Does WordPress Need Python? What Every Developer Should Know

• by Ewan Thorne
• Apr 19, 2025
• 0 Comments

Does WordPress Need Python? What Every Developer Should Know

If you’ve been building websites with WordPress, you’ve probably heard the question: “Does WordPress need Python?” At first glance, it seems pointless—WordPress runs on PHP, plain and simple. All the themes and plugins? PHP under the hood. So, why even think about Python?

Here’s the deal. In standard WordPress setups, Python isn’t required at all. You can design, develop, and launch sites forever without touching a single line of Python code. But if you get into automating your workflow or pulling in some heavy-duty data analysis, suddenly Python starts looking pretty handy.

Python is a favorite for things like scraping data, crunching numbers, or batch processing images—stuff that can feel like a pain in pure PHP. So, if you’re juggling lots of repetitive tasks around your WordPress setup, Python scripts might save your sanity (and your time).

• WordPress DNA: Pure PHP Roots
• Where Python Shows Up in Web Development
• Crossing Paths: WordPress and Python Together
• Can You Build WordPress Plugins in Python?
• Python for Automation and Data Tasks
• Tips for Developers Mixing Tools

WordPress DNA: Pure PHP Roots

Let's get straight to the facts: WordPress is built from the ground up on PHP. Since its launch in 2003, every core file, every built-in feature, and every admin dashboard page comes down to PHP code. This is the language that handles everything—from pulling posts out of your database to managing plugins that add extra features.

Why PHP? Mostly because it was made for the web, it fits into nearly every common web hosting setup, and it gets the job done. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel just to get a WordPress site online. PHP runs the show right alongside MySQL (which handles your content and settings). If you open a WordPress theme or plugin file, you’ll see PHP tags everywhere. The loop that lists your posts? Pure PHP. Your contact forms, galleries, and custom post types? All of it is handled by PHP in the backend.

WordPress development also leans heavy into PHP for scalability. Every official plugin in the directory is expected to be written in PHP. The hooks and filters you use to change how WordPress works? Those are PHP functions, too. Even the REST API that helps you pull WordPress content to apps, plugins, or external sites still relies on PHP to send and receive the data.

Just to put things into perspective, here’s a quick look at the major tech in a typical WordPress install:

This makes it simple for developers—if you know PHP, you’re good to go with WordPress. Hosting providers are all set up for it out of the box, which keeps things affordable and hassle-free for most people. So, at its core, WordPress doesn’t just work with PHP—it wouldn’t exist as we know it without it.

Where Python Shows Up in Web Development

Python pops up all over the place in web development, even though it isn’t built into WordPress itself. Seriously, if you peek behind the curtain on some big websites, you’ll find Python running things like back-end scripts, automation tools, and data pipelines. It’s ranked as one of the most popular programming languages by Stack Overflow’s 2023 developer survey—sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with JavaScript and PHP.

Why does everyone use it? Simple: Python makes things easier. Frameworks like Django and Flask help developers quickly spin up web apps. You see Python powering things like:

• Automated testing (building bots to check every part of your site)
• Scraping content from around the web for research or SEO insights
• Feeding data into dashboards and custom reports with tools like Pandas
• Batch editing or renaming images before uploading to your site

For example, Instagram and Pinterest rely heavily on Python for their backend systems. NASA even uses it for web interfaces in their research workflows. As Armin Ronacher, creator of Flask, put it:

"The coolest thing about Python is how quickly you can go from idea to working product. It’s just fun to build things with."

While most WordPress work sticks to PHP, these kinds of Python-powered tools often run alongside the main website, sharing batch data or prepping content before it hits the WordPress dashboard.

Check out these numbers from the 2023 JetBrains Developer Ecosystem survey:

So, even if your main thing is WordPress, it’s pretty common in the dev world to have a set of Python tools somewhere in your workflow. That’s where the two worlds start to blend.

Crossing Paths: WordPress and Python Together

So, what happens when WordPress and Python end up in the same workflow? You won’t see Python code running inside WordPress themes or plugins because WordPress’s backend is 100% PHP—it simply can’t process Python out-of-the-box. But these two can play nicely alongside each other if you map out where each one shines.

The most common way to mix WordPress and Python is by having Python handle tasks on the side, then feed the results to WordPress. For example, if you have a Python script scraping data from other sites or transforming big CSV files, you can push those results into WordPress through its REST API. Python takes care of the muscle work, then hands things off for WordPress to display.

Here are a few scenarios where devs use both together:

• Data importing: Run a Python script to fetch or process info, then use the REST API to publish new posts, update custom fields, or bulk-edit WooCommerce products.
• Automation: Write a Python bot to handle time-consuming admin chores, like updating images en masse or scheduling posts from a spreadsheet.
• External integrations: Connect WordPress to outside tools, like syncing with a CRM or e-commerce dashboard using Python’s libraries and sending data via webhooks.

Here’s a quick fact: a 2023 survey by Stack Overflow listed Python as the world’s most popular scripting language, mainly because of its flexibility. So, plugging it into your WordPress workflow isn’t just possible—it’s sometimes the fastest way to handle awkward tasks that’d be clunky in PHP alone.

Just remember, WordPress itself won't execute Python on its own. You’ll need your scripts running separately—maybe on the same server, maybe on your laptop, or using a cloud service, then connecting through APIs or direct database access (if you’re careful not to mess things up).

Can You Build WordPress Plugins in Python?

Here’s the straight answer: you can’t really build native WordPress plugins in Python. WordPress has always been a PHP playground. The plugin system expects PHP classes and functions—there’s no out-of-the-box way to drop a .py file into your plugins folder and watch it work.

But that’s not the end of the story. There are creative workarounds if you’re stubborn (or curious). For example, you can use PHP as a wrapper that talks to your Python scripts. The PHP plugin can make system calls to a Python script or connect over HTTP to a local Python server. This lets you run Python code in the background and get the results back to your WordPress site. It’s all about bridging the gap. Here’s what this usually looks like:

• Your plugin (written in PHP) uses shell_exec() or exec() functions to run Python scripts.
• Or, your plugin acts as a client, sending requests to a local or remote Python API, grabs the response, and then serves it up inside WordPress.

However, there are some gotchas to watch for:

• Your hosting may not allow Python to run for security or performance reasons.
• It adds complexity—debugging and maintenance become trickier.
• You need solid error handling so your site doesn’t go down if the Python script fails.

No matter how you slice it, standard WordPress plugin development just isn’t set up for Python out-of-the-box. The WordPress ecosystem, from hooks to actions to filters, is all built around PHP. But if you just need to run a bit of outside logic—like crunching numbers, processing images, or calling an AI model—this PHP/Python bridge can actually be useful. Just know it’s not the typical route and you’re heading into “advanced user” territory.

If you’re starting out or just want things to work with minimal fuss, stick with PHP for plugins. But on those rare projects where you can’t beat Python’s power, now you know your options. The two worlds can work together—you just have to connect the dots.

Python for Automation and Data Tasks

If you've ever spent hours doing boring, repetitive work with your WordPress site—like exporting posts, resizing images, or plugging data from one place to another—this is where Python shows up and saves the day. It’s not about making WordPress itself run on Python (that’s still all PHP), but using Python as a sidekick for jobs PHP isn’t great at.

Let’s get specific. Say you’re managing a blog and you need to gather stats from Google Analytics every week, or crawl a bunch of competitor sites for inspiration. Writing those scripts in Python is way faster and less painful than piecing together clunky PHP scripts. With libraries like requests, pandas, or BeautifulSoup, you can pull, process, and even clean up big piles of data before importing it straight into your WordPress setup.

Python also handles bulk image editing, data scraping, and scheduled backups better than most tools. Tons of developers use Python to automate:

• Sending or updating content (for example, pushing product lists into WooCommerce via the REST API)
• Scraping posts, images, or comments for keyword monitoring
• Sorting, deduplicating, or fixing CSVs before mass-import to WordPress
• Batch resizing or watermarking images to upload back to the media library

According to JetBrains' 2023 Python Developer Survey, 43% of Python devs use the language for automation and scripting. It’s popular for a reason—it gets these tasks done with less code and headaches than most other options.

If numbers help, check out this simple breakdown of typical time saved by using Python scripts for WordPress tasks compared to doing things manually:

The best part? You don’t have to mess with core WordPress code. You run your Python scripts outside of WordPress, and use the REST API to connect when you actually need to send or pull info. It keeps your main site running smooth and safe from plugin clutter or slowdowns.

Tips for Developers Mixing Tools

Trying to get WordPress and Python to play nice can be really useful, especially when you want to tap into the best of both worlds. Here’s what you need to know if you’re planning to blend these two and not waste time chasing tech headaches.

First up: keep their jobs separated. Let WordPress handle the website and PHP plugins, while Python tackles tasks that PHP struggles with. For example—automating content imports, running data analysis, or interacting with outside APIs. Run Python scripts on your server, not inside the WordPress codebase. You’ll avoid a ton of problems this way.

• Use the REST API for communication. If your Python script needs to push content or updates to WordPress, have it call site endpoints. The WP REST API is solid for this.
• Keep your environments separate. Don’t try to bolt a Python process directly into your live WP site. Run your Python scripts as standalones, and have them talk with WordPress over APIs or through files.
• Task schedulers work wonders. Want to run something every night? Use cron jobs (on Linux) or Task Scheduler (on Windows) to trigger your Python scripts automatically. Pair these with WP’s built-in cron for coordinated routines.
• Log your results. Whether Python is importing users or generating media, keep logs so you can see what’s working, what failed, and spot issues fast.
• Watch out for permissions. Scripts that interact with WordPress (say uploading media) need proper API accounts or file write-access. Double-check this before setting things loose.

If you’re messing with data, here’s a quick look at what people automate most:

Finally, keep security in mind. Never expose sensitive WordPress credentials in your Python scripts. Use environment variables or secrets managers so you don’t accidentally leak access details if your code gets shared or uploaded somewhere.

Mixing tools isn’t about fancy integrations—it’s about making life easier, faster, and less error-prone. Use each tool for what it does best, and you’ll get more done with less hassle.