--- title: "5 WordPress Side Projects To Help You Learn & Grow" id: "152411" type: "post" slug: "wordpress-side-projects-learn-and-grow" published_at: "2026-03-09T08:13:26+00:00" modified_at: "2026-06-14T09:26:33+00:00" url: "https://speckyboy.com/wordpress-side-projects-learn-and-grow/" markdown_url: "https://speckyboy.com/wordpress-side-projects-learn-and-grow.md" excerpt: "Leverage WordPress side projects to learn new skills and expand your portfolio. See how side gigs can foster professional growth." taxonomy_category: - "WordPress" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Freelance Side Income" - "Learn WordPress" --- # 5 WordPress Side Projects To Help You Learn & Grow Last Update: June 14, 2026 By Eric Karkovack [WordPress](https://speckyboy.com/category/wordpress/) Learning new skills on the job can be difficult for web designers. And client projects aren’t an ideal place for experimentation. What if something goes wrong? You could be stuck in a bad situation. That’s where side projects come in handy. They provide the perfect environment for trying new things. There’s little risk and plenty of creative freedom. And there’s no better playground than WordPress. The content management system (CMS) is infinitely extensible. It’s also well-documented and easy to customize. Best of all, it will help get your project off to a quick start. With that in mind, here are five ideas for WordPress side projects. Each will help you level up your design and development game. Here we go! ## Build a WordPress Block Theme Compared to their classic counterparts, block themes are a different animal. They have a unique structure. And they aren’t as dependent on PHP. They also haven’t been widely adopted yet. However, the WordPress Site Editor is [constantly improving](https://speckyboy.com/block-theme-power-next-wordpress-project/) . Thus, it’s only a matter of time before block themes have a breakthrough. If you haven’t paid much attention to block themes, now is a great time to start. Building a basic theme will allow you to see their inner workings. And you can get your feet wet with advanced features like [theme.json](https://speckyboy.com/introduction-wordpress-theme-json-file/) and [global style variations](https://fullsiteediting.com/lessons/global-style-variations/) . What sort of theme should you build? Think about how a block theme could benefit a typical client. Keep their needs in mind and add features to suit them. You may be able to use it as a starting point for future projects. ### Resources - [A Deep Introduction to WordPress Block Themes](https://css-tricks.com/a-deep-introduction-to-wordpress-block-themes/) by Ganesh Dahal - [Create Block Theme plugin](https://wordpress.org/plugins/create-block-theme/) by WordPress.org - [Creating WordPress block themes](https://fullsiteediting.com/lessons/creating-block-based-themes/) by Carolina Nymark - [Intro to the Site Editor and Template Editor](https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/intro-to-the-site-editor-and-template-editor/) by Wes Theron - [WordPress Theme Handbook: Block Themes](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/block-themes/) by WordPress.org ![Block themes are a growing segment of the WordPress ecosystem.](https://speckyboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/wp-side-projects-01.png) ## Create a WordPress Plugin Don’t let the title scare you. Creating a WordPress plugin doesn’t have to be overly complex. Much depends on the plugin’s purpose. You might be thinking about successful products like WooCommerce or Gravity Forms. They have a lot of code underneath the hood. And they have teams of developers maintaining them. You don’t have to go that far. There is an easier path to getting started with plugin development. For example, try a small [custom plugin](https://speckyboy.com/custom-wordpress-plugin/) that has niche functionality. One that may only be relevant to a specific website. It might consist of just a few lines of code. And you may already have some foundational knowledge. Are you familiar with adding code snippets to your theme’s `functions.php` file? If so, the jump to a custom plugin isn’t very difficult. The same code can be copied to a plugin with a few adjustments. Plugin development is a great way to sharpen your PHP skills. Plus, it’s a better approach than using theme-specific code. This experience will serve you well on future projects. ### Resources - [Plugin Basics](https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/plugin-basics/) by WordPress.org - WordPress plugin boilerplate generator by Tom McFarlin & Devin Vinson - [Writing a WordPress Plugin From Scratch: A Step-by-Step](https://wpshout.com/wordpress-plugin-development-tutorial/) Tutorial by Fred Meyer ![Use the WordPress plugin boilerplate generator to start your project.](https://speckyboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/wp-side-projects-02.png) ## Optimize a Website for Peak Performance Everyone wants a fast website. But it’s not always easy to accomplish. That’s particularly true when using WordPress. Themes, plugins, and third-party resources can bring your site to a crawl. And [web hosting](https://speckyboy.com/performance-cheap-web-hosting/) also plays a key role in load times. Install a copy of WordPress on a server and experiment. Add lots of content and images. Try using different site configurations. See how switching themes impacts your site. Add various plugins that you use in your client projects. This is also a great time to brush up on how caching works. There are several types to explore, including server and plugin-based options. From there, use tools like [Google Page Speed](https://pagespeed.web.dev/) or a plugin like [Query Monitor](https://wordpress.org/plugins/query-monitor/) to gauge performance. This way, you can determine the impact of each item. You’ll learn some valuable lessons along the way. And it may lead to a change in how you approach building a website. ### Resources - [6 WordPress Plugins to Optimize & Speed Up Your Website](https://speckyboy.com/wordpress-speed/) by Eric Karkovack - [How to Speed Up Your WordPress Site](https://kinsta.com/learn/speed-up-wordpress/) by Kinsta - [Improving Site Performance: An overview](https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/improving-site-performance-an-overview/) by Hari Shanker ![Learn WordPress offers a free course on improving website performance.](https://speckyboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/wp-side-projects-03.jpg) ## Build a Custom Block The Block Editor is rapidly evolving. New features are regularly added, and bugs are being squashed. The user experience (UX) has improved. As such, more users are choosing it over the Classic Editor. And the ability to build custom blocks is powerful. Developers can bring a variety of features to their projects. Adding custom content, design, and functionality are among the possibilities here. Blocks also offer portability. They can be used throughout your website. And you can package them into a plugin to use on multiple projects. Plus, there are multiple ways to build custom WordPress blocks. Native blocks are built with React. However, there are alternatives available. Plugins like [Advanced Custom Fields Pro](https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/) and [Genesis Custom Blocks](https://wordpress.org/plugins/genesis-custom-blocks/) can also be used. They allow developers to create custom blocks via PHP. They’re efficient and make custom blocks accessible to more people. Building custom blocks can be extremely useful. And it’s a great way to boost your revenue, as well. ### Resources - [ACF Blocks](https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/resources/blocks/) by Advanced Custom Fields - [Create Block NPM Package](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@wordpress/create-block) by WordPress - [Getting Started With WordPress Block Development](https://css-tricks.com/getting-started-with-wordpress-block-development/) by Arjun Singh - [Introduction to Block Development: Build your first custom block](https://learn.wordpress.org/course/introduction-to-block-development-build-your-first-custom-block/) by Learn WordPress ![PHP developers can use Advanced Custom Fields to build custom blocks for WordPress.](https://speckyboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/wp-side-projects-04.jpg) ## Integrate Third-Party Apps and Services WordPress and its plugin ecosystem are very capable. But there are also times when you’ll need to integrate with third-party tools. They play an important role in areas like marketing and eCommerce. There are a wide range of use cases. For instance, you might want to build a [headless website](https://speckyboy.com/when-does-using-headless-wordpress-make-sense/) using Gatsby or another static site generator. You can create content within WordPress while reaping the performance benefits of static HTML. [Automation](https://speckyboy.com/the-power-of-automating-wordpress/) is growing in popularity as well. And there are so many ways to integrate it into your workflow. A new form entry on your WordPress site could trigger, say, adding a new contact to your mailing list. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are also ways to integrate with payment gateways, customer relationship management (CRM) tools, and multi-channel eCommerce providers. There may be a cost involved with some integrations. However, there are several free options to choose from. Find a few that are relevant to your business and get to work! ### Resources - [AutomatorWP Plugin](https://wordpress.org/plugins/automatorwp/) - [How to Incorporate External APIs in Your WordPress Theme or Plugin](https://webdesign.tutsplus.com/how-to-incorporate-external-apis-in-your-wordpress-theme-or-plugin--cms-33542a) by Karen Pogosyan - [Sourcing from WordPress](https://www.gatsbyjs.com/docs/how-to/sourcing-data/sourcing-from-wordpress/) by Gatsby - [Uncanny Automator Plugin](https://wordpress.org/plugins/uncanny-automator/) - [Zapier WordPress Integrations](https://zapier.com/apps/wordpress/integrations) ![Zapier can help you integrate a variety of third-party services with WordPress.](https://speckyboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/wp-side-projects-05.jpg) ## Improve Your WordPress Skills WordPress is a rapidly changing CMS. Keeping up with new developments is a key to professional growth. This is particularly so when it comes to blocks. They’re the present and future of the software. Try to integrate one or more of the above items into a side project. You’ll gain a better understanding of how WordPress works. Even better is that you won’t have to deal with the pressures of client work. And you can decide whether to release your project to the public. It might be a nice way to contribute to the community. But there’s also value in spinning up a [local install](https://speckyboy.com/cool-things-local-install-wordpress/) and experimenting. Either way, the skills you learn will serve you well into the future. So, take the first steps toward learning and see where it takes you! ## Related Articles - [How to Hide WordPress Blocks Based on Device](https://speckyboy.com/how-to-hide-wordpress-blocks-based-on-device/) WordPress 7.0 adds responsive Block Visibility controls for the Block Editor. Learn how to create separate desktop and mobile blocks, hide each one by device, and test the result. - [How To Make Your WordPress Website AI-Friendly](https://speckyboy.com/wordpress-website-ai-friendly/) AI search is changing how people reach websites. This article shows how to make WordPress more AEO friendly with robots.txt, sitemaps, agent readiness checks, Markdown output, and helpful resources. - [Best WordPress Staging Site Tools & Resources in 2026](https://speckyboy.com/wordpress-staging-site/) A WordPress staging site gives you a safe place to test updates, new plugins, custom code, and AI tools before touching production. Learn hosting, local, and plugin-based options. - [Quick Tip: How To Use WordPress Block Notes](https://speckyboy.com/wordpress-block-notes/) WordPress Notes adds block level comments to the Block Editor. We show you how to add a note to any block, reply in a thread, get email notifications, and mark notes as resolved for smoother collaboration. - [A New Choice: Use an Existing Plugin or Vibe Code Your Own?](https://speckyboy.com/existing-plugin-or-code-your-own/) AI makes it easier to build custom WordPress plugins, but it does not make the decision automatic. This article breaks down when to install an existing plugin and when to build your own, based on scope, flexibility, and long-term maintenance. ## Related Topics - [Freelance Side Income](https://speckyboy.com/topic/side-income/) - [Learn WordPress](https://speckyboy.com/topic/learn-wordpress/) ## Written by Eric Karkovack Eric Karkovack is a web designer and WordPress expert with over two decades of experience. You can visit his business site [here](https://www.karks.com/) . He recently started a writing service for WordPress products: [WP Product Writeup](https://wpproductwriteup.com/) . He also has an opinion on just about every subject. You can follow his rants on Bluesky [@karks.com](https://bsky.app/profile/karks.com) . [Read more articles by Eric Karkovack](https://speckyboy.com/author/erickarkovack/) --- Top This page may contain affiliate links. At no extra cost to you, we may earn a commission from any purchase via the links on our site. You can [read our Disclosure Policy](https://speckyboy.com/affiliate-disclosure/) at any time.