Systems that outgrow plugins
ProblemOff-the-shelf plugins hit a wall and start fighting the business logic.
I buildPurpose-built OOP PHP plugins and clean custom post-type architecture.
A system that fits the workflow — no lock-in, no bloat.Available for full-time remote roles, partnerships & select projects
Senior WordPress/PHP Engineer for Custom Plugins, APIs, Performance & Security
I build and fix WordPress systems that solve real business problems - custom plugins, WooCommerce, booking workflows, API integrations, performance, security, and technical SEO.
Since 2017
Top Rated on Upwork
100% Job Success
150+ Projects
WordPress.org Plugin Author
Founder, 99BinaryLab
What I'm hired to fix
The problems that need an engineer, not a page editor
Slow WooCommerce & WordPress
ProblemPages crawl, Core Web Vitals fail, conversions and rankings suffer.
I buildDiagnosis-first performance work: queries, caching, CDN, WebP, critical CSS.
PageSpeed 42 → 91; load time 8s → 1.2s on real sites.API, booking & workflow complexity
ProblemData lives in silos; bookings, providers and tools don't talk to each other.
I buildREST integrations, webhooks with retries, and booking/workflow systems.
Reliable automation that removes manual, error-prone steps.Security, malware & SEO gaps
ProblemA hacked site, injected spam, or a site invisible to search and AI.
I buildEvidence-first cleanup, hardening, schema and technical SEO/AEO.
A clean, hardened, search-ready site — with honest disclaimers.Proof
Measured results, not adjectives.
100+ hrs → 2 hrsManual data entry cut with a custom import system
42 → 91PageSpeed on a live WooCommerce store
8s → 1.2sLoad time on a 50K+ DAU site
60–80%Image size reduction via my WebP Optimizer plugin
150+Production projects delivered since 2017
Selected engineering work
Case studies with a measurable before and after
A mix of deep custom builds and performance work - each with the problem, the approach, and the number that changed.
Featured case studyRead the full case study →
WooCommerce Performance Optimization
Problem A live WooCommerce store was slow, hurting conversions and search performance.
Solution A performance pass at the code and infrastructure level, not just a cache plugin.
Result PageSpeed moved from 42 to 91 on the live store, with a direct impact on experience and conversion.
PageSpeed 42 → 91measured result
High-Traffic Site Optimization
Problem A site with 50K+ daily active users was loading in around 8…
Solution Diagnose the actual database and server-level bottlenecks before changing anything.
Result Load time dropped from 8s to 1.2s, improving retention and conversion metrics.
Case study →WebP Optimizer WordPress Plugin
Problem Large images were hurting LCP and page weight across client sites.
Solution A published WordPress.org plugin that converts images to WebP locally — no…
Result 60–80% image size reduction with measurable LCP improvement.
Case study →Multilingual Event Platform Rebuild
Problem An event platform needed a custom architecture and a multilingual data pipeline…
Solution A bespoke CPT architecture with a multilingual data pipeline and a custom…
Result A maintainable, data-driven platform covering 3,000+ events across four languages.
Case study →Headless WordPress Architecture Planning
Problem A content-heavy site needed the speed and flexibility of a custom frontend…
Solution A headless architecture plan: WordPress as the backend CMS, a Next.js frontend,…
Result A documented architecture and rendering strategy that keeps editors on WordPress while…
Case study →Live references
Real, working sites you can open right now
Grouped by the kind of problem they solve. Some completed through Upwork, others through direct contracts.
Travel / Booking / Tourism
Business / Lead Generation
eCommerce / Shopify / Woo
International / Multilingual
Services
Engineering services, built around business outcomes
From a single custom plugin to a full performance, security or headless engagement.
AI Integration for WordPress
Connect WordPress to AI APIs the practical way: content workflows, smart search, chat assistants and automation — with humans in control.
- OpenAI/Claude API integration in WordPress
- AI-assisted content and admin workflows
- Guardrails: review steps, logging, cost caps
AI-Ready WordPress Audits with 99BinaryLab / SiteProof AI
A structured audit of performance, security, SEO/AEO and AI-readiness, delivered through 99BinaryLab and SiteProof AI.
- Performance and Core Web Vitals review
- Security and hardening review
- Technical SEO and schema review
API Integration, Webhooks & Automation
REST integrations, webhooks with retries, and automation that connects WordPress to the tools you already use.
- REST integrations (in and out)
- Webhooks with retries + signatures
- Sync to CRM / Sheets / Make / Zapier
Booking, Travel & Workflow Systems
Booking, enquiry-to-booking and internal workflow systems with real data, admin tooling and validation.
- Enquiry-to-booking workflow
- Structured provider/partner data
- Admin tooling and validation
Core Web Vitals & Performance Optimization
Real performance work at the code and infrastructure level — diagnosis first, not just a cache plugin.
- Bottleneck diagnosis (Query Monitor)
- CDN, caching and WebP setup
- Before/after Core Web Vitals report
Custom WordPress Plugin Development
Purpose-built OOP PHP plugins that do exactly what your business needs — no bloated stacks, no lock-in.
- Purpose-built OOP PHP plugin
- Clean custom post type architecture
- Documentation and handover
Headless WordPress & Next.js Frontends
WordPress as a headless CMS with a Next.js / Nuxt frontend — WPGraphQL/REST, SSG/SSR/ISR and on-demand revalidation.
- Structured content model (custom post types + fields)
- WPGraphQL or REST content layer
- Next.js / Nuxt frontend (SSG / SSR / ISR)
Technical SEO / AEO / Schema
Schema, sitemaps, clean markup and AI-search readiness so your site is understood by search engines and AI.
- Schema and structured data
- Sitemaps, robots and llms.txt
- Clean, crawlable markup
WooCommerce & Shopify Development
Custom checkout logic, payment gateways, and conversion-focused store builds on WooCommerce and Shopify.
- Custom checkout and payment logic
- Conversion-focused store build
- Speed and Core Web Vitals pass
Complex systems
Built for complex WordPress/PHP systems - not just brochure sites.
Some projects need booking logic, custom data, admin workflows, integrations, notifications, and performance that holds up under real users. This is the stack I design end to end.
See the capability- 01Data modelStructured CPTs, relationships and validation.
- 02Business logicThe rules the business actually runs on.
- 03Admin workflowTools your team can use without a developer.
- 04API & webhooksREST integrations with retries and signatures.
- 05NotificationsArchitected for WhatsApp / Twilio / Telegram when needed.
- 06ReportingVisibility into what happened and when.
- 07PerformanceCore Web Vitals that survive real traffic.
- 08SEO / AEOSchema, sitemaps and AI-search readiness.
Defensive security
WordPress security, malware cleanup & hardening - evidence first.
A repeatable process: backups before deletion, verification before cleanup, hardening before sign-off.
- 01
Isolate
Maintenance mode; contain it.
- 02
Snapshot
Back up files + database first.
- 03
Verify core
Checksum WordPress core.
- 04
Scan
Plugins, themes, uploads.
- 05
Inspect DB
Spam, options, users.
- 06
Confirm
Real malware vs false positives.
- 07
Clean
Remove injected records safely.
- 08
Harden
WAF, 2FA, disable file editing.
- 09
Monitor
Watch logs after sign-off.
Defensive cleanup only. No offensive work. No false guarantees — security reduces risk but cannot promise a site is never attacked again.
Capability
Headless WordPress & Next.js Frontends
For projects that need WordPress as the CMS and a fast, custom frontend. Presented as a capability - this site itself runs on a classic theme + plugin so it stays easy to edit.
How headless works- Structured contentCustom post types and ACF-style fields as a clean model.
- WPGraphQL / RESTA dependable content layer for the frontend.
- SSG / SSR / ISRThe right rendering per route, with on-demand revalidation.
- SEO & schema preservedMetadata, structured data and redirects carried across.
- Vercel / Netlify deployModern hosting with previews and rollbacks.
Founder of 99BinaryLab
Building SiteProof AI
99BinaryLab is my technical WordPress studio for audits, fixes, automation and long-term site health. SiteProof AI is my active audit engine for performance, security, SEO/AEO, AI-readiness and lead capture.
Process
How I work
1
Review
Read the code and the real workflow first.
2
Diagnose
Find the true bottleneck or risk.
3
Prioritize
Fix what moves the business.
4
Build
Small, testable changes in phases.
5
Test
Staging, edge cases, rollback plans.
6
Document
So it's maintainable in six months.
7
Support
Monitoring and monthly support if wanted.
What clients say
Real reviews from real projects
Star ratings are not enough to describe the work Saddam did. He created his own data import system. We went from 100+ hours to just 2 hours. Exceptional developer.
Excellent freelancer. I have been working with him for years; he is reliable and an excellent person. I highly recommend him.
Saddam did an outstanding job transforming our website with exact precision across multiple languages.
Let's talk
Need a WordPress/PHP engineer who understands the system, not just the page?
Send the website URL, the problem, your timeline and budget range. I'll review it personally and reply within 24 hours with the next best step.