20 WordPress Developer Interview Questions

810 million website owners choose to use WordPress to design, build, and maintain their websites, according to Zippia. So with those numbers, it’s not surprising that employers are hiring WordPress developers.

Do you need help finding the right WordPress developer for your organization? Keep reading to learn more about this profession and the questions you may need to ask to determine the right fit for your team.

What Is a WordPress Developer?

A WordPress developer is a specific type of web developer who specializes in building websites. These professionals (also considered as full-stack developers) are often hired to build custom websites or improve the WordPress platform itself.

Skills

WordPress developers—along with other specialized developers—typically share some common skills that help them succeed in their specific field.

The following encompasses your ideal candidate’s range of technical expertise, soft skills, and personal traits.

Technical Proficiency

• Programming language proficiency
• WordPress architecture, including WordPress core, themes, and plugins
• Database management skills, focusing on database management systems

Theme and Plugin Development

• Custom theme creation
• Plugin Development skills to expand WordPress functionality

Performance Optimization

• Site speed understanding along with the use of techniques to improve WordPress site speed, such as caching, image optimization, and efficient coding practices
• SEO best practices to ensure WordPress sites are optimized for search engines

Security Awareness

• Security best practices, including awareness of common security vulnerabilities in WordPress and how to safeguard against them
• Regular update attention and keeping WordPress core, themes, and plugins updated to avoid security risks

Problem-Solving

• Debugging with the ability to troubleshoot and debug issues effectively. Issues might be related to themes, plugins, or other aspects of WordPress.
• Creative problem-solving that allows them to find innovative solutions to complex challenges

Project Management

• Time management with the ability to manage time efficiently, especially when handling multiple projects
• Version control system (VCS) familiarity to manage changes and collaborate with other developers

Communication and Collaboration

• Effective communication to describe complex technical ideas to non-technical stakeholders
• Having the ability to work effectively in team environments, including collaboration with other developers, designers, and content creators

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Related: 4+ Reasons to Hire a WordPress Developer for Your Business

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20 WordPress Developer Interview Questions

Get to know your WordPress developer candidates better with these 20 insightful questions that cover a range of topics, from basic WordPress knowledge to more advanced technical skills and problem-solving abilities. Here are 20 questions that cover all the basics and more.

WordPress Knowledge Questions

1. What are the main differences between posts and pages in WordPress?
2. Can you explain what a WordPress theme is and how it works?
3. How do you keep a WordPress site secure?

Theme Development Questions

4. How would you create a custom WordPress theme?
5. Can you explain the WordPress template hierarchy?

Plugin Development Questions

6. What are the best practices for developing a WordPress plugin?
7. How do you ensure that a plugin you’ve developed is compatible with future WordPress updates?

Customization and Functionality Questions

8. How do you add a custom post type in WordPress? What do you know about embedding HTML, JS, CSS, and PHP codes directly into your WordPress pages?
9. Describe how you would modify an existing theme to suit a client’s specific needs.

Performance Optimization Questions

10. What methods do you use to optimize the performance of a WordPress site?
11. How do you handle website caching in WordPress?

Security Questions

12. How would you handle a hacked WordPress site?
13. What steps do you take to secure user data on a WordPress site?

SEO and Analytics Questions

14. How do you optimize a WordPress site and search engines?
15. What tools do you use to analyze the traffic and performance of a WordPress site?

Troubleshooting and Debugging Questions

16. Describe your process for troubleshooting a WordPress site issue.
17. How would you resolve a plugin or theme conflict?

Work Management and Team Collaboration Questions

18. How do you manage version control for your WordPress projects?
19. Describe a challenging WordPress project you completed and how you overcame the challenges.

Communication and Client Interaction Questions

20. How do you communicate technical limitations, challenges, and achievements to non-technical stakeholders?

Hiring a Talented WordPress Developer

A qualified WordPress developer can help you build a functional website to help boost your business. If you need help finding WordPress talent, connect with us today! We can source, hire, and interview the talent you need to build your ideal website.