#48 | Build WordPress tools, no coding skills

TL;DR: I needed a speed reading test for SpeedReadingLounge.com. Twenty minutes later, I had a production-ready web application.

👋 Hello,

Twenty minutes. That’s what it took to go from “I need a speed reading test for ​SpeedReadingLounge.com​” to having a complete web application running live on my site.

I’m no developer. I can wrestle with CSS when fonts misbehave. I’ve written enough Python to be dangerous at dinner parties. But building actual web applications?

That’s what other people do with computer science degrees and years of caffeine-fueled late nights.

Apparently, that’s changing.

I couldn’t believe it would work. But precision was everything—I wanted something I could drop into WordPress without plugins, without breaking my site, without calling anyone for help (because honestly, who would I call?).

It worked. It actually worked.

Sitting here now, watching real people use my speed reading test, I’m starting to understand what just shifted while we were busy thinking of AI as a better search engine.

What I expected versus what happened

Here’s what I thought would happen: I’d ask GPT-5 for a basic timer. Maybe some text that scrolled at adjustable speeds. Something I’d spend hours tweaking before it resembled a functioning tool (and still looked like a student project).

Here’s what actually happened: I described exactly what I needed to GPT-5 (OpenAI’s latest model, released August 2025, which brings significantly enhanced coding capabilities compared to previous versions).

A speed reading test that worked standalone, required no external dependencies, and could integrate seamlessly into WordPress via a simple HTML block.

The response was a small and complete web application. Clean interface with proper spacing and typography. Real-time WPM calculations that actually synchronized correctly. Progress tracking that updated smoothly without lag. A multiple-choice comprehension test.

I even mentioned I was using the Kadence theme framework, and it automatically adjusted the color scheme to match (which honestly impressed me more than the functional code).

I stared at the code for a moment. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript packaged together neatly. Professional-looking. Functional. Ready to deploy.

The whole thing felt suspiciously easy, which immediately made me suspicious.

How it actually went down

My request was surgical in its specificity because vague requests get you vague results:

“Create a speed reading test that displays text word by word, allows users to adjust reading speed from 100-1000 WPM, tracks their progress with a visual indicator, shows comprehensive results at the end, uses my set Kadence theme color scheme, and works as a standalone HTML file that I can embed in WordPress without any plugins or external dependencies.”

GPT-5 generated a complete application with timer functionality that synchronized properly (no easy task). Speed controls that felt intuitive rather than clunky. Tests and results calculations. A color scheme that matched my site.

I copied the code. Opened WordPress. Created a new page. Added a Custom HTML block. Pasted the code. Hit publish.

No errors. No missing dependencies. No “this might work if you add these seventeen other things” (the curse of most coding tutorials I’ve attempted).

Five minutes of minor tweaks to perfect the integration. Another few minutes testing with different text lengths to ensure it didn’t break. That was genuinely it.

The test went live. People started using it immediately. Real reading speed results that made sense. Smooth interactions across different devices and browsers.

I kept waiting for the catch, the moment it would reveal itself as sophisticated smoke and mirrors. Weirdly, there wasn’t one.

What current AI models actually build

While I was celebrating my basic reading test, curiosity got the better of me (as it tends to do when something works better than expected). I started researching what else people are building with current AI models.

I barely scratched the surface of what’s actually possible right now.

Here’s what’s actually happening out there:

• GPT-5 creates “beautiful and responsive websites, apps, and games with an eye for aesthetic sensibility in just one prompt.”
• Claude Opus 4 leads global benchmarks in software engineering, achieving 72.5% on SWE-bench (real-world programming problems)
• Gemini 2.5 Pro ranks first on WebDev Arena for creating “visually compelling web apps”

People are building customer relationship management systems from single conversations. Interactive data visualization platforms with real-time API integration. E-commerce systems handling inventory, payments, and customer communications. Learning management systems with user authentication and detailed analytics.

Ok, my simple speed reading test certainly looks like kindergarten work compared to what’s happening out there (though it still works perfectly, thank you very much).

The advances in no-code approaches are fascinating for people like me.

Building functional web applications used to require months of learning programming languages, assembling developer teams, or budgets that made small businesses wince.

Now it requires clear communication and basic integration knowledge. Awesome!

WordPress tools you could build this week

Based on research and testing, here are WordPress tools you could probably build without touching code:

Start simple with interactive calculators for mortgages, tips, ROI, unit conversion—all the functionality you’d normally need a plugin for, but customized exactly how you want it.

Progress trackers for habits, goals, and milestones that actually integrate with your site’s design rather than looking like generic widgets.

Quiz generators that handle scoring, provide detailed feedback, and store results locally without third-party services collecting your users’ data (always a plus).

Content recommendation engines that suggest related articles based on user behavior, reading time, or topic preferences—much smarter than generic “related posts” plugins.

More ambitious territory includes:

• Appointment scheduling systems
• Customer service chatbots with context understanding
• Inventory management dashboards
• Survey tools that analyze responses locally

WordPress integration approaches:

• Custom HTML blocks (easiest method, works for most standalone tools—exactly what I used)
• Plugin options like WP Coder or Simple Custom CSS & JS (more control for site-wide features)
• Theme integration for advanced customization

The key insight from my experience: Be specific about constraints and requirements. Include details like “no external dependencies,” “WordPress compatible,” “responsive design for mobile devices.”

Current AI models handle technical implementation remarkably well, but clarity in requirements determines whether you get something useful or something that almost works (and almost doesn’t count).

Mark
The AI Learning Guy
👋⚡😎

Sources and books

1. ​GPT-5 launch details​ – OpenAI’s official announcement
2. ​Claude Opus 4​ – Anthropic’s coding breakthrough
3. ​Gemini 2.5 capabilities​ – Google’s thinking model
4. ​WordPress custom code​ – Official integration guide
5. ​AI coding benchmarks​ – Current model comparisons

Note: No single website has all the answers. This list serves as a starting point for those who want to explore or satisfy their curiosity about AI.
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