How to make a Project Management System from a Private WordPress blog

Paying for project management tools can get expensive. But you can actually make a useful task system out of a private WordPress installation, hidden away from view.

I’ve used a lot of PM software over the years. ClickUp is great, but it can be more complicated than you need, and therefore more of a learning curve than you want. Todoist can be too simple (although as a solopreneur, it’s my favorite). And so on.

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But if you’re just starting, paying for these tools could be a burden. That’s when I came up with the idea of turning a WordPress installation into a project management app. Here’s how I did it:

Creating a WordPress Project Management System

Here’s what you do.

Install WordPress on a subdomain

Create a new installation of WordPress on a subdomain on one of your sites. Or a domain you’re not using.

Install a plugin like My Private Site to keep any logged in users from viewing it. You can also use the WordPress option to discourage search engines from indexing, just on the off-chance anything ever goes wrong with the plugin.

Create Categories That Make Sense

You might create the following categories:

• Next
• In Progress
• Done

With as many different stages added to it as you need.

And you could add other categories if you want, or use the tagging system for cross-referencing. For example, you might use the following tags:

• Website 1
• Website 2

Or whatever makes sense for your workflow.

Due Dates?

I don’t use them. Basically, everything I need to do should have been done a year ago, but I’m just me. So I don’t need due dates pressuring me.

If you do need them, there are a few ways to add them. One is by putting them right in the post title. Another involves custom fields, which we’ll come to later.

How to Use Your WordPress Project Management System

Here’s how I use it. I open a new post and categorize it as “Next”. The title is the task, i.e. “Write post about Irish Terriers.” I leave the post empty unless I have notes on that – say, a paragraph of research. Or a note for a writer I’m working with.

Or I might include a checklist using bullet points:

• Write post
• Curate images for post
• Find affiliate links to use in post

When I start working on this task, I change the category to “In Progress”. I use strikethrough to mark out what’s done. Always remember to save your posts now and again.

Once the task is done, I move the post to the “Done” category.

The above categories are the simplest possible way to go. You might want to add more in-between stages for projects to be in. I also added “abandoned” for tasks I decided not to do, with notes on why I decided against them.

Adding a Documents System

But because this is WordPress, you can do so much more than this. You can start collecting all your notes in posts, too.

This turns it into something resembling Clickup or Nifty. The tricky part is how to categorize them.

I make a category called “Blog” and under it, all the research goes into additional categories.

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I made a separate category for each Project. I could’ve made a sub-category or tag. Doesn’t really matter, and you can change these things later on.

Using it with GTD Methodology

Another example of the categories you could use, following the GTD method, would be:

• Actions: For individual tasks or next actions
• Projects: For larger initiatives or multi-step endeavors
• Waiting For: For items you’re waiting on from others
• Someday/Maybe: For ideas or tasks you’d like to revisit in the future
• References: For storing important documents, notes, or other supporting materials

Getting More Techy

I recommend keeping your system as simple as possible. It’s rarely worth the time it takes to use a more complex system.

But if you have particular needs, here’s how you can take this further.

Adding Custom Taxonomies

You can also use Advanced Custom Fields to set up additional taxonomies if you find categories, subcategories and tags aren’t quite enough. You might want, for example:

• Contexts: The physical or virtual locations where you can complete a task (e.g., “Home,” “Office,” “Online”)
• Priorities: The level of importance or urgency associated with a task or project
• Energy Levels: The amount of mental or physical energy required to complete a task
• Next Actions: The specific next step to be taken for a project or task

Custom Fields and Metadata

You can use custom fields to store important information about your tasks and projects, such as:

• Due Dates: The deadline or target completion date for a task or project
• Estimated Time: The amount of time required to complete a task or project
• Status: The current stage or progress of a task or project
• Dependencies: Any tasks or projects that must be completed before another can be started

Maintaining and Optimizing Your Project Management System

Once you’ve built your system on WordPress, you need to make sure that over time it  remains effective and aligned with your evolving needs. That means you’ll need to regularly maintain and optimize it.

Conduct Periodic Reviews

Review your system now and again to make sure it’s up-to-date and working the most efficient way possible for you.

Do you need new categories? Can you merge two categories? Do you need another way of looking at your tasks?

• Weekly Reviews: Take time each week to process new tasks, update project statuses, and make sure your system is current.
• Monthly Reviews: Conduct a more in-depth review, looking for areas of improvement or opportunities to streamline your workflows.
• Quarterly Reviews: Evaluate your overall productivity and goals, making adjustments to your system as needed.

Continuously Refine and Iterate

Don’t be afraid to experiment and make changes – it can all be changed back. You want to refine your categories, tags, custom post types, and any other features you’re using to be sure it makes sense for your workflow.

Integrating Other Tools with WordPress

One of the coolest things about using WordPress for project management is how easy it is to connect it with other tools you already use. There are plenty of plugins available that let you link your WordPress install to Google Drive, Dropbox, or even Slack.

For example, you can set up a plugin so that every time you add a new task or update a project, you get a notification in your team’s Slack channel. Or you can attach files directly from your Google Drive or Dropbox account to your posts, keeping all your documents and resources in one place.

If email is still a big part of your workflow, consider using a plugin that sends you an email notification when a post is updated or a new task is created. This way, you don’t have to keep checking your WordPress dashboard all the time – you’ll know right away when there’s something new to work on.

User Roles and Permissions

If you’re working with a team, WordPress makes it easy to control who can see or edit what. You can set user roles (like Administrator, Editor, Author, or Contributor) so that only certain people can add or change tasks and projects.

For example, if you want your team members to only see their own tasks, you can use a plugin to limit post visibility by user. This helps avoid confusion and keeps everyone focused on what’s important to them.

You can also use plugins like Members or User Role Editor to create custom roles and permissions. Maybe you want some people to only be able to comment on tasks but not change them, or give someone else permission to move tasks between categories. With the right setup, you can have as much control as you need.

Mobile Access and Notifications

A big plus for using WordPress as your task tracker is how mobile-friendly it is. The WordPress app (available for iOS and Android) lets you add or update tasks on the go.

If you have an idea or need to check something off your list while you’re out, just open the app and make your changes. All the categories, tags, and custom fields you set up will show up in the app, so you’re not missing out on any features.

For extra notifications, consider setting up browser alerts (using plugins) or push notifications through the WordPress app itself. This way, you’ll always know when something important happens in your system.

Visualizing Your Workflow

If you like seeing things at a glance, try adding a Kanban-style board to your WordPress site. There are plugins (like Kanban Boards for WordPress) that let you drag and drop posts between columns representing stages like “To-Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done.” This gives you a clear overview of what needs attention and lets you move tasks around easily.

Some plugins also let you add color coding to categories or tags. You could make all urgent tasks red, or highlight tasks for one project in blue. With visual cues, it becomes much easier to see what’s going on at a glance.

Backups and Security

Because this is your personal project management system, keeping it safe is super important. Make sure you have regular backups set up – there are lots of free plugins like UpdraftPlus that make this easy. If anything goes wrong (like a plugin update causes problems), you can restore your system from a backup without losing your data.

For extra security, make sure your login is strong (use two-factor authentication if possible), and keep your site private with plugins like My Private Site as mentioned earlier. Always keep WordPress and all plugins up to date to avoid security risks.

Growing with Your Needs

Maybe you start off using WordPress as a simple task tracker. As your needs change, you can keep adding features without starting over from scratch. Want to track time spent on each task? There are plugins for that. Need better reports or charts? You can add those too.

As your projects and team grow, your WordPress system can grow with you – without forcing you onto expensive software plans or making you learn a whole new tool. Plus, since it’s all yours, you decide how it works.