OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT
Modern WordPress Fast Track
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:
02:42 min • Watch the course overview
EARLY-BIRD OFFER ENDS IN:
Become a WordPress Developer Who Can Build Anything
Forget outdated tutorials and scattered blog posts. This is a modern, opinionated, and project-driven course designed to take you from “WordPress user” to “WordPress developer” who can confidently design plugins, create custom block themes, automate workflows, and ship production-ready code.
Whether you’re upgrading your freelance skills, prepping for an agency role, or building your own product – this course is for you.

Meet Your Instructor
Kaspars Dambis
Full Stack Developer, WordPress Core Contributor and Educator
Hi, I’m Kaspars, a full-stack developer, WordPress core contributor, and educator with over 20 years of experience building for the open web.
“This course distills everything I wish I had when starting out.”
WHY LEARN FROM ME:
- From 2015 to 2024, I served as Director of Engineering at one of the leading WordPress agencies, where I led multi-million-dollar digital transformation projects for large international publishers and high-traffic media brands. These projects included complex CMS migrations, headless WordPress architectures, performance overhauls, and scaling multisite networks reaching tens of millions of users monthly.
- Over the last two decades, I’ve contributed to WordPress core since version 3.9 (2014), maintained the official Two-Factor authentication plugin and authored more than 40 plugins with over 140,000 active installs.
- I’ve spoken at WordCamps, built development workflows for teams of 50+ engineers, and consistently focused on performance, security, automation, and scaling what WordPress can do.
In 2024, I shifted my focus to creating high-impact learning experiences for developers. Modern WordPress Fast Track is the culmination of that work.
This course distills everything I’ve learned building WordPress at scale – not just the technical know-how, but the real-world practices that enable sustainable, secure, and performant development.
Your Roadmap to Modern WordPress Mastery
Starting June 1, 2025, you’ll get a new module each week for 10 weeks. This will give you ample time to learn and practice before moving forward.
This course is structured to take you from fundamentals to mastery through practical, hands-on learning.
Each module builds on the previous one, with real-world projects that reinforce your skills. Each lesson runs just 5-10 minutes and includes code samples, visual explanations, and practical projects you can use right away.
GitHub Repository
Access to practical examples and code snippets in a dedicated GitHub repository.
Visual Explanations
Complex concepts illustrated for easier understanding.
Discord Community
Discord community for support and networking (presale bonus).
Monthly Q&A Sessions
Live Q&A sessions to get your questions answered directly (presale bonus).
Not Ready to Commit? Stay in the Loop
Subscribe now to receive two weekly emails with practical tips and tricks until the course launch. Get a taste of our teaching style and content. It will be technical and fun to make your inner geek happy.
What You’ll Learn
The course is designed to take you from wherever you are now to mastery of modern WordPress development. Each module builds on the previous one, creating an easy-to-follow learning journey.
Phase 1
Fundamentals & Setup
Learn the web technologies and WordPress internals, and set up your development environment.
MODULES 1-2
Phase 2
WordPress Under the Hood
Use hooks, filters, custom post types, metadata, and custom blocks for creating custom features.
MODULES 3-4
Phase 3
Blocks for Everything
Create interactive, block-based themes and custom blocks for full site editing.
MODULES 5-6
Phase 4
Optimize & Automate
Improve workflow with dependency management, testing, automation and performance optimization techniques.
MODULES 7-8
Phase 5
Deploy & Maintain
Deploy to production confidently using Git workflows and automated tooling.
MODULE 9
MODULE 1
How WordPress Runs the Web
Understand the web technologies that power WordPress and the importance of accessibility, performance and discoverability.
How WordPress Runs the Web
Understand the web technologies that power WordPress and the importance of accessibility, performance and discoverability.
Lessons
- HTTP request and response lifecycle
- Content and template types (index, single, archive, REST API)
- WP admin and editing overview
- Editor evolution: TinyMCE vs. blocks, widgets, customizer and shortcodes
- The magic powers of WordPress multisite
- Headless vs. coupled overview
- Accessibility and user experience
- Semantic markup, structured data and SEO
- Performance and Web Vitals
- Debug WordPress requests and responses
- Browser console and other critical tools
- Helpful AI prompts for debugging WP requests
Module Project
Analyze and debug WordPress requests using browser and command line tools.
Technologies Used
MODULE 2
Set Up Your Development Environment
Create the most powerful WordPress development workflow to confidently test and build anything.
Set Up Your Development Environment
Create the most powerful WordPress development workflow to confidently test and build anything.
Lessons
- Powerful local environment setup (wp-env, Local, Docker)
- Dependency management with Node, NPM and Composer
- VS Code setup and extensions
- Configure your AI assistant with GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT
- WP-CLI power moves and terminal basics
- Introduction to Git and GitHub
- Automation locally and with GitHub Actions
- Scripting with JS, PHP vs. Bash
- Project organization without a headache
- Top 5 problems during WordPress development and how to debug them with AI
Module Project
Get superpowers through breakpoint debugging with JavaScript and PHP.
Technologies Used
MODULE 3
WordPress Under the Hood
Deep dive into WP internals and superpowers, and how to ruin a hacker’s day.
WordPress Under the Hood
Deep dive into WP internals and superpowers, and how to ruin a hacker’s day.
Lessons
- WordPress request lifecycle and rewrite rules
- Theme and plugin loading order and how to debug it
- WP queries and request types in-depth – index, single, archive, REST APIs
- Content model – posts, taxonomies, metadata, options and users
- WP database and content architecture
- Anatomy of themes and plugins, and how block themes change everything
- Top 10 ways WordPress gets hacked and how to avoid it
- Internationalization (i18n) and localization (l10n)
- User roles and capabilities and how they work in WP multisite
- Application passwords and secure REST API access
- Tools for analysing and debugging WordPress requests
Module Project
Debug block editor errors and peek behind REST API requests.
Technologies Used
MODULE 4
Giving WordPress Superpowers
Take WordPress further with hooks, filters and flexible APIs.
Giving WordPress Superpowers
Take WordPress further with hooks, filters and flexible APIs.
Lessons
- Hook system with actions and filters in PHP and JS
- WP “main” content queries and available filters
- Custom post types and metadata
- Post settings with meta boxes and block editor sidebar controls
- Extend WP core blocks with styles and variations
- Child themes and when not to use them
- Global options and settings pages with the Options API and JS APIs
- Deprecated APIs: customizer, widgets and shortcodes and their replacements
Module Project
Extend the core Image block with AI features for generating captions and alt text.
Technologies Used
MODULE 5
Create Block Themes
Build flexible WordPress themes with full-site editing using the power of blocks.
Create Block Themes
Build flexible WordPress themes with full-site editing using the power of blocks.
Lessons
- The importance of composition and component thinking
- Full-site editing (FSE) concepts and theme.json
- Design systems and tokens, fonts, colors and spacing
- Global styles and style variations
- Template parts, patterns and theme structure
- Layout blocks vs. content blocks
- Reusable block patterns and starter templates
- Static vs. dynamic blocks
- Migration strategies from classic themes
Module Project
Build a light-weight theme with just the block theme essentials.
Technologies Used
MODULE 6
Blocks for Everything
Create interactive content blocks for the WordPress editor
Blocks for Everything
Create interactive content blocks for the WordPress editor
Lessons
- Block attributes and markup
- Block attribute storage options – inline vs. post meta vs. APIs
- Static vs dynamic blocks and how to strike a good balance
- Block controls: toolbar and sidebar inspector
- Inherit block features for alignment, style and behaviour
- Block display and edit contexts, and the associated scripts and styles
- React fundamentals for block edit experience
- WP wrapper libraries for React primitives
- *.asset.php and dynamic script data
- Block render logic and available hooks
- PHP data structure of blocks, attributes and inner blocks
- Custom REST API endpoints for block data
- Using @wordpress/scripts for everything
Module Project
Build a custom FAQ block with an AI suggestion feature.
Technologies Used
MODULE 7
Performance and Caching
Optimize WordPress for speed, scalability and incredible user experience.
Performance and Caching
Optimize WordPress for speed, scalability and incredible user experience.
Lessons
- Ten ways to slow down WordPress (and how to avoid that)
- Performance budgets and how to identify critical elements
- How to lazy-load almost everything
- Frontend asset loading strategies for scripts, styles, fonts, embeds and media
- Image, embed and media loading optimization
- Object caching for runtime and persistence
- Transients API and external object cache for persistent caching
- Database query optimization tips and tricks
- Full page caching approaches and gotchas with personalization
- Performance testing and measurement
Module Project
Optimize API calls and database queries with persistent caching in the FAQ block plugin.
Technologies Used
MODULE 8
Power Tools for WordPress Development
Implement professional development practices with industry-standard tools and workflows.
Power Tools for WordPress Development
Implement professional development practices with industry-standard tools and workflows.
Lessons
- Modern dependency management with Node, NPM and Composer
- PHP autoloading and dependency isolation to avoid conflicts
- Coding standards and linting for PHP, JS and CSS
- Easy setup of PHPUnit for testing PHP
- JavaScript testing with Jest for blocks
- End-to-end and integration testing for PHP and JS using Playwright
- Continuous Integration workflow with GitHub Actions
- Automating development tasks with WP-CLI
- Release automation and version management
- Code review workflows and best practices
- Managing technical debt in WordPress projects
Module Project
Add automated linting and testing to the FAQ block plugin.
Technologies Used
MODULE 9
Ship It: From Local to Git to Production
Deploy and maintain WordPress projects sustainably for the long haul.
Ship It: From Local to Git to Production
Deploy and maintain WordPress projects sustainably for the long haul.
Lessons
- Git branching strategies for WordPress projects
- Handling environment-specific configuration and secrets
- Managing database migrations between environments
- Deployment strategies: direct, staged, and Blue-Green
- WordPress.org plugin submission process and requirements
- SVN for WordPress.org plugin repository management
- Implementing continuous deployment with GitHub Actions
- Monitoring WordPress sites in production
- Documentation for the future and peace of mind
Module Project
Publish the FAQ plugin to GitHub and WordPress.org.
Technologies Used
Each module includes:
Practical Projects
Build real-world WordPress solutions as you learn
Visual Explanations
See complex concepts illustrated with visual diagrams and cheat sheets
Ready-to-Use Code
Get working examples you can implement immediately
Knowledge Checkpoints
Reinforce key concepts with optional challenges
Is This Course Right For You?
Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience, this course is designed to build and improve your WordPress development skills.
Freelance Developers
Modernize your toolkit, boost efficiency, and confidently raise your rates.
Perfect for you if…
WordPress Newcomers
Start your WordPress development journey with the right foundation for success.
Perfect for you if…
Agency Teams
Level up your entire team with consistent, modern WordPress practices.
Perfect for you if…
Advanced Specialists
Take your WordPress expertise to the professional level with automation and testing.
Perfect for you if…
You’ll get the most value if you have:
Exclusive Presale Offer
$390 $234 (40% OFF)
Hurry! Early-bird offer ends in:
What’s included:
Secure checkout via Stripe
Presale runs May 1, 2025 – May 23, 2025, 12pm EEST
First module releases June 1, 2025
Frequently Asked Questions
Course Content & Curriculum
Does this course cover AI tooling such as GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude and others?
Yes, the tooling and development section of the course covers the AI configuration, and all of the hands-on projects are about building an AI integration for WordPress. In addition, all code writing during lessons demonstrates how AI can assist with WordPress development.
Will I learn about headless WordPress?
The course doesn’t have dedicated sections for headless front-end rendering powered by GraphQL, for example. However, the Block development relies mostly on REST APIs for content retrieval and storage, so the course covers most of the topics relevant to headless front-ends – building performant API endpoints, state management, caching and cache invalidation.
How much emphasis is placed on JavaScript versus PHP?
The editorial experience in WordPress has definitely shifted more towards JavaScript and React specifically, while the underlying APIs powering both the backend and template rendering are still mostly PHP. This covers the powers of both and dives deep into the integration of these layers for building maintainable and scalable solutions.
Will you cover legacy concepts like shortcodes, customizer and widgets?
Yes, the course explains the history of all legacy concepts and the available replacements – how the full site editor has replaced Customizer, template parts have replaced widgets and what features of shortcodes are still missing from blocks.
Does the course cover accessibility best practices?
Yes, the course explains the accessibility concepts of semantic HTML and how it can be replicated with React rendered outputs. WordPress has a great history of embracing web standards and best practices that focus on accessible interfaces and output for your website users and editors.
Will I learn about WooCommerce development?
The course doesn’t include dedicated sections for WooCommerce development, but the modules covering WordPress integrations through filters, hooks and internal WP APIs apply well to WooCommerce development.
How much focus is there on security best practices?
All code examples and lessons include practical explanations of input validation and sanitization, escaping output and advanced topics like security primitives used by WP core for nonces and user sessions. Kaspars has been a maintainer of the Two-Factor community plugin for many years and has extensive experience with security-related topics when developing solutions for the largest enterprise clients.
Format & Learning Experience
How will the course materials be delivered?
The course contains short video lessons along with written summaries and code snippets for easy copy-pasting and reference. Each video is focused on a single topic that is explained through the practical application of the concepts to a coding project built during the module.
Can I download the videos to watch offline?
Our course videos are exclusively available for streaming through our learning platform. While downloads aren’t supported, you can access the content anytime you have an internet connection through our user-friendly LMS. This helps us protect the course content while ensuring you always have access to the most up-to-date versions of all materials.
What happens if I fall behind on the weekly module releases?
No need to worry about falling behind! Your access to the course never expires, so you can learn entirely at your own pace. The materials will remain available to you for the lifetime of the course, allowing you to pause, resume, and revisit sections whenever it fits your schedule.
Prerequisites & Requirements
What level of coding experience do I need before taking this course?
You don’t need to be a coding expert to join our WordPress development course! While complete beginners are welcome, having some basic familiarity with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript will help you get the most out of the experience. Additionally, a general understanding of PHP concepts like variables and functions would give you a nice head start.
Do I need to know PHP and React to take this course?
No, you don’t need prior knowledge of PHP or React, although some familiarity would be helpful.
What development environment do I need?
The course guides you through a full setup of a local development environment and explains the pros and cons of different solutions available to WordPress developers. It shows how the same development environment can be used to run tests during GitHub automations and used by teams for a reliable and performant developer experience.
Do I need a paid hosting account to complete the course projects?
No. All of the code examples will run locally and the hosting account is only needed if you want to learn about the different methods for reliable deployments of projects to production servers.
Presale & Pricing
What’s included in the presale price?
The presale price includes lifetime access to all course materials and GitHub repository access. Plus, you’ll get two exclusive presale bonuses: access to our Discord community and monthly live Q&A sessions where you can get personalized help.
It’s our way of saying thanks for joining early!
What happens if you don’t reach 40 presales?
If we don’t reach our goal of 40 presales, we’ll issue full refunds to everyone on June 1st.
Can I get my employer to pay for this course?
Many companies have professional development budgets for improving employee skills. Here’s an example email you can customize and send to your manager to make a compelling business case for company funding. The template focuses on the ROI your employer will receive through your improved WordPress development skills.
Is there a payment plan available?
No. At this moment we can’t offer a payment plan.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept all major credit cards through Stripe.
Is there a refund policy?
During the presale period, if we don’t reach our goal of 40 presales, we’ll automatically refund everyone who purchased the course.
Once the course officially launches, we offer a no-questions-asked 14-day money-back guarantee.
Do you offer purchasing power parity pricing?
Not at this moment, but we plan to introduce purchasing power parity pricing down the line.
Are there any hidden costs or required paid tools?
No!
Timeline & Access
How long will I have access to the course materials?
Lifetime! Once you purchase the course, you’ll have unlimited access to all materials for as long as the course exists.
What happens if I can’t make the live Q&A sessions?
All sessions will be recorded, and everyone will receive an email link to watch the recordings.
What happens after the 10 weeks of module releases?
After the 10-week module release period, the entire course remains available online for your lifetime access.
Will the course be updated for future WordPress versions?
That’s the plan. But we can’t guarantee this at this point. We intend to keep the course content fresh and relevant as WordPress evolves, but we want to be transparent about future updates. Our goal is to provide value long-term, and while we aim to incorporate major WordPress changes, we’re not making promises we can’t be certain to keep. We’ll certainly communicate with all students about any significant updates we make to the course materials.
Can I get a certificate of completion?
Yes! Upon successfully completing the WordPress development course, you’ll receive a certificate of completion.
Support & Community
How can I get help if I’m stuck on a lesson?
If you purchase during the presale period, you’ll have access to our dedicated Discord server where Kaspars, your instructor, will answer questions once a week. As an additional presale benefit, you’ll be invited to join monthly live Q&A sessions with Kaspars where he’ll address your questions directly.
Will there be a community forum or Discord server?
Yes! Everyone who purchases during the presale period will have access to a Discord server. This will be your hub for connecting with other students, sharing your progress, asking questions, and getting support.
Is there any 1-on-1 support available?
No, we don’t plan to offer 1-on-1 support at this time. Instead, we’ve focused on creating comprehensive course materials and building community-based support through our Discord server and live Q&A sessions, which allows us to keep the course affordable while still providing quality assistance.
Will there be opportunities to network with other students?
Absolutely! If you join during the presale, you’ll have access to our Discord server where you can connect with fellow students. This creates excellent networking opportunities to share experiences, collaborate on projects, exchange feedback, and potentially form professional relationships with others learning WordPress development.
Business & Career
Will this course help me get a job as a WordPress developer?
While this course will equip you with valuable WordPress development skills, we can’t guarantee it will directly lead to employment. The knowledge and practical experience you’ll gain will certainly strengthen your foundation and make you more competitive in the job market.
That said, it’s important to be realistic about the job search process. Employers typically look for a combination of education, practical skills, portfolio projects, and sometimes prior work experience. Completing this course is an excellent step, but you’ll likely need to build your own projects, create a portfolio, and actively apply and interview for positions.
How can I use this course to increase my freelance rates?
As you master advanced topics like custom theme and plugin development, you’ll be able to take on higher-value projects that command premium rates.
The skills you’ll learn allow you to offer specialized services most WordPress freelancers can’t provide. Instead of just installing themes and plugins, you’ll be able to create custom solutions tailored to client needs. This expertise justifies higher rates since you’re solving specific business problems rather than implementing generic solutions.
Will you provide guidance on selling WordPress plugins or themes?
No. Our focus is not on teaching you how to sell WordPress plugins or themes. The course concentrates specifically on the technical development skills needed to create custom themes and plugins. While you’ll gain the expertise to build these products, the business aspects of marketing, selling, and distributing your products won’t be covered.
Any questions we didn’t answer?
Feel free to shoot us an email.
Get on the Fast Track to modern WordPress development
Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your WordPress skills and boost your career. The modern WordPress ecosystem is waiting for developers like you.
Remember, 40% discount ends on May 23rd
Secure checkout via Stripe