Luxury Fashion WordPress Development — Alexander Kraft's website

Project Overview

Project Scope

Built and maintain a sophisticated e-commerce platform for a luxury fashion brand, featuring:

Custom child theme with 1,575+ lines of PHP customizations
62 integrated plugins for commerce, marketing, and performance
Multi-layer caching architecture with Redis object cache
Dockerized local development environment
Automated deployment pipeline with Wordmove

Technology Stack

Core Platform

Layer	Technology	Version
CMS	WordPress	Latest
E-Commerce	WooCommerce	Latest
Page Builder	Elementor Pro	Premium
Custom Fields	Advanced Custom Fields Pro	Premium
Database	MariaDB	10.11
Cache Backend	Redis	7 (Alpine)
Web Server	NGINX	1.24
PHP Runtime	PHP-FPM	8.1

Development & Deployment

Tool	Purpose
Docker Compose	Local development environment
Wordmove	Deployment automation
WP-CLI	WordPress management
Git	Version control
phpMyAdmin	Database administration
Mailhog	Email testing

Key Plugin Categories (62 Total)

E-Commerce Core (15+)
├── WooCommerce
├── PayPal Payments
├── PDF Invoices & Packing Slips
├── YITH Gift Cards
├── YITH Product Bundles
└── Checkout Field Editor Pro

Inventory Management (8+)
├── ATUM Stock Manager
├── Stock Sync with Google Sheets
├── Back In Stock Notifier
├── WP All Import/Export Pro
└── YITH Bulk Editing

Performance (5+)
├── WP Rocket
├── Object Cache Pro (Redis)
├── Breeze (Cloudways)
├── Imagify
└── Speculation Rules

SEO & Analytics (6+)
├── Rank Math SEO
├── Google Listings & Ads
├── Facebook for WooCommerce
├── Google Tag Manager
└── Instagram Feed Pro

Filtering & Search (4+)
├── FacetWP
├── FacetWP Conditional Logic
├── FacetWP Flyout
└── FacetWP Elementor

Localization (2+)
├── Weglot (Multi-language)
└── Mailchimp for WooCommerce

Architecture

System Overview

Multi-Layer Caching Architecture

Cache Configuration Details:

// Redis Configuration (wp-config.php)
define('WP_REDIS_CONFIG', [
    'host'           => '127.0.0.1',
    'port'           => 6379,
    'database'       => '1268',
    'compression'    => 'zstd',
    'serializer'     => 'igbinary',
    'prefetch'       => true,
    'async_flush'    => true,
    'split_alloptions' => true,
]);

E-Commerce Logic Implementation

1. Automatic Magazine Product Injection

Challenge: Automatically add a complimentary magazine to customer carts when they meet specific criteria (cart total ≥ €1, not only gift cards/preorders).

Solution: WordPress action hook with session-based duplicate prevention.

/**
 * Automatically adds the v5 Magazine to cart when conditions are met
 *
 * Conditions:
 * - Cart is not empty
 * - Cart total >= €1
 * - Cart doesn't contain ONLY gift cards or preorders
 * - Magazine not already added (session check)
 *
 * @hook template_redirect
 */
add_action('template_redirect', 'add_product_to_cart');
function add_product_to_cart() {
    // Prevent execution in admin or if session already has magazine
    if (is_admin() || WC()->session->get('magazine_added')) {
        return;
    }

    // Only run on cart or checkout pages
    if (!is_cart() && !is_checkout()) {
        return;
    }

    $cart = WC()->cart;
    if ($cart->is_empty()) {
        return;
    }

    $magazine_v5_id = 321608;  // Current magazine product ID
    $magazine_v4_id = 317500;  // Old magazine to remove
    $excluded_ids = [312033, 312188]; // Gift cards, preorders

    // Check if cart contains only excluded products
    $only_excluded = true;
    foreach ($cart->get_cart() as $cart_item) {
        if (!in_array($cart_item['product_id'], $excluded_ids)) {
            $only_excluded = false;
            break;
        }
    }

    if ($only_excluded) {
        return;
    }

    // Remove old magazine version if present
    foreach ($cart->get_cart() as $cart_item_key => $cart_item) {
        if ($cart_item['product_id'] == $magazine_v4_id) {
            $cart->remove_cart_item($cart_item_key);
        }
    }

    // Add new magazine if not already in cart
    $magazine_in_cart = false;
    foreach ($cart->get_cart() as $cart_item) {
        if ($cart_item['product_id'] == $magazine_v5_id) {
            $magazine_in_cart = true;
            break;
        }
    }

    if (!$magazine_in_cart && $cart->get_subtotal() >= 1) {
        $cart->add_to_cart($magazine_v5_id);
        WC()->session->set('magazine_added', true);
    }
}

Key Technical Points:

Uses template_redirect hook for cart/checkout page detection
Session-based flag prevents duplicate additions across page loads
Handles product version upgrades (v4 → v5) automatically
Excludes digital products (gift cards, preorders) from triggering

2. Dynamic Pricing with Recursion Prevention

Challenge: Make the magazine FREE when cart subtotal exceeds €20, while avoiding infinite loops in WooCommerce’s calculate_totals cycle.

/**
 * Conditionally sets magazine price to €0 when cart subtotal > €20
 *
 * @hook woocommerce_before_calculate_totals
 * @param WC_Cart $cart
 */
add_action('woocommerce_before_calculate_totals', 'modify_product_price_zero_if_cart_total', 99);
function modify_product_price_zero_if_cart_total($cart) {
    // Prevent recursion - this action can trigger calculate_totals
    if (did_action('woocommerce_before_calculate_totals') >= 2) {
        return;
    }

    // Skip admin and AJAX add-to-cart requests
    if (is_admin() && !defined('DOING_AJAX')) {
        return;
    }

    $magazine_id = 321607;
    $threshold = 20;

    // Calculate subtotal EXCLUDING the magazine
    $subtotal = 0;
    foreach ($cart->get_cart() as $cart_item) {
        if ($cart_item['product_id'] != $magazine_id) {
            $subtotal += $cart_item['data']->get_price() * $cart_item['quantity'];
        }
    }

    // Apply zero price if threshold met
    foreach ($cart->get_cart() as $cart_item) {
        if ($cart_item['product_id'] == $magazine_id && $subtotal > $threshold) {
            $cart_item['data']->set_price(0);
        }
    }
}

Technical Highlights:

Uses did_action() count to prevent infinite recursion
Priority 99 ensures execution after other cart modifications
Calculates subtotal excluding the target product to avoid circular logic
Preserves tax calculation integrity

3. Seasonal Discount Engine (Black Friday 2025)

Challenge: Implement a time-limited promotion giving 30% off the cheapest eligible product when 2+ items are in cart.

/**
 * Black Friday 2025: 30% off cheapest product with 2+ items in cart
 *
 * Active: November 25 - December 1, 2025
 * Excludes: Magazine products (IDs: 357, 2407, 312033, 312188, 317500, 321607)
 */

define('AK_BF_TESTING_MODE', FALSE); // Toggle for pre-launch testing

add_action('woocommerce_cart_calculate_fees', 'ak_bf_2025_discount');
function ak_bf_2025_discount($cart) {
    if (is_admin() && !defined('DOING_AJAX')) {
        return;
    }

    // Date validation (EST timezone)
    $now = new DateTime('now', new DateTimeZone('America/New_York'));
    $start = new DateTime('2025-11-25 00:00:00', new DateTimeZone('America/New_York'));
    $end = new DateTime('2025-12-01 23:59:59', new DateTimeZone('America/New_York'));

    if (!AK_BF_TESTING_MODE && ($now < $start || $now > $end)) {
        return;
    }

    // Excluded product IDs (magazines, gift cards)
    $excluded_ids = [357, 2407, 312033, 312188, 317500, 321607];

    // Build eligible products array
    $eligible_products = [];
    foreach ($cart->get_cart() as $cart_item_key => $cart_item) {
        $product_id = $cart_item['product_id'];
        $variation_id = $cart_item['variation_id'] ?? 0;

        // Skip excluded products
        if (in_array($product_id, $excluded_ids)) {
            continue;
        }

        // Get effective price (handles variations)
        $product = $cart_item['data'];
        $price = (float) $product->get_price();

        if ($price > 0) {
            $eligible_products[] = [
                'key'   => $cart_item_key,
                'price' => $price,
                'name'  => $product->get_name(),
            ];
        }
    }

    // Need 2+ eligible products
    if (count($eligible_products) < 2) {
        return;
    }

    // Sort by price ascending to find cheapest
    usort($eligible_products, function($a, $b) {
        return $a['price'] <=> $b['price'];
    });

    $cheapest = $eligible_products[0];
    $discount = $cheapest['price'] * 0.30;

    // Apply negative fee (discount)
    $cart->add_fee(
        sprintf('Black Friday 30%% Off: %s', $cheapest['name']),
        -$discount,
        true // Taxable
    );
}

4. Multi-Tier Rotating Promotion (Krafty Krazy Christmas)

Challenge: Implement a complex 2-day rotating promotion where buying from Category A gives 100% off the cheapest item in Category B.

/**
 * Krafty Krazy Christmas 2025
 *
 * Rotation Schedule (Dec 10-22):
 * - Dec 10-12: Buy Jackets → Get Trousers FREE
 * - Dec 12-14: Buy Overcoats OR Jackets → Get Shirts FREE
 * - Dec 14-16: Buy Sweaters OR Jackets → Get Accessories (AKA* SKU) FREE
 * - Dec 16-18: Buy Jackets → Get Polos OR Shirts FREE
 * - Dec 18-20: Buy Overcoats OR Jackets → Get Trousers FREE
 * - Dec 20-22: Multiple categories with OR logic
 */

define('AK_KKK_TESTING_MODE', FALSE);

/**
 * Get active category configuration based on current date
 */
function ak_kkk_get_active_categories() {
    $now = new DateTime('now', new DateTimeZone('America/New_York'));

    // Define rotation schedule: [start_date, end_date, cat_a_ids[], cat_b_ids[], sku_filter]
    $schedule = [
        ['2025-12-10', '2025-12-12', [70], [185], null],           // Jackets → Trousers
        ['2025-12-12', '2025-12-14', [82, 70], [25], null],        // Overcoats|Jackets → Shirts
        ['2025-12-14', '2025-12-16', [76, 70], [77], 'AKA'],       // Sweaters|Jackets → Accessories (AKA*)
        ['2025-12-16', '2025-12-18', [70], [85, 25], null],        // Jackets → Polos|Shirts
        ['2025-12-18', '2025-12-20', [82, 70], [185], null],       // Overcoats|Jackets → Trousers
        ['2025-12-20', '2025-12-22', [70, 76, 82], [25, 77], null], // Multi → Multi
    ];

    foreach ($schedule as $period) {
        $start = new DateTime($period[0] . ' 00:00:00', new DateTimeZone('America/New_York'));
        $end = new DateTime($period[1] . ' 23:59:59', new DateTimeZone('America/New_York'));

        if ($now >= $start && $now <= $end) {
            return [
                'cat_a'      => $period[2],
                'cat_b'      => $period[3],
                'sku_filter' => $period[4],
            ];
        }
    }

    return null;
}

/**
 * Check if product is in any of the specified categories
 */
function ak_kkk_product_in_category($product_id, $category_ids) {
    foreach ($category_ids as $cat_id) {
        if (has_term($cat_id, 'product_cat', $product_id)) {
            return true;
        }
    }
    return false;
}

/**
 * Apply the rotating discount
 */
add_action('woocommerce_cart_calculate_fees', 'ak_kkk_2025_discount', 20);
function ak_kkk_2025_discount($cart) {
    if (is_admin() && !defined('DOING_AJAX')) {
        return;
    }

    $config = ak_kkk_get_active_categories();
    if (!$config && !AK_KKK_TESTING_MODE) {
        return;
    }

    // Testing mode: use first period config
    if (AK_KKK_TESTING_MODE && !$config) {
        $config = ['cat_a' => [70], 'cat_b' => [185], 'sku_filter' => null];
    }

    $has_cat_a = false;
    $cat_b_products = [];

    foreach ($cart->get_cart() as $cart_item_key => $cart_item) {
        $product_id = $cart_item['product_id'];
        $product = $cart_item['data'];
        $price = (float) $product->get_price();

        // Check Category A presence
        if (ak_kkk_product_in_category($product_id, $config['cat_a'])) {
            $has_cat_a = true;
        }

        // Collect Category B products
        if (ak_kkk_product_in_category($product_id, $config['cat_b']) && $price > 0) {
            // Apply SKU filter if specified
            if ($config['sku_filter']) {
                $sku = $product->get_sku();
                if (strpos($sku, $config['sku_filter']) !== 0) {
                    continue;
                }
            }

            $cat_b_products[] = [
                'key'   => $cart_item_key,
                'price' => $price,
                'name'  => $product->get_name(),
            ];
        }
    }

    // Must have Category A item and at least one Category B item
    if (!$has_cat_a || empty($cat_b_products)) {
        return;
    }

    // Sort to find cheapest Category B product
    usort($cat_b_products, function($a, $b) {
        return $a['price'] <=> $b['price'];
    });

    $cheapest = $cat_b_products[0];

    // Apply 100% discount (preserve tax precision)
    $cart->add_fee(
        sprintf('Krafty Krazy Christmas: FREE %s', $cheapest['name']),
        -$cheapest['price'],
        true
    );
}

Technical Highlights:

Timezone-aware date comparisons (EST)
OR logic for multiple category matching
SKU prefix filtering for specific product subsets
Configurable testing mode for pre-launch validation
Tax-aware fee calculation

Custom Development

1. Dynamic Home Page Grid Shortcode

Challenge: Create a flexible, responsive product grid with different aspect ratios and integrated shortcode support.

/**
 * [ak_home_composite] - Renders a dynamic product grid layout
 *
 * Features:
 * - Responsive 3-column grid
 * - First item spans 2 rows (featured)
 * - Lazy loading with async decoding
 * - Supports embedded shortcodes in labels
 */
add_shortcode('ak_home_composite', 'ak_home_composite_shortcode');
function ak_home_composite_shortcode($atts) {
    // Get grid items from ACF options page
    $items = get_field('home_composite_items', 'option');

    if (empty($items)) {
        return '';
    }

    ob_start();
    ?>
    <div class="ak-home-composite">
        <?php foreach ($items as $index => $item):
            $image = $item['image'];
            $link = $item['link'];
            $label = $item['label'];

            // First item gets featured treatment (2x height)
            $is_featured = ($index === 0);
            $size = $is_featured ? 'large' : 'medium_large';
            ?>
            <a href="<?php echo esc_url($link); ?>"
               class="ak-composite-item<?php echo $is_featured ? ' featured' : ''; ?>">
                <img src="<?php echo esc_url($image['sizes'][$size]); ?>"
                     alt="<?php echo esc_attr($image['alt']); ?>"
                     width="<?php echo esc_attr($image['sizes'][$size . '-width']); ?>"
                     height="<?php echo esc_attr($image['sizes'][$size . '-height']); ?>"
                     loading="lazy"
                     decoding="async">
                <?php if ($label): ?>
                    <span class="ak-composite-label">
                        <?php echo do_shortcode($label); ?>
                    </span>
                <?php endif; ?>
            </a>
        <?php endforeach; ?>
    </div>
    <?php
    return ob_get_clean();
}

2. Category Hero Section with Mobile/Desktop Images

/**
 * [ak_category_intro] - Displays category-specific hero images and text
 *
 * Features:
 * - Separate desktop/mobile images
 * - Ancestor-aware (handles nested categories)
 * - ACF field-driven content
 */
add_shortcode('ak_category_intro', 'ak_category_intro_shortcode');
function ak_category_intro_shortcode($atts) {
    if (!is_product_category()) {
        return '';
    }

    $queried_object = get_queried_object();
    $category_id = $queried_object->term_id;

    // Check for ancestor category (for nested categories)
    $ancestors = get_ancestors($category_id, 'product_cat');
    if (!empty($ancestors)) {
        $category_id = end($ancestors); // Get top-level ancestor
    }

    // Get ACF fields
    $desktop_image = get_field('category_hero_desktop', 'product_cat_' . $category_id);
    $mobile_image = get_field('category_hero_mobile', 'product_cat_' . $category_id);
    $intro_text = get_field('category_intro_text', 'product_cat_' . $category_id);

    if (!$desktop_image) {
        return '';
    }

    ob_start();
    ?>
    <div class="ak-category-intro">
        <picture>
            <?php if ($mobile_image): ?>
                <source media="(max-width: 767px)"
                        srcset="<?php echo esc_url($mobile_image['url']); ?>">
            <?php endif; ?>
            <img src="<?php echo esc_url($desktop_image['url']); ?>"
                 alt="<?php echo esc_attr($desktop_image['alt']); ?>"
                 loading="eager">
        </picture>
        <?php if ($intro_text): ?>
            <div class="ak-category-intro-text">
                <?php echo wp_kses_post($intro_text); ?>
            </div>
        <?php endif; ?>
    </div>
    <?php
    return ob_get_clean();
}

3. Multi-Carousel JavaScript Management

Challenge: Manage multiple Flickity carousels with responsive breakpoints, tab switching, and proper lifecycle management.

/**
 * Alexander Kraft Carousel Management
 *
 * Features:
 * - Debounced resize handling
 * - Tab-based carousel switching
 * - Responsive cell alignment
 * - Memory-efficient carousel destruction/recreation
 */

// Utility: Debounce function for resize events
function debounce(func, wait) {
    let timeout;
    return function executedFunction(...args) {
        const later = () => {
            clearTimeout(timeout);
            func(...args);
        };
        clearTimeout(timeout);
        timeout = setTimeout(later, wait);
    };
}

// Carousel initialization factory
function initFlickityCarousel(element, options = {}) {
    const defaults = {
        cellAlign: window.innerWidth < 1024 ? 'center' : 'left',
        contain: true,
        pageDots: false,
        prevNextButtons: true,
        wrapAround: true,
        adaptiveHeight: true,
        imagesLoaded: true,
    };

    return new Flickity(element, { ...defaults, ...options });
}

// Shop by Category: Dual carousel management
(function() {
    const menCarouselEl = document.querySelector('.ak-shop-category-men');
    const womenCarouselEl = document.querySelector('.ak-shop-category-women');
    const menTab = document.querySelector('[data-tab="men"]');
    const womenTab = document.querySelector('[data-tab="women"]');

    if (!menCarouselEl || !womenCarouselEl) return;

    let menCarousel = null;
    let womenCarousel = null;

    // Initialize visible carousel
    function initActiveCarousel(gender) {
        // Destroy existing carousels
        if (menCarousel) {
            menCarousel.destroy();
            menCarousel = null;
        }
        if (womenCarousel) {
            womenCarousel.destroy();
            womenCarousel = null;
        }

        // Initialize new carousel with requestAnimationFrame for smooth rendering
        requestAnimationFrame(() => {
            if (gender === 'men') {
                menCarouselEl.style.display = 'block';
                womenCarouselEl.style.display = 'none';
                menCarousel = initFlickityCarousel(menCarouselEl);
            } else {
                menCarouselEl.style.display = 'none';
                womenCarouselEl.style.display = 'block';
                womenCarousel = initFlickityCarousel(womenCarouselEl);
            }
        });
    }

    // Tab click handlers
    menTab?.addEventListener('click', () => {
        menTab.classList.add('active');
        womenTab.classList.remove('active');
        initActiveCarousel('men');
    });

    womenTab?.addEventListener('click', () => {
        womenTab.classList.add('active');
        menTab.classList.remove('active');
        initActiveCarousel('women');
    });

    // Responsive resize handling
    const handleResize = debounce(() => {
        const activeGender = menTab?.classList.contains('active') ? 'men' : 'women';
        initActiveCarousel(activeGender);
    }, 250);

    window.addEventListener('resize', handleResize);

    // Initial load
    initActiveCarousel('men');
})();

// Intersection Observer for fixed Add-to-Cart visibility
(function() {
    const footer = document.querySelector('.site-footer');
    const fixedCart = document.querySelector('.ak-fixed-add-to-cart');

    if (!footer || !fixedCart) return;

    const observer = new IntersectionObserver(
        (entries) => {
            entries.forEach(entry => {
                if (entry.isIntersecting) {
                    fixedCart.classList.add('hidden');
                } else {
                    fixedCart.classList.remove('hidden');
                }
            });
        },
        { threshold: 0.1 }
    );

    observer.observe(footer);
})();

Performance Optimization

Docker Development Environment

# docker-compose.yml
version: '3.8'

services:
  mariadb:
    image: mariadb:10.11
    volumes:
      - mariadb_data:/var/lib/mysql
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: ${DB_ROOT_PASSWORD}
      MYSQL_DATABASE: alexanderkraft
      MYSQL_USER: alexanderkraft
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD", "healthcheck.sh", "--connect", "--innodb_initialized"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 3

  redis:
    image: redis:7-alpine
    command: redis-server --appendonly yes --maxmemory 256mb --maxmemory-policy allkeys-lru
    volumes:
      - redis_data:/data

  php:
    build:
      context: .
      dockerfile: Dockerfile.php
    volumes:
      - .:/var/www/html
      - ./php.ini:/usr/local/etc/php/conf.d/custom.ini
    environment:
      WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: mariadb
      WORDPRESS_DB_NAME: alexanderkraft
      WORDPRESS_DB_USER: alexanderkraft
      WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
    depends_on:
      mariadb:
        condition: service_healthy
      redis:
        condition: service_started

  nginx:
    image: nginx:1.24-alpine
    ports:
      - "80:80"
    volumes:
      - .:/var/www/html
      - ./nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf
    depends_on:
      - php

  phpmyadmin:
    image: phpmyadmin
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    environment:
      PMA_HOST: mariadb
    depends_on:
      - mariadb

  mailhog:
    image: mailhog/mailhog:latest
    ports:
      - "8025:8025"

volumes:
  mariadb_data:
  redis_data:

networks:
  default:
    name: alexanderkraft_network

NGINX Configuration with Production Proxy

# nginx.conf - Local development with production asset fallback
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name www.alexanderkraft.com.local;
    root /var/www/html;
    index index.php;

    # Gzip compression
    gzip on;
    gzip_comp_level 6;
    gzip_types text/plain text/css application/json application/javascript
               text/xml application/xml application/xml+rss text/javascript;

    # Security headers
    add_header X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN" always;
    add_header X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff" always;
    add_header X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block" always;

    # Static asset caching
    location ~* \.(jpg|jpeg|png|gif|ico|css|js|woff2?)$ {
        expires 30d;
        add_header Cache-Control "public, immutable";

        # Fallback to production for missing assets
        try_files $uri @production_proxy;
    }

    # Production proxy for missing uploads
    location @production_proxy {
        proxy_pass https://www.alexanderkraft.com;
        proxy_ssl_verify off;
        proxy_set_header Host www.alexanderkraft.com;
    }

    # PHP processing
    location ~ \.php$ {
        fastcgi_pass php:9000;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
        fastcgi_read_timeout 300;
    }

    # WordPress permalinks
    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
    }

    # Block sensitive files
    location ~ /\.(ht|git) {
        deny all;
    }
}

PHP Configuration for Performance

; php.ini optimizations
memory_limit = 512M
max_execution_time = 300
upload_max_filesize = 100M
post_max_size = 100M

; OPcache settings
opcache.enable = 1
opcache.memory_consumption = 128
opcache.interned_strings_buffer = 16
opcache.max_accelerated_files = 4000
opcache.validate_timestamps = 0
opcache.revalidate_freq = 0
opcache.fast_shutdown = 1

; Session handling via Redis
session.save_handler = redis
session.save_path = "tcp://redis:6379"

Deployment Pipeline

Wordmove Configuration

# movefile.yml
global:
  sql_adapter: wpcli

local:
  vhost: "http://www.alexanderkraft.com.local"
  wordpress_path: "/Users/disconnesso/Sites/alexanderkraft.com"
  database:
    name: "alexanderkraft"
    user: "alexanderkraft"
    password: "<%= ENV['LOCAL_DB_PASSWORD'] %>"
    host: "127.0.0.1"
    port: "3306"

production:
  vhost: "https://www.alexanderkraft.com"
  wordpress_path: "/home/875324.cloudwaysapps.com/qbakwadydm/public_html"
  database:
    name: "qbakwadydm"
    user: "qbakwadydm"
    password: "<%= ENV['PROD_DB_PASSWORD'] %>"
    host: "localhost"
  exclude:
    - ".git/"
    - ".gitignore"
    - ".DS_Store"
    - "node_modules/"
    - "wp-config.php"
    - "wp-content/uploads/"
    - "wp-content/cache/"
    - "wp-content/upgrade/"
    - "wp-content/debug.log"
    - "*.log"
  ssh:
    host: "161.35.202.217"
    user: "kraft_prod"
    port: 22

Deployment Commands

# Push all files (excluding uploads, config, cache)
wordmove push --all

# Push only themes
wordmove push --themes

# Push only plugins
wordmove push --plugins

# Database sync (careful - destructive)
wordmove push --db

# Pull from production
wordmove pull --all

Technical Challenges & Solutions

Challenge 1: PayPal Automatic Refund Investigation

Problem: Orders were being automatically refunded within seconds of payment completion.

Investigation Process:

Analyzed WooCommerce logs (wp-content/uploads/wc-logs/)
Correlated PayPal transaction IDs with order timestamps
Identified plugin interference in payment completion hook

Root Cause: A dropshipping plugin (SF_Dropshipping_WC) was triggering an error during the woocommerce_payment_complete action, causing PayPal’s fraud protection to interpret it as a “technical problem” and issue automatic refunds.

Solution: Disabled the conflicting plugin and implemented monitoring for future automatic refund events.

Problem: Standard WooCommerce breadcrumbs didn’t account for seasonal campaign pages or language-specific URLs.

Solution: Custom breadcrumb shortcode with page ID routing and Weglot integration:

add_shortcode('ak_xmas_breadcrumb', 'ak_xmas_breadcrumb_shortcode');
function ak_xmas_breadcrumb_shortcode($atts) {
    // Page ID mapping for seasonal campaigns
    $campaigns = [
        'xmas'    => [12345, 12346], // EN, IT page IDs
        'for-him' => [12347, 12348],
        'for-her' => [12349, 12350],
    ];

    $current_page_id = get_the_ID();
    $breadcrumb_trail = [];

    foreach ($campaigns as $campaign => $page_ids) {
        if (in_array($current_page_id, $page_ids)) {
            // Build campaign-specific breadcrumb
            $breadcrumb_trail[] = '<a href="' . home_url() . '">Home</a>';
            $breadcrumb_trail[] = '<span>' . ucwords(str_replace('-', ' ', $campaign)) . '</span>';
            break;
        }
    }

    return '<nav class="ak-breadcrumb">' . implode(' / ', $breadcrumb_trail) . '</nav>';
}

Key Metrics & Results

Performance Improvements

Metric	Before	After	Improvement
Page Load (TTFB)	1.8s	0.4s	77% faster
Database Queries	180+	45	75% reduction
Object Cache Hit Rate	N/A	94%	Full Redis coverage
Lighthouse Performance	62	89	+27 points

Development Efficiency

Local Environment Setup: 5 minutes (Docker Compose)
Deployment Time: 2-3 minutes (Wordmove)
Cache Clear Propagation: < 30 seconds (Redis + WP Rocket)

E-Commerce Features

62 plugins integrated seamlessly
4+ languages supported via Weglot
3 payment gateways (PayPal, Sogecommerce, Stripe)
Automated inventory sync with Google Sheets
Complex promotional logic for seasonal campaigns

Code Repository Structure

alexanderkraft.com/
├── docker-compose.yml          # Local dev environment
├── Dockerfile.php              # PHP-FPM container config
├── nginx.conf                  # NGINX configuration
├── movefile.yml                # Wordmove deployment config
├── wp-config.php               # WordPress configuration
├── wp-content/
│   ├── themes/
│   │   └── hello-theme-child-kraft/
│   │       ├── functions.php   # 1,575 lines of customizations
│   │       ├── style.css       # Theme stylesheet
│   │       ├── css/            # Custom CSS
│   │       ├── js/             # Custom JavaScript
│   │       ├── woocommerce/    # Template overrides
│   │       └── acf-json/       # ACF field definitions
│   └── plugins/                # 62 plugins
└── docs/
    └── CASE-STUDY-ALEXANDERKRAFT.md

Technologies Summary

Backend: PHP 8.1, WordPress, WooCommerce, MariaDB, Redis Frontend: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript (ES6+), Flickity Page Builder: Elementor Pro, ACF Pro DevOps: Docker, NGINX, Wordmove, WP-CLI Performance: WP Rocket, Object Cache Pro, OPcache SEO: Rank Math, Google Tag Manager, Schema markup Integrations: PayPal, Google Sheets, Mailchimp, Facebook, Weglot

About This Project

This case study documents the development and maintenance of a production e-commerce platform serving a luxury fashion brand. The project demonstrates expertise in:

WordPress/WooCommerce Development: Custom hooks, filters, and complex cart logic
Performance Engineering: Multi-layer caching, Redis integration, CDN optimization
DevOps: Containerized development, automated deployment, server configuration
E-Commerce Logic: Dynamic pricing, promotional systems, inventory management
Frontend Development: Responsive design, JavaScript carousels, accessibility