About Rapls Works
About the Author
Hi, I’m rapls, a freelance web developer with over 6 years of experience.
My work centers on WordPress plugin development, with expertise in PHP, JavaScript, CSS, and server optimization on Xserver. In my day-to-day work, I also use AI coding tools like Claude Code and Cursor.
Tech Stack: PHP / JavaScript / WordPress / MySQL / HTML & CSS / Git / Xserver / Claude Code / Cursor
Why I Started This Blog
It started when I published my first plugin on WordPress.org.
There was almost no Japanese documentation on the plugin review process. I pieced together what I could from English docs and forum threads, stumbling through SVN commands, Stable tag behavior, and asset placement rules. Each mistake cost me hours, and every one of them turned out to be the kind of problem that takes seconds to fix once you know the answer.
Around the same time, Xserver’s WAF started blocking my code-heavy articles, and a Complianz-Cocoon conflict broke the mobile menu. None of these had answers on Stack Overflow or the WordPress forums, so I had to debug and fix them myself.
“If I document what I struggled with, I can save someone else hours of frustration.” That thought became Rapls Works.
About This Site
Rapls Works is a WordPress-focused technical blog built around first-hand, practical information for real-world engineering. I publish what I learn in the field as I go.
Rather than re-sharing existing documentation, I write about the problem-solving behind the challenges I actually run into. These are the problems where “just Google it” doesn’t give you the answer, the ones I had to debug, test, and solve myself.
Key areas of focus:
- Plugin Development — Full development lifecycle for the official WordPress.org directory, from plugin review submission to SVN deployment and PTE translation management.
- Theme Customization — Cocoon theme customization, performance tuning, and design adjustments.
- Server & Troubleshooting — Xserver WAF false positives, WP-Cron delays, REST API restrictions, and other pitfalls specific to shared hosting, all based on firsthand experience.
Plugins
I develop and maintain the following plugins on the official WordPress.org directory. Each one came out of a real need I ran into in my own development work.
Rapls Passkey NEW
A plugin that replaces the WordPress password login with passkeys (WebAuthn / FIDO2). Sign in with Touch ID, Windows Hello, Face ID, or a security key — no password to type. It brings passwordless, phishing-resistant login to WordPress.
Key features:
- Passwordless passkey sign-in — same-device (Touch ID / Windows Hello / Face ID) and the browser’s native cross-device flow (scan with your phone)
- Passwords keep working alongside passkeys — nothing is taken away
- Shortcodes and Gutenberg blocks —
[rapls_passkey_login]/[rapls_passkey_register] - Rename, suspend and resume passkeys, plus a site-wide passkey list for admins (Users → Passkeys)
- Works with 2FA plugins (Wordfence Login Security, Two-Factor) — a passkey counts as the second factor
The free version is fully functional with no artificial limits. The Pro add-on adds cross-device QR login, role-based passkey enforcement, recovery codes, email magic links, and passwordless sign-up.
Rapls AI Chatbot
An AI chatbot plugin for WordPress supporting OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, and OpenRouter (100+ models). It learns from your site content and knowledge base to answer visitor questions with context.
Key features:
- Site Learning (RAG) — Auto-indexes posts, pages, custom post types, and WooCommerce products
- Web Search — AI searches the web when the knowledge base lacks an answer
- Vector Embedding — Hybrid search combining keyword matching (40%) and vector similarity (60%)
- MCP Server — Integrates with external AI agents like Claude Desktop, Cursor, and VS Code
- Gutenberg Block — Place the chatbot directly from the block editor
The free version is fully functional with no artificial limits. The Pro add-on adds analytics, lead capture, conversation scenarios, WooCommerce integration, and LINE messaging.
Prime Cache
A caching plugin for WordPress. Alongside page caching, it handles unused CSS removal, critical CSS generation, JavaScript deferral, WebP image conversion, and speculative loading from a single settings screen.
It is built to run on shared hosting, and I tune it against real measurements on my own Xserver sites. Free and Pro versions are available.
Rapls PDF Image Creator
Automatically converts PDF covers into images on upload. It handles CMYK-to-sRGB conversion via ImageMagick, so even print-ready PDFs (PDF/X format) get correct thumbnails. I built this after a client project that needed thumbnails created by hand for hundreds of PDFs.
Rapls Sitemap
Adds a reader-facing HTML sitemap through the [rapls_sitemap] shortcode or a dedicated block. It recognizes the markup used by PS Auto Sitemap and WP Sitemap Page, both now closed, so you can switch over without rewriting your existing page. XML sitemaps are left alone: WordPress core’s wp-sitemap.xml keeps working as it is.
Thanks Mail for Stripe
Sends thank-you emails automatically after a Stripe payment completes, with real-time delivery through Webhook integration. I wrote it when I needed a simple way to automate post-purchase emails for my own plugin sales.
WordPress.org Contributions
- Developer and maintainer of 6 official plugins: Rapls Passkey, Rapls AI Chatbot, Prime Cache, Rapls PDF Image Creator, Rapls Sitemap, and Thanks Mail for Stripe
- Project Translation Editor (PTE) for the Japanese WordPress community, managing Japanese translations for my own plugins
- Published Japanese-language guides covering the whole plugin submission pipeline, from review preparation to SVN deployment, to help close the documentation gap for Japanese WordPress developers
Editorial Policy
A few things I hold myself to, so the content stays reliable:
- Experience-First — I only publish code and procedures I’ve tested and verified myself. No “this should probably work” articles.
- Human-Centric — I use AI tools while developing, but the structure, technical judgments, and verification are mine. AI-generated text never goes up as-is.
- Continuous Updates — I revisit and update published articles as WordPress versions and server setups change.
- Editorial Independence — What I write reflects my honest read as a developer, regardless of any advertising relationship.
Categories
This blog focuses on WordPress. Topics include plugin development, Cocoon theme customization, server optimization on Xserver, and troubleshooting for WordPress development.
Contact
For questions, collaboration inquiries, or corrections, please reach out via the contact form.
Social & External Links
I post development notes and article updates on social media. Each account gets its own writing rather than the same text cross-posted. Most of it is in Japanese.
- X (Twitter) @RaplsWorks — Short WordPress and JavaScript notes, several a day
- Bluesky @raplsworks.bsky.social — The same topics from a different angle, at more length
- fedibird @raplsworks — Rewritten for the fediverse
- WordPress.org Profile — Published plugins and translation activity
- GitHub — Open source repositories and sample code
- Buy Me a Coffee — Support the development of this blog