ Agile/XP Framework ✅ REST API ✅ AI Integration ✅

🌟 Features

Core Plugin Architecture

Modern PHP 8.1+ Support with type declarations and latest features
Plugin headers as required by WordPress & WordPress.org
Singleton pattern main plugin class
Object-oriented design with proper namespacing
PSR-4 autoloading ready structure
WordPress Coding Standards compliant

Development Tools

PHPUnit test suite with unit and integration tests
WordPress Coding Standards (PHPCS) configuration
GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline
Composer dependency management
PHPStan static analysis ready
WordPress test environment setup scripts
Agile/XP methodology with sprint management and TDD workflow

AI/LLM Integration

WordPress Feature API integration for AI-powered functionality
Automattic WP Feature API support (v0.1.8+)
MCP-compatible feature registry for LLM agents
Pre-built features for content management and plugin settings
Extensible architecture for custom AI features

Built-in Libraries

Settings API wrapper for easy admin options
Post Type API for one-line custom post type registration
Taxonomy API for one-line taxonomy registration
Admin API for meta boxes and custom fields
REST API endpoints with full CRUD operations
Asset management with proper enqueuing

Frontend Assets

Grunt.js build system
LESS preprocessing
JavaScript minification
CSS optimization
Development and production builds

🚀 Quick Start

One-liner Installation

The fastest way to get started is with our one-liner installer:

# Interactive installation
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kobkob/WordPress-Plugin-Template/refs/heads/master/install.sh | bash

Non-interactive Installation

For automated setups or CI/CD pipelines:

# Non-interactive installation with all features
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kobkob/WordPress-Plugin-Template/refs/heads/master/install.sh | bash -s -- \
  --name "My Awesome Plugin" \
  --dir ./my-awesome-plugin \
  --non-interactive

Installation Options

# Show help and options
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kobkob/WordPress-Plugin-Template/refs/heads/master/install.sh | bash -s -- --help

Available Options:

--name NAME - Plugin name (e.g., 'My Awesome Plugin')
--dir DIRECTORY - Destination directory
--non-interactive - Skip interactive prompts (requires --name and --dir)
--help, -h - Show help message

Automatic Dependency Installation 🔧

The installer automatically detects and installs missing dependencies on supported systems:

Ubuntu/Debian: Uses apt-get package manager
RHEL/CentOS: Uses yum package manager
Fedora: Uses dnf package manager
Arch Linux: Uses pacman package manager
Alpine Linux: Uses apk package manager
macOS: Uses Homebrew (installs it first if missing)
Windows: Provides manual installation instructions

Auto-installed dependencies:

PHP 8.1+ with required extensions (curl, zip, xml, mbstring)
Composer (latest stable version)
Node.js LTS + npm
Git version control
curl for downloads

For unsupported systems, the installer provides clear manual installation instructions.

The one-liner installer automatically includes all modern features:

✅ PHPUnit tests and WordPress Coding Standards
✅ GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline
✅ Docker development environment
✅ REST API endpoints and WordPress Feature API
✅ Agile/XP methodology framework
✅ Complete dependency setup

Prerequisites

The one-liner installer automatically installs missing dependencies on supported systems. For manual setup or unsupported systems, ensure you have:

PHP 8.1+ with required extensions (curl, zip, xml, mbstring)
Composer for dependency management
Node.js & NPM for asset building
Git for version control
curl for downloads

Using the Enhanced Creation Script (Alternative)

The enhanced create-plugin.sh script automates the entire setup process:

# Clone this repository
git clone https://github.com/kobkob/WordPress-Plugin-Template.git
cd WordPress-Plugin-Template

# Run the creation script
./create-plugin.sh

The script will guide you through:

Plugin Information: Name, description, author details
Development Setup: PHPUnit tests, PHPCS, GitHub Actions
API Integration: WordPress Feature API, REST API endpoints
Docker Environment: Complete containerized development setup
File Generation: All necessary config files and boilerplate
Dependency Installation: Composer packages
Git Initialization: Clean repository setup

Docker Development Environment

For the quickest setup, use the included Docker environment:

# After running create-plugin.sh with Docker option
cd your-plugin-directory

# Start the development environment
docker-compose up -d

# Access your WordPress development site
open http://localhost:8000

See DOCKER.md for complete documentation.

Agile/XP Development Methodology

The template includes a complete Agile/XP workflow framework for professional plugin development:

# After creating your plugin with Agile framework
cd your-plugin-directory

# Start your first sprint
./agile/scripts/start-sprint.sh

# Use AI assistance for development
./agile/scripts/ai-implement.sh

See AGILE-GUIDE.md for the complete methodology guide.

Manual Setup

If you prefer manual setup:

Copy the template files to your new plugin directory
Rename wordpress-plugin-template.php to your plugin slug
Update all class names, function names, and text domains
Run composer install for development dependencies
Configure your test environment

🧪 Testing

Setting Up Tests

# Install WordPress test suite
./bin/install-wp-tests.sh wordpress_test root password localhost latest

# Run all tests
composer test

# Run specific test suites
vendor/bin/phpunit tests/unit
vendor/bin/phpunit tests/integration

Test Structure

tests/
├── bootstrap.php          # Test bootstrap
├── unit/                  # Unit tests
│   └── test-plugin.php   # Main plugin tests
└── integration/          # Integration tests
    └── test-integration.php

Writing Tests

class Test_My_Plugin extends WP_UnitTestCase {
    public function test_plugin_activation() {
        $this->assertTrue(is_plugin_active('my-plugin/my-plugin.php'));
    }
    
    public function test_custom_functionality() {
        // Your test code here
    }
}

📋 Code Quality

WordPress Coding Standards

# Check coding standards
composer cs

# Fix coding standards automatically
composer cbf

Configuration

The template includes a phpcs.xml configuration file that enforces:

WordPress-Extra coding standards
WordPress documentation standards
PHP 8.1+ compatibility
Custom prefix validation

🔧 API Usage

REST API Endpoints

The template includes a comprehensive REST API system with full CRUD operations, authentication, and validation:

// Access the REST API through the main plugin instance
$plugin = My_Plugin();
if ( $plugin->rest_api ) {
    // REST API is available at /wp-json/my-plugin/v1/
    // See REST-API-GUIDE.md for complete documentation
}

Available Endpoints

Plugin Info: GET /info - Get plugin information
Settings: GET|POST /settings - Manage plugin settings
Posts: GET|POST|PUT|DELETE /posts - Full CRUD for custom post types
Batch: POST /batch - Process multiple requests

Example Usage

// Create a new post via REST API
wp.apiFetch({
  path: '/my-plugin/v1/posts',
  method: 'POST',
  data: {
    title: 'API Created Post',
    content: 'This post was created via the REST API',
    meta: {
      custom_field: 'custom_value'
    }
  }
}).then(post => {
  console.log('Created post:', post);
});

// Update plugin settings
wp.apiFetch({
  path: '/my-plugin/v1/settings',
  method: 'POST',
  data: {
    text_field: 'Updated value',
    checkbox_field: true
  }
}).then(response => {
  console.log('Settings updated:', response);
});

Registering Custom Post Types

// Simple registration
My_Plugin()->register_post_type(
    'product',
    __('Products', 'my-plugin'),
    __('Product', 'my-plugin')
);

// With custom options
My_Plugin()->register_post_type(
    'product',
    __('Products', 'my-plugin'),
    __('Product', 'my-plugin'),
    __('Custom product post type', 'my-plugin'),
    [
        'public' => true,
        'supports' => ['title', 'editor', 'thumbnail'],
        'has_archive' => true
    ]
);

Registering Taxonomies

// Simple registration
My_Plugin()->register_taxonomy(
    'product_category',
    __('Product Categories', 'my-plugin'),
    __('Product Category', 'my-plugin'),
    ['product']
);

Settings Management

// Get plugin options
$value = get_option('my_plugin_option_name');

// The plugin automatically prefixes options
// Check the settings class for the prefix being used

WordPress Feature API (AI/LLM Integration)

The template includes built-in support for the Automattic WordPress Feature API, enabling your plugin to work seamlessly with AI systems and LLM agents.

// The Feature API is automatically loaded if available
// Access it through the main plugin instance
$plugin = My_Plugin();
if ( $plugin->feature_api && $plugin->feature_api->is_feature_api_available() ) {
    // Feature API is available
    $features = $plugin->feature_api->get_plugin_features();
}

Pre-built Features

The template includes several ready-to-use features:

Create Posts: Allow AI agents to create content using your custom post types
List Post Types: Provide information about available post types
Plugin Settings: Enable AI access to plugin configuration

Custom Feature Registration

// Register custom features for your plugin
add_action('wordpress_plugin_template_register_features', function($feature_api) {
    // Register a custom feature
    wp_feature_api_register_feature([
        'id' => 'my_plugin_custom_action',
        'name' => __('Custom Action', 'my-plugin'),
        'description' => __('Performs a custom action', 'my-plugin'),
        'category' => 'custom',
        'input_schema' => [
            'type' => 'object',
            'properties' => [
                'action_type' => [
                    'type' => 'string',
                    'description' => __('Type of action to perform', 'my-plugin')
                ]
            ]
        ],
        'callback' => 'my_custom_feature_callback',
        'is_eligible' => 'current_user_can_edit_posts'
    ]);
});

MCP Compatibility

Features registered through this template are compatible with the Model Context Protocol (MCP), making them discoverable and usable by:

AI Assistants (Claude, ChatGPT, etc.)
LLM Agents and automation tools
WordPress AI plugins and extensions
Custom MCP clients

🏗️ Build Process

Asset Building with Grunt

# Install Node dependencies
npm install

# Development build (unminified)
grunt dev

# Production build (minified)
grunt build

# Watch for changes during development
grunt watch

Asset Structure

assets/
├── css/
│   ├── admin.css         # Admin styles
│   ├── admin.less        # Admin LESS source
│   ├── frontend.css      # Frontend styles
│   └── frontend.less     # Frontend LESS source
└── js/
    ├── admin.js          # Admin scripts
    ├── admin.min.js      # Minified admin scripts
    ├── frontend.js       # Frontend scripts
    └── frontend.min.js   # Minified frontend scripts

🚀 CI/CD with GitHub Actions

The template includes a comprehensive GitHub Actions workflow that:

Tests multiple PHP versions (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4)
Tests multiple WordPress versions (latest, 6.0)
Runs coding standards checks
Executes PHPUnit tests
Provides test coverage reports
Caches dependencies for faster builds

Workflow Configuration

The workflow is automatically created in .github/workflows/ci.yml and triggers on:

Push to main and develop branches
Pull requests to main and develop branches

📁 Directory Structure

my-plugin/
├── .github/
│   └── workflows/
│       └── ci.yml            # GitHub Actions workflow
├── agile/                   # Agile/XP methodology framework
│   ├── scripts/            # Automation scripts
│   ├── templates/          # User story & sprint templates
│   ├── docs/              # Methodology documentation
│   └── ai/                # AI collaboration prompts
├── assets/                  # Frontend assets
├── bin/
│   └── install-wp-tests.sh # WordPress test setup
├── includes/
│   ├── lib/                # Plugin libraries
│   ├── class-plugin.php    # Main plugin class
│   └── class-settings.php  # Settings class
├── lang/                   # Translation files
├── tests/
│   ├── unit/              # Unit tests
│   ├── integration/       # Integration tests
│   └── bootstrap.php      # Test bootstrap
├── vendor/                # Composer dependencies
├── composer.json          # Composer configuration
├── phpcs.xml             # Coding standards config
├── phpunit.xml           # PHPUnit configuration
├── package.json          # Node.js dependencies
├── Gruntfile.js         # Grunt build configuration
├── AGILE-GUIDE.md       # Agile methodology guide
├── my-plugin.php        # Main plugin file
└── README.md            # Plugin documentation

🔒 Security Best Practices

The template includes several security measures:

ABSPATH checks in all PHP files
Nonce verification in forms
Capability checks for admin functions
Data sanitization and validation
SQL injection prevention
XSS protection

🌐 Internationalization (i18n)

The template is translation-ready:

Text domains properly set
POT file included for translators
Load text domain function
Proper string escaping

// Example usage
__('Hello World', 'my-plugin');
esc_html__('Safe Output', 'my-plugin');
sprintf(
    /* translators: %s: plugin name */
    __('Welcome to %s', 'my-plugin'),
    'My Plugin'
);

📝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please:

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch
Follow WordPress coding standards
Write tests for new features
Submit a pull request

Development Setup

# Clone your fork
git clone https://github.com/kobkob/WordPress-Plugin-Template.git
cd WordPress-Plugin-Template

# Install dependencies
composer install
npm install

# Set up pre-commit hooks (optional)
composer require --dev dealerdirect/phpcodesniffer-composer-installer

📄 License

This template is released under the GPL-3.0+ License. Feel free to use it for any project, commercial or personal.

🆘 Support

Documentation: Check this README and inline code comments
Issues: GitHub Issues
Discussions: GitHub Discussions
WordPress Forums: WordPress Plugin Development

🎯 Roadmap

PHP 8.4 compatibility testing
REST API endpoints template
Docker development environment
Agile/XP methodology with TDD and sprint management
Block editor integration examples
WP-CLI command examples
Automated plugin submission tools

Happy Plugin Development! 🎉

This template saves you hours of setup time and provides a solid foundation for professional WordPress plugin development.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 104 Commits
agile		agile
assets		assets
docker		docker
includes		includes
lang		lang
tests		tests
.dockerignore		.dockerignore
.env.example		.env.example
.gitignore		.gitignore
AGILE-GUIDE.md		AGILE-GUIDE.md
CHANGELOG.md		CHANGELOG.md
CONTRIBUTING.md		CONTRIBUTING.md
DOCKER.md		DOCKER.md
Gruntfile.js		Gruntfile.js
LICENSE		LICENSE
PHP-8.4-FEATURES.md		PHP-8.4-FEATURES.md
README.md		README.md
REST-API-GUIDE.md		REST-API-GUIDE.md
SETUP.md		SETUP.md
build-plugin.sh		build-plugin.sh
changelog.txt		changelog.txt
create-plugin.sh		create-plugin.sh
demo.sh		demo.sh
docker-compose.yml		docker-compose.yml
index.php		index.php
install.sh		install.sh
package.json		package.json
readme.txt		readme.txt
uninstall.php		uninstall.php
wordpress-plugin-template.php		wordpress-plugin-template.php

License

kobkob/WordPress-Plugin-Template

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