(notes on creating a mobile-friendly front-end editor)
for a long time I’ve been thinking about how to make #wordpress not only my publishing tool, but my daily #writing environment.
the #wordpress admin dashboard works, but it was never made for quick, #mobile, everyday #writing – and definitely not for #iphone.
so I started exploring how to make my own editor – a small, #minimal interface on top of #wordpress – that lets me post, edit, and publish content in my own way.
1. context and goal
I don’t want to rely on third-party writing apps anymore.
they’re great, but they all create separate ecosystems – each with its own structure, sync, and limits. my long-term goal is simple: to have everything inside my own system, that I build on wordpress – my life system, my notes, my posts, my data.
at the same time, I don’t want to build a native iphone app. well, actually I do, but it’s such a huge project that I can’t start it yet. for now I want something lightweight, elegant, and fast – working directly in the browser, later installable as a progressive web app (pwa) – and this may be a good start for building my own app.
so the question was:
can I make my own front-end editor – a page that looks and feels like an app, works perfectly on mobile, and lets me write and publish without touching wp-admin?
the answer is yes.
2. what I want to achieve
the goal is to build a minimal writing interface – a page inside wordpress (for example /write) that lets me:
- create new posts
- edit existing posts
- save drafts
- publish directly from there
- and do all of this quickly, from my iphone or ipad
this page should be for logged-in users only, replacing wp-admin in daily writing.
3. main features
clean, mobile-first interface
the design should be simple and touch-friendly. no wordpress clutter, no admin bars. just a text field and a few clear buttons.
two modes of use
- create mode: opens an empty form for a new post
- edit mode: opens existing post data when using a query parameter (for example
/write?id=123)
draft and publish flow
two main actions – save as draft and publish.
optional third – auto-save to localstorage, in case I close the tab.
minimal fields
only title, content, tags and categories.
that’s all for the first version.
simple header navigation
a small top bar with:
- back to dashboard
- mood tracker button (later, after adding mood tracker to my system)
4. structure and logic
when I visit /write:
- if I’m not logged in → redirect to login
- if no id is provided → open new post mode
- if id is provided → load existing post into form
the page connects with wordpress through its rest api, but the process should stay invisible.
it should feel like a small native writing app, not like a technical tool.
5. design concept
the layout should look something like this:
- top bar: back / dashboard
- field: title
- field: content (simple text area, markdown support from the beginning would be great)
- category picker but not the typical way. it should only show specific categories depending on what I choose.
for example: ask “share on social media?” → assign social media category; ask “send as newsletter?” → assign newsletter category; ask “what type of post is this?” → choose between micro, summaries, micro journal, etc. - buttons: save draft and publish
no toolbars, no formatting menus, no visual distractions – just pure focus.
it should respect system theme (dark/light) and adjust colors automatically.
6. dashboard and next steps
this /write page is only the first step – a quick writing tool.
the next phase is a custom /panel – a personal dashboard showing:
- latest drafts and published posts
- basic system data (sleep, mood, meals, training, etc. – long term future)
- shortcuts like “new post”, “new micro”, “new micro journal”
the final step is to turn this dashboard into a pwa – installable on iphone, opening fullscreen, working offline.
7. security
- only logged-in users can access
/writeand/panel - all actions stay inside wordpress authentication
- no external services or dependencies
that’s enough for mvp – I’ll be the only one using it anyway.
8. summary
the idea is not to build a new app.
I already have one – wordpress.
it just needs a new layer on top of it – one that fits my rhythm, my devices, and my way of writing.
this is both a technical direction and a creative manifesto – about writing directly inside my own system, without middlemen, apps, or distractions.
