This repository contains WordPress Playground Blueprints, Blueprint Bundles, example code and supporting materials used in the hands‑on workshop "Getting Started with WordPress Playground."

The workshop shows how WordPress can run entirely in the browser using Playground, and how Blueprints enable you to build repeatable, shareable WordPress environments for demos, testing, onboarding, documentation and learning.

Open WordPress Playground:

https://playground.wordpress.net/

This instantly launches a fully working WordPress environment in your browser—no hosting, database or local setup required.

All workshop demos are powered by Blueprints—JSON files that describe how WordPress should be configured before it loads. The demos below are numbered in the order used in the workshop to illustrate increasing levels of control and automation.

The simplest Blueprint. It sets a landing page but otherwise leaves WordPress untouched. Use it to demonstrate how Playground launches instantly.

Features: Landing page configuration

Demonstrates setting specific PHP and WordPress versions via the Blueprint. Useful for reproducible testing across different environments.

Features: PHP version selection, WordPress version selection

Automatically installs and activates the Query Monitor plugin. Shows how a single link can set up a plugin demo without manual steps.

Features: Plugin installation, plugin activation

Installs WooCommerce, activates it and uses an inline runPHP step to create a demo product. Demonstrates using PHP inside Blueprints for custom automation.

Features: Plugin installation, PHP execution, dynamic content creation

Combines multiple capabilities: site option updates, plugin installation and activation, WP‑CLI commands, and PHP execution. Automatically logs in the user. Use this to showcase how complex setups can be encoded in a single file.

Features: Site options, plugins, WP‑CLI, runPHP, automatic login

Blueprint Bundles extend Blueprints with additional assets (themes, plugins, media, content). They are distributed as ZIP files containing a blueprint.json and supporting assets.

A complete demo environment for gaming-themed WordPress sites with pre-configured content, themes, and plugins.

Contents:

• blueprint.json - Main blueprint configuration
• content.xml - WXR export with posts and media
• spiel.zip - Theme/plugin files

Use case: Rapid setup of gaming community sites with demo content

wordpress-playground-workshop/
├── README.md                 # This file
├── demos/                    # Individual Blueprint files
│   ├── 01-basic.json
│   ├── 02-versions.json
│   ├── 03-plugin-demo.json
│   ├── 04-wc-inline-php-product.json
│   └── 05-kitchen-sink.json
├── bundles/                  # Blueprint Bundles with assets
│   ├── blueprint-bundle-gaming/
│   │   ├── blueprint.json
│   │   ├── content.xml
│   │   └── spiel.zip
│   └── blueprint-bundle-gaming.zip
├── exercises/                # Hands‑on practice tasks
│   ├── 01-modify-site-options.md
│   ├── 02-add-a-plugin.md
│   ├── 03-add-wpcli-step.md
│   └── 04-make-your-own-demo-link.md
├── scripts/                  # Auxiliary PHP scripts for complex demos
│   └── create-demo-product.php
└── reference/                # Mini handbook and cheat‑sheets
    ├── url-parameters.md
    ├── blueprint-core-steps.md
    └── patterns.md

A Blueprint is a JSON configuration file that tells Playground how to set up WordPress automatically. It can:

• Install and activate plugins or themes
• Update site options (title, tagline, permalinks)
• Run WP‑CLI commands
• Execute custom PHP code inside WordPress
• Write files or import content
• Control which page is shown after setup

In simple terms:

Blueprint = WordPress Setup Recipe

Instead of long instructions, you can share a single URL and everyone gets the same environment.

A Blueprint Bundle extends the Blueprint concept by packaging additional assets alongside the blueprint configuration. It includes:

• blueprint.json - The core Blueprint configuration
• Theme/Plugin files - Pre-built themes and plugins (often in ZIP format)
• Content exports - WXR files with posts, pages, media, and metadata
• Media assets - Images, videos, and other media files

Blueprint Bundles are useful for:

• Plugin/Theme Demos - Test multiple extensions together with realistic content
• Learning Environments - Provide complete, pre-configured WordPress sites for workshops
• Portfolio Projects - Share client work with all assets and content included
• Quick Starts - Enable instant WordPress environments for specific use cases

Combine parameters to control the environment. For example:

https://playground.wordpress.net/?php=8.2&wp=6.5&url=/wp-admin/&blueprint-url=RAW_URL

For the full list of Blueprint steps and advanced features, see the official docs:

• Blueprint Steps Reference: https://wordpress.github.io/wordpress-playground/blueprints/steps/
• Blueprint Overview: https://wordpress.github.io/wordpress-playground/blueprints/
• WordPress Playground Project: https://wordpress.github.io/wordpress-playground/

• Plugin and theme demos
• Testing and debugging
• Bug reproduction
• Contributor onboarding
• Workshops and training
• Documentation examples
• Learning and experimentation

• Playground is not intended for production websites
• Data is temporary unless persisted
• Some PHP extensions and server features are not available

Workshop designed and delivered by Anand Upadhyay
WordCamp Kolhapur 2026

This repository is licensed under the MIT License. You are free to use, modify, and distribute these examples.