You’ve poured hours into building your WordPress plugin. It works on your machine, and the core features are polished. But a nagging question remains: Is it truly ready for the wild? Are there hidden security vulnerabilities, performance bottlenecks, or subtle WordPress standards violations waiting to cause a support nightmare or, worse, a security breach?Manual code reviews are time-consuming and require deep, specialized knowledge. What if you could get a comprehensive, automated audit from a senior WordPress developer in seconds?This meticulously engineered AI prompt does exactly that. It transforms any advanced Large Language Model into a dedicated WordPress code review specialist, systematically analyzing your plugin for critical issues before you deploy.In this post, we’ll explore how this prompt works, why it’s a game-changer for developers, and how it can save you from costly mistakes.## How This Code Review Prompt WorksThis prompt isn’t a simple question; it’s a detailed audit protocol. It instructs the AI to perform a multi-layered inspection of your codebase, mirroring the checklist of a professional security auditor and performance engineer.When you provide your plugin code, the AI executes a rigorous, five-pillar analysis:1. Security Penetration Testing: The AI first hunts for critical vulnerabilities. It scans for unescaped SQL queries, missing nonce verification on forms and AJAX calls, improperly sanitized input, and inadequate user capability checks. It’s your first line of defense against SQL injection, XSS, and CSRF attacks.2. WordPress Standards Compliance Check: Next, it evaluates how well your plugin plays with the WordPress ecosystem. It verifies the proper use of hooks (add_action, add_filter), correct implementation of the $wpdb class for database operations, and appropriate use of the Options and Transients APIs.3. Performance Profiling: Here, the AI identifies what’s slowing your plugin down. It flags N+1 database query problems, suggests caching opportunities with transients, checks for inefficient asset loading, and pinpoints memory-intensive operations that could cripple a site under load.4. Code Quality & Architecture Assessment: This phase focuses on maintainability and best practices. The AI reviews your code for PSR standards, proper error handling, PHPDoc documentation, and adherence to the Single Responsibility Principle. It ensures your code is not just functional, but clean and professional.5. Core Integration Review: Finally, it checks the “plumbing.” It validates your plugin headers, ensures activation and deactivation hooks are correctly set up for database table management, and confirms that the uninstall process cleans up thoroughly, leaving no trace.## Key Benefits and FeaturesIntegrating this prompt into your development workflow offers transformative advantages:· Prevent Costful Security Breaches: Catch SQL injection and XSS vulnerabilities before they become a real-world problem, protecting your users and your reputation.· Boost Plugin Performance: Identify hidden bottlenecks that slow down WordPress sites. A faster plugin leads to better user experiences and higher ratings in the repository.· Ensure WordPress.org Readiness: If you plan to submit to the official repository, this review aligns with the standards required, smoothing the approval process.· Enforce Code Quality & Maintainability: Stop technical debt before it starts. The prompt encourages best practices that make your code easier to debug, extend, and hand off to other developers.· Save Dozens of Review Hours: Automate the initial, tedious parts of a code review. This frees up your mental energy for complex architectural decisions and feature development.## Practical Use Cases for DevelopersLet’s make this concrete. How would different developers use this prompt?Scenario 1: The Freelance Developer Launching a Client’s PluginA developer builds a custom booking plugin for a client. Before handover, they run the code through this prompt. The AI flags a critical issue: an AJAX handler lacking a nonce check and a capability check, creating a privilege escalation vulnerability. The developer fixes it in minutes, preventing a potentially disastrous security flaw.Scenario 2: The Agency Team Enforcing StandardsAn agency uses this prompt in their CI/CD pipeline. When a junior developer submits a pull request, the AI review catches the use of a deprecated function (mysql_* instead of $wpdb) and highlights several database queries running inside a loop. The senior dev can now provide targeted, actionable feedback, elevating the entire team’s skills.Scenario 3: The Product Developer Optimizing for ScaleThe developer of a popular analytics plugin is preparing a major update. They use the prompt on the new codebase. The analysis reveals a missing index on a custom table and suggests implementing a transient cache for a frequently called API function. These changes reduce database load by 60% for their high-traffic users.## Who Should Use This Prompt?This tool is meticulously designed for anyone writing code for WordPress:· Freelance WordPress Developers: Ensure the code you deliver to clients is secure, performant, and professional, building trust and justifying your rates.· Plugin Shop & Agency Teams: Standardize your code review process, onboard new developers faster, and maintain a high-quality codebase across all projects.· Theme and Plugin Authors: Submit higher-quality code to the WordPress repository, reduce support requests, and build a stronger reputation in the community.· WordPress Students & Learners: Use it as a learning tool to understand common mistakes and internalize WordPress coding best practices by seeing concrete feedback on your code.## Best Practices for the Best ResultsTo get the most valuable audit from this prompt, follow these expert tips:· Provide the Full Context: Don’t just paste code snippets. Include the main plugin file, key class files, and any files handling database operations, admin forms, or AJAX endpoints. The more context the AI has, the more accurate its analysis.· Specify Your Environment: Use the “Additional Context” section to define your minimum PHP and WordPress versions. This prevents false flags for functions that are available in your target environment.· Review, Don’t Just Accept: The AI provides incredibly insightful recommendations, but you are the architect. Use its findings as a prioritized checklist. Understand the “why” behind each suggestion.· Iterate: After making the recommended changes, run the prompt again. This is an excellent way to validate your fixes and catch any new issues you might have introduced.## FAQWhat code format should I provide?Paste your raw PHP code directly into the prompt.Ensure you include the most critical files: the main plugin bootstrap file, any classes, and files containing form handlers, database queries, or AJAX callbacks.Does this prompt work with all AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.)?Yes,the prompt is engineered to be model-agnostic. It produces the best results with advanced, code-savvy models like GPT-4, Claude 3 Opus, or similar, which have a stronger understanding of context and code semantics.Can it replace a human code review?It’s a powerful augmentation tool,not a full replacement. It excels at catching common patterns, security anti-patterns, and standard violations. A senior human developer is still essential for reviewing complex architecture, business logic, and nuanced design decisions.What are the limitations?The AI’s analysis is limited to the code you provide.It cannot run or execute your plugin, so it may not catch runtime-specific issues. Its knowledge is also based on its training data, so it may not be aware of ultra-recent vulnerabilities or hyper-niche coding patterns.How do I handle false positives?The AI can sometimes be overly cautious.If you’re confident a flagged issue is not a problem (e.g., you’re using a sanitization function it didn’t recognize), use your judgment. The prompt provides a starting point for investigation, not an absolute verdict.## Conclusion
In the world of WordPress development, code quality is not a luxury—it’s the foundation of security, performance, and user trust. Shipping a plugin without a rigorous review is a significant risk.This comprehensive WordPress Plugin Code Review prompt is your automated senior developer on call. It empowers you to find and fix critical issues before they impact your users, ensuring the code you ship is robust, secure, and built to last.Ready to audit your plugin with the precision of a senior developer? [**Copy the prompt here**] and run your code through it today. Transform your anxiety about deployment into absolute confidence.
# WordPress Plugin Code Review & Optimization Prompt
## Instructions for Code Analysis
Please analyze my WordPress plugin code for errors, security vulnerabilities, performance issues, and best practices compliance. Provide specific recommendations for improvements.
## Code to Review
[Paste your plugin code here - include main plugin file, classes, functions, and any relevant snippets]
## Specific Areas to Check
### 1. Security Review
- **SQL Injection**: Check for unescaped database queries, missing `$wpdb->prepare()`
- **XSS Prevention**: Verify proper output escaping with `esc_html()`, `esc_attr()`, `esc_url()`
- **CSRF Protection**: Confirm nonce verification for forms and AJAX requests
- **Input Sanitization**: Check `sanitize_text_field()`, `sanitize_email()`, etc.
- **Capability Checks**: Verify `current_user_can()` for admin functions
- **File Security**: Check for direct access prevention, proper file permissions
### 2. WordPress Standards Compliance
- **Hooks & Filters**: Proper use of `add_action()`, `add_filter()`, hook priorities
- **Database Operations**: Use of `$wpdb` class, proper table prefixes, prepared statements
- **Options API**: Correct use of `get_option()`, `update_option()`, `delete_option()`
- **Transients**: Proper caching implementation where applicable
- **Enqueue Scripts/Styles**: Correct use of `wp_enqueue_script()`, `wp_enqueue_style()`
### 3. Performance Optimization
- **Database Queries**: Identify N+1 problems, unnecessary queries, missing indexes
- **Caching**: Check for proper use of object cache, transients, or fragment caching
- **Asset Loading**: Conditional loading, minification, script dependencies
- **Memory Usage**: Large array handling, infinite loops, resource-intensive operations
- **HTTP Requests**: External API calls, timeout handling, error management
### 4. Code Quality & Structure
- **PHP Standards**: PSR compliance, proper class structure, namespacing
- **Error Handling**: Try-catch blocks, wp_die(), proper error messages
- **Code Documentation**: PHPDoc comments, inline documentation
- **Function Organization**: Single responsibility principle, DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself)
- **Variable Naming**: Descriptive names, consistent conventions
### 5. WordPress Integration
- **Plugin Headers**: Proper plugin information, version handling
- **Activation/Deactivation**: Proper hooks, database table creation/cleanup
- **Uninstall**: Clean removal of options, database tables, uploaded files
- **Multisite Compatibility**: Network activation handling if applicable
- **Theme Compatibility**: Proper template hierarchy usage
## Specific Questions to Address
1. **Are there any critical security vulnerabilities?**
2. **What performance bottlenecks exist?**
3. **Are WordPress coding standards being followed?**
4. **Is error handling robust and user-friendly?**
5. **Are database operations optimized?**
6. **Is the plugin properly integrated with WordPress core?**
7. **Are there any deprecated functions or methods being used?**
8. **Is the code maintainable and well-documented?**
## Desired Output Format
Please provide:
1. **Critical Issues** (must fix immediately)
2. **Performance Improvements** (specific optimizations)
3. **Security Enhancements** (vulnerability fixes)
4. **Code Quality Improvements** (best practices)
5. **WordPress Integration Issues** (compatibility problems)
6. **Refactored Code Examples** (show improved versions of problematic sections)
## Additional Context
- **WordPress Version**: [Specify minimum supported version]
- **PHP Version**: [Specify minimum supported version]
- **Plugin Purpose**: [Brief description of what your plugin does]
- **Target Audience**: [Frontend users, admin users, developers, etc.]
- **Performance Requirements**: [Any specific performance goals]
## Testing Scenarios
Please also suggest:
- Unit test cases for critical functions
- Integration tests for WordPress hooks
- Load testing scenarios if applicable
- Edge cases to consider
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*Note: Include any specific error messages, performance metrics, or problematic behaviors you've observed with the current code.*