Headless WordPress

Development UK

Headless WordPress decouples the CMS (WordPress admin, content editing, database) from the frontend display layer. Instead of WordPress's PHP templates generating the HTML, an external frontend — usually Next.js or React — fetches content from WordPress via its REST API and renders it. The result is a modern, lightning-fast frontend with the content editing experience your team already knows.

Yes. We build custom plugins when existing solutions either don't exist or would require compromising on functionality, performance or security to shoehorn in. All custom plugins follow WordPress coding standards, are documented and committed to your version control repository. Any competent WordPress developer can maintain or extend them after handover.

Yes, if the system has an API. We've built integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, various booking platforms, inventory management systems and bespoke internal tools. We'll assess technical feasibility on a free scoping call and quote after we've reviewed the API documentation.

Before any build starts, we produce a written technical specification: what will be built, how it will work, what APIs or systems it connects to, what edge cases are handled and what the acceptance criteria are. You review and approve it before we start. This protects both sides — you know exactly what you're getting, and we know exactly what to build.

Custom WordPress development is scoped and priced per project after a technical discovery call. Headless WordPress builds (WordPress + Next.js) start from £8,000. Custom plugin development starts from £1,500 depending on complexity. REST API integrations start from £2,000. All projects are fixed-price — no hourly billing, no vague estimates. A written technical specification is produced before any quote is finalised.

WordPress Multisite lets you run multiple WordPress sites from a single installation, with shared users, themes and plugins. It's the right choice for organisations running multiple regional or brand-specific sites that share content, users or design. We build and maintain Multisite networks for education groups, franchise businesses and media organisations. If you're running more than three WordPress sites independently and finding the management overhead high, Multisite is worth exploring.

Yes. Custom post types and taxonomies let you structure content in WordPress that goes beyond posts and pages — events, case studies, properties, products, jobs, team members, testimonials. We build these with custom meta fields, custom admin columns and custom REST API endpoints where needed. All are registered in a custom plugin (not functions.php) so they survive theme changes and are transferable to any WordPress installation.

Where it makes sense. We build custom Gutenberg blocks when clients need a CMS-editable design system that content editors can use without breaking the design. Each block is a React component registered via the WordPress block API, outputting clean semantic HTML. We avoid Gutenberg when the editing experience isn't the priority — custom theme templates are cleaner and more performant for content that doesn't change frequently.

All code is committed to a Git repository (GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket) from day one. We use feature branches, pull requests and code review for larger projects. Deployment to staging and production is handled via CI/CD pipelines — typically GitHub Actions or Buddy. No FTP, no manual uploads, no code on production that isn't in version control. Full deployment documentation is included in the handover.

Yes. We regularly work alongside in-house developers, taking specific modules or technical problems while they handle the rest. The working pattern is flexible — we can take ownership of a sprint, pair on a complex feature or simply review and advise on an architecture decision. We use the client's existing tooling (Git repository, project management system, Slack) to minimise overhead.

Yes. We build membership systems using WooCommerce Memberships for paid access or custom role-based access control for internal tools and extranets. These include gated content pages, member dashboards, restricted file downloads, tiered access levels and member registration workflows. All membership systems are tested end-to-end including edge cases: expired memberships, failed payments, role downgrade and content access after cancellation.

Redis is an in-memory data store used as an object cache for WordPress. When WordPress generates a page, it runs dozens of database queries. With Redis, the results of those queries are cached in memory and served without hitting the database on subsequent requests. The result is significantly faster page generation, especially on high-traffic or database-heavy sites. We configure Redis object caching on managed WordPress hosts (Kinsta, WP Engine) and VPS environments where it's available. For most UK business sites, it's not necessary — but for WooCommerce stores with high order volumes or membership sites with complex database queries, it's essential.

We follow WordPress coding standards throughout — documented functions, clear naming conventions, no inline styles or scripts, no hardcoded values that should be configurable. Every custom plugin includes a readme, usage documentation and changelog. We write code as if the next developer to maintain it is a competent stranger who has never seen the project — because that's often the reality. Full code comments on non-obvious logic, clean commit history and a thorough handover document are included in every project.