1. Debugging WordPress Issues in Real-Time

Whenever something breaks on a WordPress site — a plugin conflict, a weird error message, or something just not displaying properly — I don’t waste hours anymore Googling and jumping between forums.

Instead, I open ChatGPT and explain the problem exactly like I would to a colleague.

For example, I might type:

“Hey, I’m working on a WordPress site where my custom post type archive page isn’t loading properly. It’s showing a 404 even though the CPT exists. Any ideas?”

What makes ChatGPT powerful is that it doesn’t judge and works with incomplete information. It starts offering troubleshooting steps immediately.
Sometimes it’ll suggest checking permalink settings. Other times it’ll recommend a snippet of PHP code to flush rewrite rules.
If the first suggestion doesn’t work, I just update it:

“Tried that — still 404. Anything else?”

And it adapts!
It’s like troubleshooting with a patient senior developer who’s focused only on helping you, not trying to show off.

2. Building Custom Scripts and Shortcodes

When I need to build something new — like a custom shortcode that pulls specific posts, or a script that displays dynamic buttons — I don’t start from scratch anymore.

Instead, I draft a quick instruction to ChatGPT, something like:

“Write a shortcode that displays the latest 5 posts from a custom post type called ‘resource’, showing featured image, title, and excerpt.”

Boom.
It gives me the skeleton immediately.
Then I review the code (always important!) and tweak it with a few more prompts if needed:

“Can you update it to add a ‘View More’ button after the excerpt that links to the full post?”

It’s not perfect every time — sometimes the first script needs edits.
But it cuts 80% of the heavy lifting out.
I’m not stuck googling “WordPress loop custom post type” for the hundredth time.
I build faster, smarter, and I still keep control.

3. Fine-Tuning SEO Details

SEO isn’t just about writing blogs and adding keywords.
It’s about making sure your WordPress site structure, meta tags, headings, schema, and page speed are in check.

When I need SEO support, ChatGPT helps me brainstorm:

• Meta description ideas (based on my page)

• Schema markup (for articles, reviews, FAQs — whatever)

• Internal linking strategies (“give me ideas for linking these 5 pages together naturally”)

• Technical SEO troubleshooting (“why is my sitemap not indexing this page?”)

Again, I just talk to it naturally.
No overthinking. No big lectures.
Just:

“Here’s the problem. Help me think through it.”

And if the advice is too generic?
I just push it deeper:

“No, give me a real-world example in WordPress using Rank Math SEO plugin.”

It’s like having an SEO consultant right there, always ready to brainstorm or troubleshoot.

4. Real Debugging: Iterating and Updating the Instructions

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned: The better you explain the problem, the better the help you get.

When I first started, I used to just say “fix this.”
Now I give it context — what plugin I’m using, what field name the custom field has, even how the site is structured.

Example:

Instead of:

“Button doesn’t work.”

I’ll say:

“I have a custom button field created with ACF in WordPress. The button isn’t linking properly on the front-end. The field name is ‘webinar_button_link’. Here’s the PHP snippet I’m using…”

That way, ChatGPT can work like a real developer team:
First diagnose, then propose a fix, then test with me.

And when things don’t work?
I don’t give up.
I keep feeding it updates:

“Still not working. Now it says ‘undefined index’. What next?”

This back-and-forth style is where AI really shines.

5. It’s Not About Being Perfect — It’s About Progress

Here’s the truth:
Sometimes ChatGPT’s first suggestion doesn’t solve it.
Sometimes it suggests something outdated.
That’s fine.

I use it like a partner, not a boss.
It helps me move forward faster.
It saves me energy.
And it forces me to think about the problem clearly.

The way I see it:
If you’re building or maintaining WordPress sites — and you’re not using AI to speed up your thinking, your debugging, and your creativity — you’re making life unnecessarily harder.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to be a tech genius to use ChatGPT for WordPress.

You just have to be curious enough to try and clear enough to describe your problem.

If you’re willing to treat ChatGPT like a helpful teammate — not a magician — you’ll be amazed at how much faster you can build, fix, and optimize your sites.

Trust me — I use it every day.