Does Flask Work With WordPress?
Flask and WordPress can work together, but they're fundamentally separate systems that require intentional architecture to integrate meaningfully.
Quick Facts
How Flask Works With WordPress
Flask and WordPress operate in different ecosystems—WordPress is a PHP-based monolithic CMS, while Flask is a lightweight Python framework. Direct integration is rare because they don't share a common runtime. However, practical integration patterns exist: you can use Flask as a headless backend API that WordPress consumes via REST calls, use Flask to extend WordPress functionality through custom REST endpoints and webhooks, or run them on the same server with a reverse proxy (nginx/Apache) routing requests to each based on URL patterns. The most common scenario is using WordPress for content management while Flask handles custom business logic, data processing, or integrations that PHP struggles with. Developers typically use the WordPress REST API (available since WP 4.7) to communicate with Flask backends. This approach gives you WordPress's mature content management capabilities while leveraging Python's ecosystem for heavy lifting. The developer experience involves managing two separate deployments and ensuring API contracts stay aligned between systems.
Best Use Cases
Flask API Backend for WordPress
pip install flask flask-cors requestsfrom flask import Flask, request, jsonify
from flask_cors import CORS
import hashlib
import hmac
app = Flask(__name__)
CORS(app)
WP_WEBHOOK_SECRET = 'your-secret-key'
@app.route('/api/process-content', methods=['POST'])
def process_content():
# Verify WordPress webhook signature
signature = request.headers.get('X-WP-Signature')
body = request.get_data()
expected_signature = hmac.new(
WP_WEBHOOK_SECRET.encode(),
body,
hashlib.sha256
).hexdigest()
if not hmac.compare_digest(signature, expected_signature):
return {'error': 'Invalid signature'}, 401
data = request.json
# Process WordPress post data
processed = {
'post_id': data['id'],
'title': data['title'],
'processed_at': True
}
return jsonify(processed), 200
if __name__ == '__main__':
app.run(port=5000)Known Issues & Gotchas
WordPress REST API authentication mismatch—Flask doesn't natively understand WordPress JWT or nonce tokens
Fix: Implement custom middleware in Flask to validate WordPress JWT tokens or use application passwords; alternatively use webhooks with shared secrets for one-way communication
CORS issues when JavaScript from WordPress tries to call Flask APIs on different domains
Fix: Enable CORS in Flask using flask-cors, or configure a reverse proxy to handle both under the same domain
Database transaction consistency when syncing data between WordPress (MySQL) and Flask applications
Fix: Use event-driven architecture with webhooks rather than shared database writes; implement proper error handling and retry logic
Deployment complexity—managing two separate application stacks requires coordination
Fix: Use containerization (Docker) and orchestration tools to manage both services together as a single deployable unit
Alternatives
- •Next.js/Node.js as a headless frontend with WordPress REST API backend—keeps JavaScript ecosystem unified
- •Strapi (headless CMS) with Flask microservices—modern headless alternative to WordPress with better API-first design
- •Django REST Framework with WordPress—stays in Python ecosystem while providing more robust ORM than Flask
Resources
Related Compatibility Guides
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