The 12 Best WordPress Interview Questions in 2023
What are the best WordPress interview questions? Here’s a selection of some of the best questions to ask at your next interview.
Interviewing WordPress developers
WordPress developers specialize in building WordPress websites. They’re typically full-stack developers who work on the frontend and backend of a website. Some WordPress developers build custom websites, while others enhance WordPress software.
But how do you find the best WordPress developers? Here’s what you need to know.
Beginner WordPress interview questions
What are the top junior WordPress interview questions? Here are some of the top WordPress interview questions for beginner developers.
1. What are the most important WordPress features?
Answer:
The most important WordPress features are:
Easy installation and upgrades
Flexible website creation
Easy-to-use themes, including
Extensive plugin directory
Powerful CMS
Simple integrations and hosting
2. What are some limitations of WordPress websites?
Answer:
While WordPress is a multi-functional website builder, it has its downsides. These are:
Slow site speed and loading issues if too many plugins are added
Backup copies are needed every time a change is made or WordPress is updated for compatibility with the latest browsers and mobile devices
3. In what situations is WordPress not the best option?
Answer:
The most common situations when WordPress is not the best option are:
When the product being built is an enterprise intranet solution
If the client wants a complex ecommerce website or marketplace
If the website needs lengthy personalized scripting solutions
4. What is required for building WordPress websites?
Answer:
To build WordPress websites, you need:
A server (Nginx and Apache are the best serves for WordPress, but any server that supports MySQL and PHP works)
PHP version 7.2 or higher
MySQL version 5.6 or higher or MariaDB version 10.0 or higher
Support for HTTP
5. How do you make your WordPress site securer?
Answer:
The best steps to improve your WordPress website’s security are:
Using secure login procedures
Updating to the latest WordPress versions
Upgrading to newer PHP versions
Using a secure WordPress hosting provider
Installing security plugins
Using a secure WordPress theme
Setting up a firewall
Enabling SSL / HTTPS
Making a backup of the site
Changing the default login URL
Disabling editing files in the dashboard
Managing user permissions on WordPress
Modifying the database file prefix
Deleting the default admin account
6. Explain what template tags are and how they’re used in WordPress.
Answer:
Template tags are code that instructs WordPress to take a specific action. For instance, you might use tags to retrieve information from a database source.
7. Explain what steps you’d take to optimize WordPress site performance.
Answer:
Optimizing WordPress site performance is essential for improving performance and site speed. Here are the steps to take:
Use caching plugins
Keep the site updated
Use a simple theme or framework
Use CDN
8. Explain what steps you’d take if your WordPress file was hacked.
Answer:
These are the steps to take if a WordPress file has been hacked:
Install security plugins, such as WP Security
Change passwords and user IDs for all users
Check that theme and plugins are up to date
Re-install the latest version of WordPress
Advanced WordPress interview questions
What are the top WordPress interview questions for senior developers? Here are some medium and advanced questions to ask at your next interview.
9. What steps do you take to backup the database?
Answer:
Your website’s database includes all posts, comments, metadata, media files, user information, and plugin settings. Without backing up this information, it could get lost. To backup your database, take the following steps by going to your database.
Click “Export.”
If the database is small, use “Quick.” If it’s large, use “Custom.”
If you use Custom, select all tables.
In the Output section, choose SQL from the Format drop-down menu and choose “Add drop table” (to overwrite an existing table) and “If not exists.”
Click “Go” and your data will be saved.
10. What are examples of template tags you can use in WordPress?
Answer:
A few template tag examples in WordPress include:
get_header()
get_footer()
wp_list_bookmarks()
get_sidebar()
get_bookmark()
the_author()
get_the_author()
wp_login_url()
get_calendar()
allowed_tags()
the_post_thumbnail()
get_post_thumbnail_id()
wp_nav_menu()
walk_nav_menu_tree()
11. What steps do you need to take when developing a plugin?
Answer:
These are the steps you need to take to develop a plugin:
Use a unique name
Create a plugin folder
Create a sub-folder for PHP files, assets, and translations
Set up the main plugin file and fill in header information
Create activation and deactivation functions
Create an uninstall script
Create a readme.txt file
12. Explain Action and Filter hooks.
Answer:
Action and Filter hooks are WordPress hooks.
Action hooks enable developers to perform a task at predefined points during runtime. Actions are defined like this:
do_action( 'action_name', [optional_arguments] );
Action_name represents the name of the action. You can specify optional_arguments to pass additional arguments to the callback function.
With Filter hooks, you can modify and return data processed by WordPress. Filters are defined like this:
apply_filters( 'filter_name', 'value_to_be_filtered', [optional_arguments] );
Filter_name represents the name of the filter. Value_to_be_filtered is the value to be filtered and returned. Just like with Action hooks, optional_arguments can include additional arguments.
Over to you!
There you have it! Those are some of the top WordPress interview questions.
Now, interviews are one part of the process. You also need to assess your candidates’ technical skills.
How? With a tool like CodeSubmit, you’ll easily set up and manage technical skill assessment tests.
Want to learn more?