Wp Site Audit And Onboarding

WordPress Site Audit and Onboarding Skill

Overview

Systematic onboarding guidance for inherited or unfamiliar WordPress repositories and site codebases. Core principle: before doing deep review, first classify the stack, map the moving parts, and identify the highest-risk follow-up path. This skill is meant to be the front door into the wider WordPress skill pack: plugin, theme, ACF, headless, WooCommerce, REST, migration, performance, security, CI/CD, WP-CLI, Playground, and PHPStan.

The goal is not to exhaustively review every file in one pass. The goal is to:

1. identify what kind of WordPress system this is
2. locate the architectural hotspots
3. surface obvious risk signals
4. recommend the next review skills in priority order

When to Use

Use when:

• Inheriting a new WordPress repository
• Reviewing a client site codebase for the first time
• Figuring out whether a project is plugin-driven, theme-driven, headless, WooCommerce-heavy, multisite, or builder-heavy
• Scoping risk before a migration, audit, modernization pass, or release
• Producing a quick architectural map before deeper specialist review
• User asks questions like:
  • "Audit this WordPress repo"
  • "Help me onboard to this site"
  • "What stack is this WordPress project using?"
  • "Where should I start reviewing this codebase?"
  • "What are the highest-risk areas here?"

Don't use for:

• Full security-only review (use wp-security-review)
• Full performance-only review (use wp-performance-review)
• Deep plugin architecture review after the plugin scope is already known (use wp-plugin-development)
• Deep theme review after the theme scope is already known (use wp-theme-development)
• Focused WooCommerce, ACF, REST, or headless analysis when the domain is already obvious

Audit Workflow

Follow this seven-step workflow.

1) Identify the onboarding target

Determine what you are auditing:

• entire repository
• single plugin
• single theme
• wp-content/ subtree
• monorepo app that includes WordPress as one surface
• documentation-only or CI-only configuration layer

If the target is not the full repo, note what is intentionally out of scope.

2) Detect project shape first

Classify the codebase before judging it.

Possible stack signals:

• Plugin-centric
  • main plugin headers
  • mu-plugins/
  • custom post types, taxonomies, admin pages
• Theme-centric
  • style.css, theme.json, templates/, parts/, functions.php
• Block/Gutenberg-heavy
  • block.json, src/, build/, JSX, block registrations
• WooCommerce-heavy
  • woocommerce/ templates, HPOS declarations, gateway classes, cart/checkout hooks
• Headless / WPGraphQL
  • frontend app folders, GraphQL routes, webhooks, revalidation flows, preview auth
• REST/API-heavy
  • register_rest_route(), schema callbacks, external integrations
• ACF/content-model-heavy
  • acf-json/, CPT/taxonomy registrations, field-group exports, heavy meta usage
• Multisite
  • multisite constants, network-admin logic, site/blog switching, network-wide CLI or migration code
• Bedrock / composer-managed
  • composer.json, web/, config/application.php, roots/bedrock layout
• Builder-heavy / migration-prone
  • Elementor, Divi, WPBakery, Beaver Builder, shortcode lock-in

3) Inventory key surfaces

Build a practical map of the codebase:

• bootstrap files
• active plugins/themes in-repo
• custom code directories
• build tooling (package.json, composer.json, GitHub Actions)
• deployment scripts and ops docs
• tests (phpunit, playwright, integration/E2E folders)
• docs that explain environment assumptions

Do not dump raw file listings. Summarize the structure into meaningful components.

4) Look for risk signals

Surface onboarding risks early.

Typical high-value signals:

• multiple custom plugins or sprawling theme logic without clear boundaries
• direct SQL, custom tables, or upgrade routines
• custom REST/GraphQL/auth code
• WooCommerce checkout, order, payment, or webhook integrations
• block/theme build systems that may drift from committed assets
• large ACF/meta-query dependence
• multisite assumptions
• release/deploy automation with unclear gating
• signs of builder lock-in or migration debt
• no tests, no static analysis, or no local/dev docs

5) Route to specialist skills

Recommend the next review path instead of overextending this skill.

Example follow-up routing:

• custom plugin architecture → wp-plugin-development
• custom theme / block theme → wp-theme-development
• Gutenberg blocks → wp-block-development
• WooCommerce flows → wp-woocommerce-dev
• REST routes → wp-rest-api-development
• ACF/CPT/taxonomy modeling → wp-acf-and-content-modeling
• headless / WPGraphQL → wp-headless-and-wpgraphql
• operational scripts / WP-CLI / multisite commands → wp-wpcli-and-ops
• migrations / schema changes → wp-migration-upgrade-review
• deployment pipelines → wp-ci-cd-and-release-engineering
• static analysis posture → wp-phpstan-review
• reproducible demos or bug repros → wp-playground-development
• cross-cutting security risk → wp-security-review
• cross-cutting performance risk → wp-performance-review

6) Prioritize the next actions

Output should separate:

• Immediate review priorities — where the next audit should start
• Secondary follow-ups — important, but not first
• Context notes — useful architecture observations that are not urgent problems

7) Keep severity context-aware

Use severity carefully in onboarding.

• CRITICAL: likely production risk, security/commerce/auth/migration hazard, or repo ambiguity that blocks safe work
• WARNING: important risk or missing clarity that should be reviewed soon
• INFO: structure notes, modernization opportunities, or low-risk follow-ups

This skill should not manufacture CRITICAL issues from normal architectural complexity alone.

File and Surface Checks

Repository Root / Architecture Layer

• CRITICAL: no obvious source-of-truth path for custom code in a complex repo
• WARNING: multiple duplicated plugin/theme copies with unclear active target
• WARNING: build artifacts committed without clear source folders or scripts
• INFO: could improve repo docs, local setup, or code ownership notes

Plugin Surfaces

• WARNING: custom plugins mixed with vendor code without clear boundaries
• WARNING: several custom plugins overlapping the same domain (routing, checkout, content model)
• INFO: route to wp-plugin-development for deeper architecture review

Theme Surfaces

• WARNING: theme contains plugin-like business logic, APIs, or migration code
• WARNING: classic/block theme boundary unclear
• INFO: route to wp-theme-development or wp-block-development

Commerce / Integration Surfaces

• CRITICAL: payment, webhook, or order logic present but untested or poorly isolated
• WARNING: WooCommerce customization depth suggests upgrade fragility
• INFO: route to wp-woocommerce-dev

Headless / API Surfaces

• CRITICAL: custom auth, preview, or cache invalidation paths without obvious documentation
• WARNING: mixed REST and GraphQL surfaces with unclear ownership
• INFO: route to wp-headless-and-wpgraphql or wp-rest-api-development

Operations / Delivery Surfaces

• WARNING: deploy/release scripts exist with no rollback or environment notes
• WARNING: WP-CLI automation touches multisite or production-like data without obvious safeguards
• INFO: route to wp-ci-cd-and-release-engineering or wp-wpcli-and-ops

Search Patterns for Quick Detection (ONBOARD-21)

Use these rg commands to classify the project quickly.

Stack Discovery

bashCopy code
rg -n "Plugin Name:|register_activation_hook|register_deactivation_hook|register_uninstall_hook" . -g '*.php'
rg -n "theme\.json|Template Name:|add_theme_support\(|register_nav_menus\(|after_setup_theme" . -g '*.{php,json,css}'
rg -n "block\.json|registerBlockType|@wordpress/|wp\.blocks|useBlockProps|InnerBlocks" . -g '*.{json,js,jsx,ts,tsx,php}'

Platform and Package Layout

bashCopy code
rg -n "roots/bedrock|config/application\.php|composer install|wp core download" . -g '*.{json,php,md,yml,yaml,sh}'
rg -n "multisite|is_multisite\(|switch_to_blog\(|restore_current_blog\(|WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE|SUNRISE" . -g '*.{php,md,yml,yaml}'
rg -n "woocommerce|WC_|Automattic\\WooCommerce|FeaturesUtil::declare_compatibility|action_scheduler" . -g '*.{php,js,md,yml,yaml}'

Content, API, and Headless Signals

bashCopy code
rg -n "acf-json|acf_add_local_field_group|register_post_type\(|register_taxonomy\(|meta_query|get_field\(|the_field\(" . -g '*.{php,json}'
rg -n "register_rest_route\(|WP_REST_Controller|permission_callback|rest_api_init" . -g '*.php'
rg -n "graphql|wpgraphql|revalidate|preview|previewData|headless|Next\.js|next build|ISR|webhook" . -g '*.{php,js,jsx,ts,tsx,md,yml,yaml}'

Migration and Builder Signals

bashCopy code
rg -n "elementor|divi|vc_|wpbakery|beaver builder|shortcode|\[[a-z0-9_-]+\]" . -g '*.{php,js,json,md,xml}'
rg -n "dbDelta\(|CREATE TABLE|ALTER TABLE|update_option\(\s*'[^']*version|schema" . -g '*.php'

Delivery and Quality Signals

bashCopy code
rg -n "phpunit|WP_UnitTestCase|playwright|cypress|codecept|phpstan|psalm|eslint|wpcs|phpcs" . -g '*.{php,xml,json,js,ts,md,yml,yaml}'
rg -n "workflow|deploy|release|rollback|artifact|svn|wordpress\.org|rsync|capistrano" . -g '*.{md,yml,yaml,sh,json}'

Reference Files

• references/stack-detection-and-signals.md - How to classify a WordPress codebase quickly and what each stack signal implies
• references/audit-checklist.md - A practical first-pass onboarding checklist for repos and codebases
• references/routing-and-followups.md - How to hand the repo off to the right specialist WordPress skill after onboarding
• references/sample-onboarding-output.md - Example report shape for a useful onboarding summary

Output Format (ONBOARD-23)

Use this output structure.

1. Project Shape

• repository or target path
• primary classification
• secondary classifications
• key stack signals detected

2. Architecture Snapshot

• major code surfaces
• custom components
• build/test/deploy surfaces
• unusual platform characteristics

3. Priority Findings

Group by severity:

• CRITICAL
• WARNING
• INFO

Each finding should include:

1. file or surface
2. short issue/risk summary
3. why it matters for onboarding or safe follow-up work
4. recommended next review skill or action

4. Recommended Review Sequence

List the next 2–5 reviews in order, for example:

1. wp-plugin-development for the custom commerce plugin
2. wp-woocommerce-dev for checkout and HPOS compatibility
3. wp-ci-cd-and-release-engineering for release and deployment flow

5. Residual Unknowns

Call out what could not be determined from the available files, such as:

• production plugin activation state
• whether committed build artifacts match source
• whether multisite/network mode is actually active
• whether undocumented external services exist

Final Reminder

This is an onboarding and routing skill. Be useful, concrete, and directional. Do not turn it into a full deep-dive review of every detected subsystem in one pass.