Wordpress Plugin Development

WordPress Plugin Development Workflow

Overview

This public intake copy packages plugins/antigravity-awesome-skills-claude/skills/wordpress-plugin-development from https://github.com/sickn33/antigravity-awesome-skills into the native Omni Skills editorial shape without hiding its origin.

Use it when the operator needs the upstream workflow, support files, and repository context to stay intact while the public validator and private enhancer continue their normal downstream flow.

This intake keeps the copied upstream files intact and uses the external_source block in metadata.json plus ORIGIN.md as the provenance anchor for review.

WordPress Plugin Development Workflow

Imported source sections that did not map cleanly to the public headings are still preserved below or in the support files. Notable imported sections: WordPress 7.0 Plugin Development, Plugin Structure, WordPress 7.0 Compatibility Checklist, Quality Gates, Limitations.

When to Use This Skill

Use this section as the trigger filter. It should make the activation boundary explicit before the operator loads files, runs commands, or opens a pull request.

• Creating custom WordPress plugins
• Extending WordPress functionality
• Building admin interfaces
• Adding REST API endpoints
• Integrating third-party services
• Implementing WordPress 7.0 AI/Collaboration features

Operating Table

Workflow

This workflow is intentionally editorial and operational at the same time. It keeps the imported source useful to the operator while still satisfying the public intake standards that feed the downstream enhancer flow.

1. app-builder - Project scaffolding
2. backend-dev-guidelines - Backend patterns
3. Create plugin directory structure
4. Set up main plugin file with header
5. Implement activation/deactivation hooks
6. Set up autoloading
7. Configure text domain

Imported Workflow Notes

Imported: Workflow Phases

Phase 1: Plugin Setup

Skills to Invoke

• app-builder - Project scaffolding
• backend-dev-guidelines - Backend patterns

Actions

1. Create plugin directory structure
2. Set up main plugin file with header
3. Implement activation/deactivation hooks
4. Set up autoloading
5. Configure text domain

WordPress 7.0 Plugin Header

/*
Plugin Name: My Plugin
Plugin URI: https://example.com/my-plugin
Description: A WordPress 7.0 compatible plugin with AI and RTC support
Version: 1.0.0
Requires at least: 6.0
Requires PHP: 7.4
Author: Developer Name
License: GPL2+
*/

Copy-Paste Prompts

Use @app-builder to scaffold a new WordPress plugin

Phase 2: Plugin Architecture

Skills to Invoke

• backend-dev-guidelines - Architecture patterns

Actions

1. Design plugin class structure
2. Implement singleton pattern
3. Create loader class
4. Set up dependency injection
5. Configure plugin lifecycle

WordPress 7.0 Architecture Considerations

• Prepare for iframed editor compatibility
• Design for collaboration-aware data flows
• Consider Abilities API for AI integration

Copy-Paste Prompts

Use @backend-dev-guidelines to design plugin architecture

Phase 3: Hooks Implementation

Skills to Invoke

• wordpress-penetration-testing - WordPress patterns

Actions

1. Register action hooks
2. Create filter hooks
3. Implement callback functions
4. Set up hook priorities
5. Add conditional hooks

Copy-Paste Prompts

Use @wordpress-penetration-testing to understand WordPress hooks

Phase 4: Admin Interface

Skills to Invoke

• frontend-developer - Admin UI

Actions

1. Create admin menu
2. Build settings pages
3. Implement options registration
4. Add settings sections/fields
5. Create admin notices

WordPress 7.0 Admin Considerations

• Test with new admin color scheme
• Consider DataViews for data displays
• Implement view transitions
• Use new validation patterns

DataViews Example

import { DataViews } from '@wordpress/dataviews';

const MyPluginDataView = () => {
    const data = [/* records */];
    const fields = [
        { id: 'title', label: 'Title', sortable: true },
        { id: 'status', label: 'Status', filterBy: true }
    ];
    const view = {
        type: 'table',
        perPage: 10,
        sort: { field: 'title', direction: 'asc' }
    };

    return (
        <DataViews
            data={data}
            fields={fields}
            view={view}
           
        />
    );
};

Copy-Paste Prompts

Use @frontend-developer to create WordPress admin interface

Phase 5: Database Operations

Skills to Invoke

• database-design - Database design
• postgresql - Database patterns

Actions

1. Create custom tables
2. Implement CRUD operations
3. Add data validation
4. Set up data sanitization
5. Create data upgrade routines

RTC-Compatible Post Meta

// Register meta for Real-Time Collaboration
register_post_meta('post', 'my_custom_field', [
    'type' => 'string',
    'single' => true,
    'show_in_rest' => true,  // Required for RTC
    'sanitize_callback' => 'sanitize_text_field',
]);

// For WP 7.0, also consider:
register_term_meta('category', 'my_term_field', [
    'type' => 'string',
    'show_in_rest' => true,
]);

Copy-Paste Prompts

Use @database-design to design plugin database schema

Phase 6: REST API

Skills to Invoke

• api-design-principles - API design
• api-patterns - API patterns

Actions

1. Register REST routes
2. Create endpoint callbacks
3. Implement permission callbacks
4. Add request validation
5. Document API endpoints

WordPress 7.0 REST API Enhancements

• Abilities API integration
• AI Connector endpoints
• Enhanced validation

Copy-Paste Prompts

Use @api-design-principles to create WordPress REST API endpoints

Phase 7: Security

Skills to Invoke

• wordpress-penetration-testing - WordPress security
• security-scanning-security-sast - Security scanning

Actions

1. Implement nonce verification
2. Add capability checks
3. Sanitize all inputs
4. Escape all outputs
5. Secure database queries

WordPress 7.0 Security Considerations

• Test Abilities API permission boundaries
• Validate AI connector credential handling
• Review collaboration data isolation
• PHP 7.4+ requirement compliance

Copy-Paste Prompts

Use @wordpress-penetration-testing to audit plugin security

Phase 8: WordPress 7.0 Features

Skills to Invoke

• api-design-principles - AI integration
• backend-dev-guidelines - Block development

AI Connector Implementation

// Using WordPress 7.0 AI Connector
add_action('save_post', 'my_plugin_generate_ai_summary', 10, 2);

function my_plugin_generate_ai_summary($post_id, $post) {
    if (wp_is_post_autosave($post_id) || wp_is_post_revision($post_id)) {
        return;
    }

    // Check if AI client is available
    if (!function_exists('wp_ai_client_prompt')) {
        return;
    }

    $content = strip_tags($post->post_content);
    if (empty($content)) {
        return;
    }

    // Build prompt - direct string concatenation for input
    $result = wp_ai_client_prompt(
        'Create a compelling 2-sentence summary for social media: ' . substr($content, 0, 1000)
    );

    if (is_wp_error($result)) {
        return;
    }

    // Set temperature for consistent output
    $result->using_temperature(0.3);
    $summary = $result->generate_text();

    if ($summary && !is_wp_error($summary)) {
        update_post_meta($post_id, '_ai_summary', sanitize_textarea_field($summary));
    }
}

Abilities API Registration

// Register ability categories on their own hook
add_action('wp_abilities_api_categories_init', function() {
    wp_register_ability_category('content-creation', [
        'label' => __('Content Creation', 'my-plugin'),
        'description' => __('Abilities for generating and managing content', 'my-plugin'),
    ]);
});

// Register abilities on their own hook
add_action('wp_abilities_api_init', function() {
    wp_register_ability('my-plugin/generate-summary', [
        'label' => __('Generate Summary', 'my-plugin'),
        'description' => __('Creates an AI-powered summary of content', 'my-plugin'),
        'category' => 'content-creation',
        'input_schema' => [
            'type' => 'object',
            'properties' => [
                'content' => ['type' => 'string'],
                'length' => ['type' => 'integer', 'default' => 2]
            ],
            'required' => ['content']
        ],
        'output_schema' => [
            'type' => 'object',
            'properties' => [
                'summary' => ['type' => 'string']
            ]
        ],
        'execute_callback' => 'my_plugin_generate_summary_cb',
        'permission_callback' => function() {
            return current_user_can('edit_posts');
        }
    ]);
});

// Handler callback
function my_plugin_generate_summary_cb($input) {
    $content = isset($input['content']) ? $input['content'] : '';
    $length = isset($input['length']) ? absint($input['length']) : 2;

    if (empty($content)) {
        return new WP_Error('empty_content', 'No content provided');
    }

    if (!function_exists('wp_ai_client_prompt')) {
        return new WP_Error('ai_unavailable', 'AI not available');
    }

    $prompt = sprintf('Create a %d-sentence summary of: %s', $length, substr($content, 0, 2000));

    $result = wp_ai_client_prompt($prompt)
        ->using_temperature(0.3)
        ->generate_text();

    if (is_wp_error($result)) {
        return $result;
    }

    return ['summary' => sanitize_textarea_field($result)];
}

PHP-Only Block Registration

// Register block entirely in PHP (WordPress 7.0)
// Note: For full PHP-only blocks, use block.json with PHP render_callback

// First, create a block.json file in build/ or includes/blocks/
// Then register in PHP:

// Simple PHP-only block registration (WordPress 7.0+)
if (function_exists('register_block_type')) {
    register_block_type('my-plugin/featured-post', [
        'render_callback' => function($attributes, $content, $block) {
            $post_id = isset($attributes['postId']) ? absint($attributes['postId']) : 0;

            if (!$post_id) {
                $post_id = get_the_ID();
            }

            $post = get_post($post_id);

            if (!$post) {
                return '';
            }

            $title = esc_html($post->post_title);
            $excerpt = esc_html(get_the_excerpt($post));

            return sprintf(
                '<div class="featured-post"><h2>%s</h2><p>%s</p></div>',
                $title,
                $excerpt
            );
        },
        'attributes' => [
            'postId' => ['type' => 'integer', 'default' => 0],
            'showExcerpt' => ['type' => 'boolean', 'default' => true]
        ],
    ]);
}

Disable Collaboration (if needed)

// Disable RTC for specific post types
import { addFilter } from '@wordpress/hooks';

addFilter(
    'sync.providers',
    'my-plugin/disable-collab',
    () => []
);

Phase 9: Testing

Skills to Invoke

• test-automator - Test automation
• php-pro - PHP testing

Actions

1. Set up PHPUnit
2. Create unit tests
3. Write integration tests
4. Test with WordPress test suite
5. Configure CI

WordPress 7.0 Testing Priorities

• Test RTC compatibility
• Verify AI connector functionality
• Validate DataViews integration
• Test Interactivity API with watch()

Copy-Paste Prompts

Use @test-automator to set up plugin testing

Imported: Related Workflow Bundles

• wordpress - WordPress development
• wordpress-theme-development - Theme development
• wordpress-woocommerce - WooCommerce

Imported: Overview

Specialized workflow for creating WordPress plugins with proper architecture, hooks system, admin interfaces, REST API endpoints, and security practices. Now includes WordPress 7.0 features for modern plugin development.

Imported: WordPress 7.0 Plugin Development

Key Features for Plugin Developers

1. Real-Time Collaboration (RTC) Compatibility

   • Yjs-based CRDT for simultaneous editing
   • Custom transport via sync.providers filter
   • Requirement: Register post meta with show_in_rest => true

2. AI Connector Integration

   • Provider-agnostic AI via wp_ai_client_prompt()
   • Settings > Connectors admin screen
   • Works with OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Ollama

3. Abilities API

   • Declare plugin capabilities for AI agents
   • REST API: /wp-json/abilities/v1/manifest
   • MCP adapter support

4. DataViews & DataForm

   • Modern admin interfaces
   • Replaces WP_List_Table patterns
   • Built-in validation

5. PHP-Only Blocks

   • Register blocks without JavaScript
   • Auto-generated Inspector controls

Examples

Example 1: Ask for the upstream workflow directly

Use @wordpress-plugin-development to handle <task>. Start from the copied upstream workflow, load only the files that change the outcome, and keep provenance visible in the answer.

Explanation: This is the safest starting point when the operator needs the imported workflow, but not the entire repository.

Example 2: Ask for a provenance-grounded review

Review @wordpress-plugin-development against metadata.json and ORIGIN.md, then explain which copied upstream files you would load first and why.

Explanation: Use this before review or troubleshooting when you need a precise, auditable explanation of origin and file selection.

Example 3: Narrow the copied support files before execution

Use @wordpress-plugin-development for <task>. Load only the copied references, examples, or scripts that change the outcome, and name the files explicitly before proceeding.

Explanation: This keeps the skill aligned with progressive disclosure instead of loading the whole copied package by default.

Example 4: Build a reviewer packet

Review @wordpress-plugin-development using the copied upstream files plus provenance, then summarize any gaps before merge.

Explanation: This is useful when the PR is waiting for human review and you want a repeatable audit packet.

Best Practices

Treat the generated public skill as a reviewable packaging layer around the upstream repository. The goal is to keep provenance explicit and load only the copied source material that materially improves execution.

• Keep the imported skill grounded in the upstream repository; do not invent steps that the source material cannot support.
• Prefer the smallest useful set of support files so the workflow stays auditable and fast to review.
• Keep provenance, source commit, and imported file paths visible in notes and PR descriptions.
• Point directly at the copied upstream files that justify the workflow instead of relying on generic review boilerplate.
• Treat generated examples as scaffolding; adapt them to the concrete task before execution.
• Route to a stronger native skill when architecture, debugging, design, or security concerns become dominant.

Troubleshooting

Problem: The operator skipped the imported context and answered too generically

Symptoms: The result ignores the upstream workflow in plugins/antigravity-awesome-skills-claude/skills/wordpress-plugin-development, fails to mention provenance, or does not use any copied source files at all. Solution: Re-open metadata.json, ORIGIN.md, and the most relevant copied upstream files. Check the external_source block first, then restate the provenance before continuing.

Problem: The imported workflow feels incomplete during review

Symptoms: Reviewers can see the generated SKILL.md, but they cannot quickly tell which references, examples, or scripts matter for the current task. Solution: Point at the exact copied references, examples, scripts, or assets that justify the path you took. If the gap is still real, record it in the PR instead of hiding it.

Problem: The task drifted into a different specialization

Symptoms: The imported skill starts in the right place, but the work turns into debugging, architecture, design, security, or release orchestration that a native skill handles better. Solution: Use the related skills section to hand off deliberately. Keep the imported provenance visible so the next skill inherits the right context instead of starting blind.

Related Skills

• @00-andruia-consultant - Use when the work is better handled by that native specialization after this imported skill establishes context.
• @00-andruia-consultant-v2 - Use when the work is better handled by that native specialization after this imported skill establishes context.
• @10-andruia-skill-smith - Use when the work is better handled by that native specialization after this imported skill establishes context.
• @10-andruia-skill-smith-v2 - Use when the work is better handled by that native specialization after this imported skill establishes context.

Additional Resources

Use this support matrix and the linked files below as the operator packet for this imported skill. They should reflect real copied source material, not generic scaffolding.

Imported Reference Notes

Imported: Plugin Structure

plugin-name/
├── plugin-name.php
├── includes/
│   ├── class-plugin.php
│   ├── class-loader.php
│   ├── class-activator.php
│   └── class-deactivator.php
├── admin/
│   ├── class-plugin-admin.php
│   ├── css/
│   └── js/
├── public/
│   ├── class-plugin-public.php
│   ├── css/
│   └── js/
├── blocks/           # PHP-only blocks (WP 7.0)
├── abilities/        # Abilities API
├── ai/               # AI Connector integration
├── languages/
└── vendor/

Imported: WordPress 7.0 Compatibility Checklist

• PHP 7.4+ requirement documented
• Post meta registered with show_in_rest => true for RTC
• Meta boxes migrated to block-based UIs
• AI Connector integration tested
• Abilities API registered (if applicable)
• DataViews integration tested (if applicable)
• Interactivity API uses watch() not effect
• Tested with iframed editor
• Collaboration fallback works (post locking)

Imported: Quality Gates

• Plugin activates without errors
• All hooks working
• Admin interface functional
• Security measures implemented
• Tests passing
• Documentation complete
• WordPress 7.0 compatibility verified

Imported: Limitations

• Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
• Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
• Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.