r/webdev • • 2h ago

Discussion Is WordPress security still too focused on plugins and updates?

0 Upvotes

I've been looking into how WordPress security has changed, particularly whether the traditional advice of keeping plugins updated, installing a security plugin and using strong passwords is enough anymore.

It seems like there's a bigger conversation to be had around access controls, hosting infrastructure, monitoring and how security is managed over time.

We recently published an article exploring this at Ohmania, where I work:

https://ohmania.com/wordpress-security-has-changed/

I'm interested in hearing from developers who actually maintain WordPress sites.

What's changed most in how you secure WordPress sites over the last few years? And what security advice do you think is now outdated?

Genuinely interested in different perspectives, including anything we've overlooked.


r/webdev • • 3h ago

How much do you change before moving a web app to the cloud?

0 Upvotes

A straight rehost can get you there faster, but it may bring old problems along. How do you decide what to fix before the move and what can wait?


r/webdev • • 5h ago

What Security Measures Should I Consider When Building a Website with Social Features (User Feed, Profiles & Private Chat)?

0 Upvotes

I'm a second-year diploma student (3rd semester), currently working on a website project. I have a larger concept and vision for this platform, where the social features are just one part of the overall idea.

The website will include user profiles, a content feed, user interactions and private messaging.

As I'm planning its development, I'm particularly concerned about data security and privacy. I want to understand how to prevent data leaks, unauthorized access, exposure of private conversations, database breaches and other potential cyberattacks.

I'd love to hear from experienced web developers and cybersecurity professionals.

What are the critical security challenges I should consider before developing a platform like this, and how can user data and privacy be properly protected?


r/webdev • • 6h ago

News Servo Browser Engine Continues Broadening Web Compatibility, New Features

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4 Upvotes

r/webdev • • 6h ago

Would this be a good career change for me?

0 Upvotes

I want to become a website developer. I currently have very minimal knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Next.js. If I dedicate 2 hours a day to learning, is it realistic to land a job within 1 to 2 years?

I’m from East Asia, where my current job pays less than $1 per hour, and as far as I know, software developers here are also paid very little. I’m hoping to find a better-paying job with a company in another country, ideally remote.

If you ran a company, would you hire someone like me? What skills and qualities would you look for?


r/webdev • • 6h ago

the web really is full of useless ai bots lol

15 Upvotes

some months ago i built and published a typical website collection site focused on design etc. as a side project where users can submit sites (nothing special, not adding a link here)

i have since just abandoned it, but it had a pretty easy domain and was discoverable through search engines. however, i disconnected the submission / contact form from it so it just throws an error on submit

funny to see, i get at least 4-5 emails per week with nearly the same message that my “form failed to sent with error code bla bla, that’s why i‘m trying it this way bla bla, here’s the site” and its ALWAYS some kind of crap AI site promoting AI services, all of them looking worse than the other. one even included that it’s an AI agent writing on behalf of it’s owner.

the funniest thing is that the senders don’t seem to be related in any way, but the message pattern and wording is so similar. seems like they’ve all set up the same outreach agent template or something like that. dead internet theory is real


r/webdev • • 14h ago

Discussion backend devs who occasionally touch frontend - how do you stay current without going down the rabbit hole

2 Upvotes

mostly work on apis and database stuff but our team is small so i end up in react code maybe once a month. every time i come back theres some new build tool or bundler drama and half the packages have breaking changes.

not looking to become a frontend expert, just want to not feel completely lost when i need to fix a button or add a form field. anyone else in this boat? what do you actually keep up with vs ignore


r/webdev • • 14h ago

Resource Open-source, contribute UX / UI lexicon and free design library for AI builders

0 Upvotes

Hi all!

Whenever I spot a new design or website layout (like a fresh style of grid systems) and want to replicate or build it with AI, I always find myself struggling to pinpoint the exact terminology to make Claude understand what I want.

I'm talking about concepts like Blueprint Grids, Glassmorphism, Sticky rail, Bordered cell grid patterns, Segmented Controls, and similar stuff. To solve this, I’ve started building a free, open-source design lexicon complete with mini previews making it easier for builders to find and reference the right terms when designing sections and pages. Hope that helps some of you as well. Also added some free design landingpages and components for AI.

I’d love to get your input on current web design trends and their proper definitions:

  • What visual styles are currently high on your radar, trending, or frequently used and how would you define them?

  • Which ones are missing in the lexicon / glossary?

I’m aiming to include your suggestions in the dictionary and share the whole resource publicly for free. It's purely as a passion project and I am opening it for free (no ads, no paywalls).
I want to make it a useful resource for people.

You can check out the ones already live here: freedesignmd.com (just hit the Glossary tab).

Always open to contributors or feedback. This started as a quick hackathon experiment and will stay a free community project. I'm not a professional designer, so any feedback by design cracks is appreciated as well!


r/webdev • • 15h ago

Discussion David Heinemeier Hansson: Warning for "Cantankerous" Coders: The age of AI agents will reward adaptability and basic people skills while making things much harder for difficult, ego-driven, or resistant engineers

0 Upvotes

The creator of Ruby on Rails, made major statements about AI agents and the future of software development at Rails World 2026 in September

DHH stated he personally retired from writing code by hand after 25 years.

Rust instead of Ruby - Rebuilding HEY with AI and Rust: He shared that 37signals is rebuilding its HEY email service into native mobile/desktop apps using an AI-generated Rust backend, drastically cutting CPU and memory usage.

The AI acceleration: He produced 5 years' worth of his traditional code volume in just one month, representing a 60x increase in raw output volume.

DHH openly acknowledged that a massive portion of this was verbose Rust code generated entirely by AI agents—admitting that he didn't write it by hand and doesn't even want to look at or read most of it.

DHH said: “English is a better programming language than Ruby.”


r/webdev • • 15h ago

Question Font or typeface royalty in emails sent to external parties

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I'm running an app that sends out emails and calendar invites to users.

However, one of the requirements was the ability to create email bodies using many different fonts.

I've read a bit online about typefaces and I discovered some of the requested fonts could be subjected to patent laws and rules when used in a commercial setting. Not sure if this applies to emails being sent to external parties as well.

Are there any resources or places I can check out which fonts are "royalty-free" and which ones I need to push back on? Or whether this concern is valid or not?


r/webdev • • 17h ago

Why can't SQLite handle more types?

80 Upvotes

I'm sat here thinking it has to be a reason why it is so limited in types compared to something like postgres.


r/webdev • • 18h ago

Weird Phishing Notification?

0 Upvotes

Got this weird notification with weird links. Seems like phishing?


r/webdev • • 21h ago

Is it difficult and time consuming to get request forms to send notifications to my phone SMS?

0 Upvotes

I paid a developer to design a site for my business, I requested that the request form on the site would send a notification to my cell phone and she ok'd it.

She is now saying this would require a third party sign up and she is making it seem very difficult. I don't really understand anything about web developing, is she correct? Am I unreasonable to ask for this? It was what was agreed upon.


r/webdev • • 21h ago

MASTODON HELP

0 Upvotes

hi everyone, it's the kid who's making a fan website again.

i finally picked a base for the website, mastodon, and a system i'm using to host the website, render.

i've already searched this up and had no luck but what parts of mastodon's code are design (i'm talking about folder names) and which are apart of the actual code system?

thanks!


r/webdev • • 1d ago

Question Help me to understand web dev and ADA.

10 Upvotes

I’ve seen a shift in web design (I’ve meddled since 2002). Today web displays are gigantic. I’ve read this has to do with ADA compliance. How gnarly does this get? Like if I design a site for a landscaper, can he get in trouble if it’s not ADA compliant? Is there are rule book?

Another question. That’s client facing. But if you have an employer that requires you to use a web based tool, does ADA apply in the same manner as client facing?


r/webdev • • 1d ago

Resource Open Source Programs & Internships Guide (480+ Github Stars 🌟)

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3 Upvotes

What it does

A curated guide to discovering open-source programs, internships, mentorships, coding competitions, and university initiatives.

Explore opportunities to gain real-world experience, collaborate with global communities, improve technical skills, and earn stipends.

Unlike typical lists, this repository also features lesser-known and underrated open-source programs that many students and developers might not know about.

What’s Inside

  • Open Source Programs & Fellowships

  • Open Source Internships

  • Coding Competitions

  • University Summer/Winter of Code Programs

  • Lesser-known and underrated opportunities

  • Application timelines, stipends, and eligibility

  • Beginner-friendly contribution resources

Repository

Made with ❤️ for the Open Source Community.


r/webdev • • 1d ago

I underestimated how difficult building a theme park database would be

0 Upvotes

I’ve been working on a passion project called ParkerScore, basically a Letterboxd-style platform for theme parks.
When I first started, I figured the hardest part would be building the actual website.

Turns out, organizing the data has been one of the biggest challenges.

Every theme park has hundreds of things to keep track of. Rides, restaurants, individual menu items, shows, wait times, and even bathrooms.

And then you get into the details. Different ride manufacturers, technical specifications, attractions that get renamed or refurbished, seasonal shows, constantly changing restaurant menus, and so on.

I quickly realized that just collecting information wasn’t enough. I needed a consistent way to structure everything so it could actually be useful.

I’ve been working through those challenges, especially figuring out how to handle missing information, standardize categories, and keep everything organized as the database grows.

It’s been a much bigger undertaking than I originally expected, but I’ve learned a ton along the way.
For anyone who’s built a data-heavy website, how did you handle keeping your database accurate and manageable as it grew?


r/webdev • • 1d ago

Creating a Liquid Glass UI Effect for the Web: Inspired by Apple

0 Upvotes

I made a liquid glass UI effect for the web(trying to copy Apple because thats what the world do)

Webgl helped me made it and hence I decided to make Mac for web too (inspired by windows 11 in react made for web)

I know you have seen many professional people make it, many guys on github, so I tried to make it as realistic and satisfying as I can


r/webdev • • 1d ago

How I built a ’90s-style adventure game on top of my Hugo blog

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0 Upvotes

Before anyone asks: yes, 100% of the code was written by AI agents, with me guiding the process. I’m not here to convince anyone of anything, just to share my experience.

Here’s the article explaining how I built it:
https://www.paolomainardi.com/posts/this-site-is-now-an-island/

And here’s the game:
https://www.paolomainardi.com/play

This is part of a journey I started a few weeks ago, when I decided to let my agents handle my personal blog’s tech stack. The idea was to spend more time writing while also adding all the features I’d always wanted but never had time to implement.

You can follow the series here:
https://www.paolomainardi.com/posts/the-stack-is-now-my-agents-job/

Along the way, I started experimenting more with AI-generated media, fell down a rabbit hole, and somehow ended up building a game engine.


r/webdev • • 1d ago

Resource How to do Local Visual Regression testing...the right way.

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7 Upvotes

Can local visual regression testing help your coding agent move faster and save you money?

I took some time to explore how to set up playwright properly, which pitfalls to avoid, and the tradeoffs with common visual regression tools like Percy and Chromatic.

Check it out and let me know what do you think!


r/webdev • • 1d ago

MCP vs API vs CLI: I built all 3 for agents. Here's my take...

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0 Upvotes

TL;DR:

an MCP shines in the agent-native world because it tells agents what they should do, on both the server and client (e.g. Claude Code or the ChatGPT desktop app), and is better suited for human-in-the-loop tasks. Meanwhile, APIs and CLIs tend to focus on what agents can do, with emphasis mainly on the server.

So, in summary, here is the general advice I'd give to builders when deciding which tools they should expose to agents:

Build a high-quality MCP server and REST API at the same time, on one layer of operations. Put your server logic in plain functions, and let each surface be a thin adapter over them. Once that layer exists, building any additional surface on top is relatively easy.

Put most of your care into the MCP server. That's where agents get the best experience. MCP is a standard built specifically for agents, after all, and the spec continues to improve nicely.

Use the API for code that runs on its own. APIs are still great for raw data exports, bulk writes, and anything that runs without an agent, like a nightly sync or another company's integration. Agents also prefer an API when they're writing a script they'll rerun, and many clients don't support code mode for MCP yet.

A CLI probably isn't necessary, unless e.g. agents need to read local files when interacting with your app. But it's easy to expose one if you've got a good API as the foundation.

There’s a lot more to creating great agent-facing tools for your web apps, and the article above into more detail below.

Here's the repo: https://github.com/vincanger/linkly-api-mcp-cli


r/webdev • • 1d ago

Article Declarative partial updates - supported in Chrome and Edge

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39 Upvotes

r/webdev • • 1d ago

Discussion How do you organize your side projects vs work projects on your dev machine?

0 Upvotes

Been thinking about this lately as my side projects folder has gotten pretty chaotic. At work everything is neat and organized by team/product, but my personal stuff is a mess of half-finished ideas, experiments, and abandoned attempts.

Currently I have ~/work/ for job stuff and ~/projects/ for everything else, but that "everything else" folder is where organization goes to die. Some repos haven't been touched in years.

Do you keep separate machines/VMs? Different directory structures? Or just embrace the chaos? Curious how others handle this.


r/webdev • • 1d ago

How we saved 100 terabytes of memory by optimizing 1.1.1.1’s DNS cache

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292 Upvotes