Blog

Technical notes
from everyday work

Practical guides on WordPress, performance, security and maintenance: the problems I meet on projects and how I solve them.

Featured · Maintenance

How to create a WordPress admin user from phpMyAdmin (safely and reusably)

Lost access or a broken migration? How to create a WordPress administrator directly from phpMyAdmin, with a quick query and a reusable SQL script.

Read the article

24 Jul 2025

44 articles

17 Jul 2025Performance

How to avoid conflicts between cache plugins and CDNs: a practical guide

Using a cache plugin together with a CDN can create two caches that are out of sync. Here is how to configure them so they work together.

Read →
14 Jul 2025Performance

WordPress cache plugins and managed hosting: when they are pointless (and when they are not)

Do you need a cache plugin on managed hosting such as Kinsta, SiteGround or WP Engine? When it causes conflicts, and when it still helps.

Read →
10 Jul 2025Maintenance

I can’t access the WordPress dashboard: what to do

Locked out of the WordPress dashboard? The most common causes (500 errors, redirect loops, passwords, plugins, hosting) and how to fix them safely.

Read →
7 Jul 2025Performance

Site caching and object caching: what they are and why you really need them on WordPress

Page cache and object cache in WordPress: what they do, when you need them, and the difference between static pages, Redis, Memcached and hosting cache.

Read →
1 Jul 2025Maintenance

Why does my WordPress site only show the homepage while every other page returns a 404?

The homepage works but every other page returns a 404? Check permalinks, .htaccess, mod_rewrite, plugins and hosting configuration.

Read →
27 Jun 2025Maintenance

WordPress and cron jobs: what they are, what they do and how to manage them better

What WP-Cron is, why it can delay scheduled tasks such as backups and emails, and when to replace it with a more reliable system cron.

Read →
24 Jun 2025Performance

WordPress database optimisation: what to do without taking risks

Revisions, expired transients, autoloaded options and orphaned tables: what you can safely clean up in the WordPress database, and what to leave alone.

Read →
20 Jun 2025Performance

Is your WordPress site really slow? How to tell

PageSpeed Insights, real-user data, Lighthouse and Core Web Vitals: how to tell whether WordPress is really slow and find the bottleneck.

Read →
18 Jun 2025Maintenance

WordPress plugin crash: how to restore your site

A plugin crashed WordPress? How to use Recovery Mode, SFTP, logs and backups to restore the site and find the cause.

Read →
17 Jun 2025Maintenance

Monthly checklist to keep your WordPress site secure and fast

A monthly WordPress checklist: updates, backups, speed, security, forms and indexing to check to keep your site healthy.

Read →
13 Jun 2025Strategy and projects

How to write an “About” page that actually helps you sell

How to build an effective About page: what to tell, which proof to include, and how to use projects, testimonials and a call to action without turning it into…

Read →
12 Jun 2025Security

Why leaving an old WordPress installation on your server is a security risk

Forgotten copies in /old or /backup keep outdated WordPress, plugins and themes online. Why they put your live site at risk and how to find and remove them.

Read →