https://maciekpalmowski.dev/ Notes on WordPress security, headless CMS, Astro, conferences and speaking. en Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/whats-affecting-astro-build-times/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/whats-affecting-astro-build-times/ Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Astro build time benchmarks: how post count, image formats (AVIF, WebP, JPEG), Markdown vs MDX vs headless CMS, Astro 7, Bun, concurrency, incremental builds and parallel prerendering affect build speed. astro development performance headless https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/why-im-organizing-cms-conf/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/why-im-organizing-cms-conf/ Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Why I'm organizing CMS Conf 2026 in Gdynia — how a tourist mentality across CMS platforms, the strengths of WordCamp culture, and the AI era's collapsing switching costs made a cross-CMS conference necessary. conferences cms wordpress https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/emdash-a-fresh-take-on-cms/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/emdash-a-fresh-take-on-cms/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT A look at EmDash CMS from Cloudflare: what it gets right, why it probably won't replace markdown files for most developers, and why it's worth watching anyway. cms astro wordpress cloudflare https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/why-every-tech-event-needs-pre-conference-feedback-sessions/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/why-every-tech-event-needs-pre-conference-feedback-sessions/ Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Why every tech conference should run pre-conference feedback sessions — how they reduce speaker stress, improve talk quality, and create a better attendee experience. conferences https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/from-polish-only-to-bilingual-lessons-from-wordcamp-gdynia/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/from-polish-only-to-bilingual-lessons-from-wordcamp-gdynia/ Fri, 05 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT Behind-the-scenes lessons from organizing WordCamp Gdynia, Poland's first bilingual WordPress conference — covering sponsorship challenges, speaker diversity, and what worked. wordpress https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-cyberwisecon-in-vilnius/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-cyberwisecon-in-vilnius/ Sun, 13 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT A conference recap of CyberWiseCon, DevDays Europe, and DevOps Pro in Vilnius — highlights, favorite talks on AI security and observability, and networking impressions. conferences https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/what-the-hell-is-an-mvdp/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/what-the-hell-is-an-mvdp/ Sun, 25 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT What is an mVDP (Managed Vulnerability Disclosure Program)? How Patchstack's mVDP helps WordPress plugin developers handle security reports, triage, and CRA compliance. security https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/content-layer-api-in-astro-how-to-create-a-cms-agnostic-website/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/content-layer-api-in-astro-how-to-create-a-cms-agnostic-website/ Fri, 09 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT How to use Astro's Content Layer API to build CMS-agnostic websites — unified data interfaces, collection schemas, and switching between headless CMSs with minimal changes. astro https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/keystatic-x-astro/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/keystatic-x-astro/ Tue, 22 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT Keystatic CMS paired with Astro — a hands-on look at setup, field types, entryLayout, self-hosting, and when this minimalist file-based CMS is the right choice. cms astro https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/flotiq-cms-astro/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/flotiq-cms-astro/ Mon, 07 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT How to connect Flotiq headless CMS with Astro — content types, API integration, what Flotiq does well, and a step-by-step tutorial for building a blog. cms astro https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-open-source-day-2025-in-florence/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-open-source-day-2025-in-florence/ Sun, 30 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT Open Source Day 2025 Florence recap — a single-track event with standout talks on astrophysics, open source, and AI, plus thoughts on the Italian travel experience. conferences https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/the-last-step-in-updating-to-tailwind-css-4/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/the-last-step-in-updating-to-tailwind-css-4/ Sun, 02 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT Why you need regression testing when migrating to Tailwind CSS 4 — how to use Playwright for visual snapshot testing to catch subtle UI changes before they reach production. testing https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/how-we-removed-almost-1000-plugins-from-the-official-wordpress-repository/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/how-we-removed-almost-1000-plugins-from-the-official-wordpress-repository/ Wed, 26 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT How Patchstack’s October bug bounty hunt removed nearly 1,000 vulnerable WordPress plugins from the official repository — 1,571 reports, 7M+ affected installs. security https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/trying-out-drupal-cms-10/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/trying-out-drupal-cms-10/ Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT A first look at Drupal CMS 1.0 — what it is, how it differs from Drupal Core, installation experience with DDEV, and whether it's accessible to non-developers. cms drupal https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/what-was-my-2024/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/what-was-my-2024/ Wed, 15 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT A personal 2024 year in review — working at Patchstack, conferences, parenting a 3-year-old, cycling together, and what I'm looking forward to in 2025. work life https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/my-wordpress-wishlist-for-2025/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/my-wordpress-wishlist-for-2025/ Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT A WordPress developer's 2025 wishlist — better governance, improved security ecosystem, more flexibility, community peace, and lessons from 2024's conflicts. wordpress https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/finding-public-speaking-opportunities-my-framework/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/finding-public-speaking-opportunities-my-framework/ Sat, 28 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT A practical framework for finding and landing public speaking opportunities at tech conferences — topic preparation, bio writing, CFP tools, and follow-up strategies. conferences https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/field-actions-in-statamic-are-amazing/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/field-actions-in-statamic-are-amazing/ Fri, 13 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT How to use Statamic Field Actions to automate content transformations inside the Control Panel — auto-populate fields, convert text, and trigger custom logic with examples. statamic https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/unicon-the-easiest-way-to-use-icons-in-laravel-and-statamic/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/unicon-the-easiest-way-to-use-icons-in-laravel-and-statamic/ Fri, 29 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT How to use Unicon to manage icons in Laravel and Statamic — install the package, use Iconify icon sets with a single component, no manual downloads needed. statamic https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/migrating-gutenberg-blocks-using-the-statamic-importer/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/migrating-gutenberg-blocks-using-the-statamic-importer/ Mon, 11 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT Updated guide to migrating WordPress Gutenberg blocks to Statamic Bard sets using the official Statamic Importer addon — simpler, faster, and more maintainable. statamic wordpress https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-wordcamp-gdynia-2024/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-wordcamp-gdynia-2024/ Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT WordCamp Gdynia 2024 recap — a first security talk on the WordPress ecosystem, standout presentations from other speakers, and what makes this event special. conferences wordpress https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/wordpress-security-is-it-really-that-bad/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/wordpress-security-is-it-really-that-bad/ Mon, 07 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT Is WordPress security really that bad? An honest breakdown of the actual risks — plugins, low-barrier entry, open source challenges, and what's genuinely improved. wordpress security https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/migrating-wordpress-gutenberg-blocks-to-statamic/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/migrating-wordpress-gutenberg-blocks-to-statamic/ Tue, 20 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT How to migrate WordPress Gutenberg blocks to Statamic Bard sets — a step-by-step guide using a custom CLI command to handle block-based content migration. wordpress statamic https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/astro-for-documentation-sites-insights-after-6-months/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/astro-for-documentation-sites-insights-after-6-months/ Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT Lessons from 6 months running Patchstack's documentation on Astro Starlight — maintenance, team collaboration, open source contributions, and overall developer experience. astro https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/lets-talk-about-closed-plugins-in-the-wordpress-repository/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/lets-talk-about-closed-plugins-in-the-wordpress-repository/ Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT The hidden danger of closed plugins in the official WordPress repository — why vulnerable closed plugins are invisible to users and what needs to change to protect WordPress sites. wordpress security https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/give-wordpress-a-try-its-not-as-bad-as-you-think/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/give-wordpress-a-try-its-not-as-bad-as-you-think/ Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT Debunking common WordPress myths: it's not just for blogging, not inherently slow, and powers 43% of the web for good reasons. A fair look at modern WordPress. wordpress cms https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/statamic-for-wordpress-developers-data-modeling-and-collections/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/statamic-for-wordpress-developers-data-modeling-and-collections/ Thu, 18 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT Statamic for WordPress developers: how to create collections (post types) and model data with blueprints (custom fields) — step-by-step with Control Panel screenshots. statamic-for-wp-devs statamic https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/how-to-easily-start-blogging-as-a-developer/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/how-to-easily-start-blogging-as-a-developer/ Sun, 07 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT A developer's guide to starting a blog: comparing SaaS platforms like dev.to and Hashnode, static site generators, self-hosted options, and how to pick the right one. cms ssg buddy https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-open-source-day-2024-in-florence/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-open-source-day-2024-in-florence/ Wed, 03 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT A recap of Open Source Day 2024 in Florence — talks covering open source CMSs, IoT, space, and a speaker debut outside the WordPress world for the author. conferences https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/astro-studio-first-impression/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/astro-studio-first-impression/ Thu, 14 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT First impressions of Astro Studio (Astro DB) — a LibSQL database built for Astro with schema management, seeding, local dev tooling, and a visual data viewer. astro https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-the-js-world-vuejs-and-devworld-amsterdam/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-the-js-world-vuejs-and-devworld-amsterdam/ Tue, 05 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT Recap of JS World, VueJS, and DevWorld Amsterdam 2024 — new combined format impressions, favorite talks, networking tips, and observations on conference growth. conferences https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/building-a-documentation-site-using-astro-starlight/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/building-a-documentation-site-using-astro-starlight/ Wed, 21 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT Building a documentation site with Astro Starlight — what makes it great, pain points discovered in production, and why it beat readme.com for the Patchstack docs. astro work https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/statamic-for-wordpress-developers-differences-and-installation/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/statamic-for-wordpress-developers-differences-and-installation/ Wed, 07 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT Statamic vs WordPress for developers: key differences in target audience, installation, hosting requirements, pricing, and how to get started with Statamic. statamic-for-wp-devs statamic https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/statamic-for-wordpress-developers-intro/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/statamic-for-wordpress-developers-intro/ Tue, 16 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT Introduction to a Statamic series for WordPress developers — why Statamic appeals to WP devs, key similarities and differences, and what the series will cover. statamic-for-wp-devs statamic https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/what-was-my-2023/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/what-was-my-2023/ Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT A personal 2023 year in review — layoffs at Kinsta, conferences, parenting a toddler, starting the gym, and what came next after losing a job I loved. life https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/cms-agnostic-headless/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/cms-agnostic-headless/ Fri, 24 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT How to build a CMS-agnostic headless setup with Astro using an abstraction layer — a proof-of-concept for switching between headless CMSs without rewriting your whole frontend. cms headless astro https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/beginners-guide-to-surviving-layoffs/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/beginners-guide-to-surviving-layoffs/ Tue, 14 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT A beginner's guide to surviving layoffs: practical tips on staying calm, managing finances, job hunting, and protecting your mental health after losing your job. work https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/building-a-website-this-is-how-i-do-it/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/building-a-website-this-is-how-i-do-it/ Mon, 30 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT How a freelance developer chooses the right tech stack for client websites — covering WordPress, Statamic, headless CMS options, and when to use each. cms work development https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/my-first-work-anniversary-at-kinsta/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/my-first-work-anniversary-at-kinsta/ Mon, 02 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT Reflecting on one year as a DevRel at Kinsta — what the role actually involves, why I joined, what surprised me, and how the team works together. work https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/from-code-to-security/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/from-code-to-security/ Sun, 24 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT Key insights from a developer-turned-security-professional on how dev backgrounds help in cybersecurity, bridging team communication, and building security-aware culture. security https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/front-matter-cms-a-bit-different-approach-to-content-management/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/front-matter-cms-a-bit-different-approach-to-content-management/ Mon, 11 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT Front Matter CMS turns Visual Studio Code into a full content management system — with media management, taxonomies, and frontmatter editing for static site generators. cms astro https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/different-flavors-of-content-management/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/different-flavors-of-content-management/ Wed, 16 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT A guide to the different types of CMS: headless vs monolith, self-hosted vs SaaS, Git-based vs database — with pros, cons, and when to use each approach. cms development https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/are-wordcamps-affordable-for-everyone/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/are-wordcamps-affordable-for-everyone/ Mon, 10 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT Are WordCamps really affordable for everyone? A look at ticket prices, travel costs, and who benefits from the WordPress community event model. wordpress conferences https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-wordcamp-europe-in-athens/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-wordcamp-europe-in-athens/ Sun, 11 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT WordCamp Europe 2023 Athens recap — Contributor Day highlights, Enterprise Gap side event, community meetings, and honest thoughts on the city itself. conferences wordpress https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/20-years-of-wordpress/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/20-years-of-wordpress/ Thu, 25 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT A personal reflection on 20 years of WordPress — from early WordCamps and community friendships to the platform's evolution and what the future might hold. wordpress https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-wordcamp-gliwice-2023/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-wordcamp-gliwice-2023/ Wed, 17 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT WordCamp Gliwice 2023 recap — Astro workshop, headless WordPress talk, favorite sessions on WordPress Playground and AI, and discovering a surprisingly green Polish city. conferences wordpress https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/is-it-worth-converting-your-wordpress-to-headless/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/is-it-worth-converting-your-wordpress-to-headless/ Fri, 12 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT A balanced look at headless WordPress architecture — real benefits, genuine drawbacks, when it makes sense, and when it's just adding complexity for no good reason. wordpress headless https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/securing-git-repository/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/securing-git-repository/ Wed, 19 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT How to secure your Git repository — avoiding hard-coded secrets, using .gitignore and env files, Key Vault best practices, git hooks, and secret scanning tools. security git https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/buying-a-bicycle-using-playwright/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/buying-a-bicycle-using-playwright/ Mon, 20 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT How I used Playwright e2e testing, GitHub Actions, and a Telegram bot to automate bicycle stock monitoring and buy a Canyon Grizl gravel bike. cicd testing bicycle https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-php-uk-in-london/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-php-uk-in-london/ Mon, 20 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT A recap of PHP UK Conference in London — favorite talks on Drupal modernization, PHP internals, and developer experience, plus thoughts on the venue and city. conferences php https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-the-js-world-and-vuejs-amsterdam/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/i-was-at-the-js-world-and-vuejs-amsterdam/ Mon, 13 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT A recap of JS World and VueJS Amsterdam 2023 — favorite talks on Playwright testing, React game dev, and auth, plus city highlights from Amsterdam. conferences javascript https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/when-using-statamic-over-wordpress-is-a-good-idea/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/when-using-statamic-over-wordpress-is-a-good-idea/ Sun, 05 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT A direct comparison of Statamic vs WordPress — data storage, writing experience, hosting requirements, pricing, and when each CMS is the better choice for a project. wordpress statamic https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/what-was-my-2022/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/what-was-my-2022/ Thu, 19 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT A personal year in review for 2022 — new DevRel role at Kinsta, live streaming, WordCamp Europe, parenting adventures, and cycling highlights. life https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/creating-custom-actions-in-buddy/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/creating-custom-actions-in-buddy/ Sat, 31 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT Learn how to create custom sharable actions in Buddy CI/CD, including storage options, using the CLI boilerplate tool, and structuring actions for teams or open source. cicd buddy https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/is-it-worth-migrating-from-revue-to-substack/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/is-it-worth-migrating-from-revue-to-substack/ Thu, 22 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT A practical comparison of Revue vs Substack for newsletter migration — pricing, custom domain setup, writing experience, and import process reviewed in detail. newsletter https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/playing-around-with-sanity-io/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/playing-around-with-sanity-io/ Mon, 12 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT A hands-on first look at Sanity.io as a headless CMS — setting up Sanity Studio, GROQ queries, schema modeling, and integrating it with an Astro blog. astro headless sanityio https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/the-world-outside-of-wordpress/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/the-world-outside-of-wordpress/ Sun, 27 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT Reflections on exploring the world beyond WordPress — Statamic, Craft, Sanity, headless architecture, and where WordPress is heading in a changing CMS landscape. wordpress development https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/is-going-headless-worth-the-fuss/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/is-going-headless-worth-the-fuss/ Tue, 01 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT An honest look at whether headless architecture is worth it — covering the real pros and cons, when it makes sense, and what changed since Astro arrived. headless jamstack https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/implementing-live-previews-in-headless-statamic-when-using-astro/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/implementing-live-previews-in-headless-statamic-when-using-astro/ Sun, 23 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT How to implement live content previews in a headless Statamic and Astro setup using Server-Side Rendering — step-by-step with code examples. statamic astro https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/no-deploy-friday-action/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/no-deploy-friday-action/ Wed, 28 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT How to block Friday deployments using CI/CD pipelines — simple bash snippets for both Buddy and GitHub Actions to prevent accidental weekend-ruining releases. cicd https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/the-great-wp-optimize-debacle/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/the-great-wp-optimize-debacle/ Tue, 06 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT A full breakdown of the WP-Optimize PageSpeed controversy — what Gijo claimed, what WP-Optimize actually does, and who was really at fault in this WordPress drama. wordpress development https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/use-vite-with-statamic/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/use-vite-with-statamic/ Wed, 17 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT How to migrate a Statamic project from Laravel Mix to Vite — step-by-step instructions covering package.json, vite.config.js, and Antlers template updates. development statamic https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/cycling-around-the-tatry-mountains/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/cycling-around-the-tatry-mountains/ Sun, 19 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT A day-by-day cycling trip around the Tatry Mountains spanning Poland and Slovakia — routes, accommodations, highlights, and what to expect on each stage. cycling https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/deploying-wordpress-with-confidence/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/deploying-wordpress-with-confidence/ Mon, 06 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT How to deploy WordPress safely using CI/CD pipelines with staging servers, automated tests, and tools like Buddy to prevent fatal errors reaching production. cicd development https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/implement-ci-cd-step-by-step/ https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/implement-ci-cd-step-by-step/ Fri, 22 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT A step-by-step guide to implementing CI/CD in your project: version control, automated deployments, dependency management, testing, and code quality tools. cicd development