WordPress developer interview questions for remote roles
WordPress developer interviews check whether you can write safe custom code, not just configure plugins. Expect questions on hooks, queries, security, theme and block development, WooCommerce and performance, plus a small practical task such as building a plugin or fixing a broken site.
These are questions agencies and remote employers commonly ask WordPress developers, including those hiring from Nigeria.
Updated October 2026 by the WorkRemote careers team
On this page
About the role and your experience
Openers that check you understand the job and have done the work.
Tell me about a WordPress project you are proud of.
Why they ask
They want to see real, custom work.
How to answer
Pick a project with custom code: a plugin, custom blocks, a WooCommerce integration or a performance rescue. Explain the problem, what you built and the result.
Why should we hire a developer rather than use a page builder?
Why they ask
Agencies want developers who understand when custom code is worth it.
How to answer
Be honest: page builders are fine for many sites. Custom themes and blocks give better performance, safer editing for clients and easier long-term maintenance, which matters for larger or faster-growing sites.
Technical questions
What you know and how you'd do the work, often with a live task or test.
What is the difference between an action and a filter?
Why they ask
Hooks are the core of WordPress development. Everyone asks this.
How to answer
Actions let you run code at a specific point, such as when a post is saved (add_action with save_post). Filters let you change a value before WordPress uses it, such as post content (add_filter with the_content), and must return the value. Mention priority and accepted arguments.
How do you safely handle data from a form in a custom plugin?
Why they ask
Security mistakes in custom code are the main way WordPress sites get hacked.
How to answer
Check a nonce with wp_verify_nonce or check_admin_referer, check permissions with current_user_can, sanitise input with functions such as sanitize_text_field, sanitize_email or absint, use $wpdb->prepare for custom queries, and escape output with esc_html, esc_attr, esc_url or wp_kses. Escape as late as possible, right when you print.
How would you change the main query on the blog page to show only one category?
Why they ask
Tests whether you know pre_get_posts rather than running extra queries.
How to answer
Hook into pre_get_posts, check is_main_query and the right context (is_home and not is_admin), then set the category on the query object. This avoids running a second WP_Query and keeps pagination working.
When would you use WP_Query, get_posts or a direct $wpdb query?
Why they ask
Shows judgement about performance and maintainability.
How to answer
WP_Query for custom loops with pagination and template tags; get_posts for a simple array of posts; $wpdb only for custom tables or queries WP_Query cannot express, always with prepare. Mention that heavy meta queries can be slow and may need a custom table or indexing.
How do you add a script to the front end correctly?
Why they ask
Hard-coding script tags in templates causes conflicts and performance problems.
How to answer
Register and enqueue with wp_enqueue_script on the wp_enqueue_scripts hook, declare dependencies, version the file for cache busting, load only on pages that need it, and use the loading strategy argument (defer or async) where suitable. Use wp_localize_script or wp_add_inline_script to pass data.
What is theme.json and why does it matter in block themes?
Why they ask
Block themes are where WordPress is going; many developers still only know classic themes.
How to answer
theme.json is the central configuration for global settings and styles: colour palettes, typography, spacing, layout widths and which options editors can change. It replaces a lot of custom CSS and add_theme_support calls, and keeps the editor and front end consistent.
Walk me through building a custom Gutenberg block.
Why they ask
Custom blocks are the higher-paid end of WordPress work.
How to answer
Scaffold with @wordpress/create-block, define attributes and settings in block.json, write the edit component in React using components from @wordpress/block-editor, and either a save function for static markup or a render callback in PHP for dynamic blocks. Build with wp-scripts and register the block with register_block_type pointing at block.json.
How do you build a secure custom REST API endpoint?
Why they ask
Headless and app integrations rely on the REST API.
How to answer
Use register_rest_route on rest_api_init, define args with validation and sanitising callbacks, and always provide a permission_callback that checks capabilities (or explicitly returns true for public endpoints). Return WP_REST_Response or WP_Error with proper status codes.
A WooCommerce site is slow. How do you find out why?
Why they ask
Speed problems are one of the main reasons clients hire WordPress developers.
How to answer
Measure first with PageSpeed Insights and Query Monitor. Look for slow database queries, too many plugins loading assets on every page, uncached cart fragments, large images and no object cache. Fix in order of impact: page caching for anonymous visitors, Redis object caching, removing or replacing heavy plugins, image optimisation, and offloading scheduled tasks to a real cron.
Show a sample answerHide the sample answer
A UK client's WooCommerce shop took 7 seconds to load product pages. Query Monitor showed a related-products plugin running a slow meta query on every page. I replaced it with a cached query stored in a transient, added Redis object caching on the host, and converted images to WebP. Product pages loaded in under 2 seconds afterwards.
How do you migrate a WordPress site to a new domain without breaking it?
Why they ask
Migrations are routine and easy to get wrong.
How to answer
Back up files and database, move them, then run WP-CLI search-replace for the old URL, which handles serialised data correctly (a plain SQL replace breaks it). Update wp-config, regenerate permalinks, check HTTPS, redirects from the old domain and Search Console.
Behavioural questions
Past situations. Answer with a real example: what happened, what you did, what changed.
How do you keep client sites updated without breaking them?
Why they ask
Maintenance is most of the work, and mistakes cost the client money.
How to answer
Backups before every update, staging tests for major updates, a schedule (for example, weekly with security patches applied quickly), uptime monitoring, and a changelog sent to the client.
Situational questions
Hypotheticals about problems you'd meet in the job.
A client's site has been hacked and is redirecting visitors to spam. What do you do?
Why they ask
Clean-ups are common jobs. They want a calm, thorough process.
How to answer
Take a backup of the current state, put up a maintenance page if needed, change all passwords and keys, compare core files with fresh copies, check plugins and themes for known vulnerabilities and remove nulled ones, search for injected code and rogue admin users, clean the database, then patch the cause, harden the site and request a review from Google if it was flagged.
The client asks for a "quick change" to a theme you have never seen. How do you handle it?
Why they ask
Scope creep is the biggest problem in WordPress client work.
How to answer
Look at the code first, estimate in writing and say what could go wrong. Work in a child theme or plugin, test on staging, and confirm before touching the live site.
Show a sample answerHide the sample answer
I reply with something like: "I have checked the theme. Moving the newsletter form above the footer is about an hour, done in a child theme so updates do not wipe it. I will test it on staging tomorrow morning and send you a link before it goes live." Clients like knowing exactly what will happen.
Remote work questions
How you'll work from Nigeria with a team elsewhere: hours, power, internet, communication.
How do you work with an agency's project manager in a different time zone?
Why they ask
Most remote WordPress work is for agencies abroad.
How to answer
Daily written updates, preview links on staging, estimates before starting, and being reachable during an agreed overlap window. Mention that UK agencies are on your hours, or one hour behind in winter.
What happens if your power or internet goes out during a site launch?
Why they ask
Launches are time-sensitive and clients worry about it.
How to answer
Describe your backup power and second connection, and your launch checklist with steps written down so a colleague could finish if needed.
Remote interview tips
Agencies often give a practical test: build a small plugin, convert a design into a block theme or fix bugs in a provided site. Use Git, write a short README, and follow the WordPress coding standards.
Automattic and some other employers interview by text in Slack. Answer as you would in a real work chat: clear, complete and quick, with code formatted properly.
Have a live site or two you built ready to share, and check that they load fast before the call.
Questions people ask
What does a WordPress developer test look like?
Usually a small custom plugin (custom post type, settings page or REST endpoint), a theme or block built from a design, or a debugging task on an existing site. Expect two to six hours.
Do WordPress interviews include React questions?
Increasingly, yes, for roles that involve custom blocks or headless WordPress. Expect basics such as components, props and state.
Will they ask about WordPress coding standards?
Many agencies do. Knowing the WordPress PHP coding standards and running PHPCS with them shows you write code a team can maintain.
Updated October 2026 by the WorkRemote careers team
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