Modern Web Stack for WordPress Developers
If you have built WordPress sites for years and the modern-stack conversations have started to feel like a language you only half-speak, this is for you. Sixteen short modules, each mapping one piece of the modern web back to something you already know from WordPress: Next.js, Vercel, Supabase, the edge, Docker, CI/CD, and the rest.
The goal is fluency, not depth. Enough to hold the conversation, make the right call for a client, and tell real progress from hype. Every module comes with an audio companion if you would rather listen on a walk than read at a desk.
Cluster A Foundations
1Why Modern Web Feels Alien to WordPress DevsMental model: modern web frameworks are to applications what WordPress is to publishing.WordPress optimised for one specific job, getting content published on the web, and it…2JavaScript and TypeScript for PHP PeopleMental model: npm is to JavaScript what Composer is to PHP. package.json is your composer.json. node_modules/ is your vendor/. TypeScript is what PHP type hints would…
Cluster B Frontend
3React, in WordPress TermsMental model: React components are template parts that own their own state. Props are $args. The useState hook is the database-and-session combo, except it lives in…4Next.js: The WordPress of ReactMental model: Next.js is to React what WordPress is to PHP. Both started life as a tool with opinions about how to structure a particular kind…5When NOT to Use Next.jsA few honest cases where another framework will save you time and frustration. Content-heavy Site with Light Interactivity → Astro Marketing sites, documentation, blogs, brochure sites…
Cluster C Data & Auth
6Beyond Shared MySQL: Cloud Databases for WordPress DevelopersMental model: Modern cloud databases are to MySQL what Kinsta is to bargain shared hosting. The actual database engine in most cases is still Postgres or…7From WPDB to Drizzle, Prisma, and KyselyMental model: Drizzle, Prisma, and Kysely are to your database what WPDB tried to be, with the corners filed off and a type system bolted on.…8Auth in 2026: What Replaced wp_usersMental model: Modern auth services do what wp_users + the login page + nonce verification + capability checks all do together, but unbundled into pieces you…
Cluster D Hosting, Deploy & Infra
9Hosting Beyond Kinsta: Vercel, Fly, Railway, Cloudflare, and FriendsMental model: Vercel is to Next.js apps what Kinsta is to WordPress. Both are managed platforms that take a specific kind of project and run it…10Serverless and Edge Functions, Finally ExplainedMental model: Serverless is to PHP-FPM what a coffee shop's order-by-order kitchen is to a buffet line. A WordPress server is the buffet line. It is…11Docker for WordPress DevelopersMental model: A Docker container is to a server what a phpenv or wp-env preset is to a development environment, except the same thing also runs…12CI/CD: Goodbye FTP, Hello GitHub ActionsMental model: GitHub Actions is to your code what cron jobs are to your server, except they fire on events you choose and run somewhere off…
Cluster E Operations & Polish
13Observability When You Can't Just SSH InMental model: Sentry is to error tracking what tail -f error_log always wanted to be. Logflare and Datadog are to log aggregation what grep-across-files would be…14Tailwind, shadcn/ui, and the New Design-System MetaMental model: Tailwind is to CSS what Gutenberg's block library is to page-builder shortcodes — opinionated primitives that compose into anything. shadcn/ui is to React components…15Headless WordPress: The BridgeMental model: Headless WordPress is to a traditional WordPress site what a chef using a separate kitchen and dining room is to one running both from…
