What this page is

• Docs hub for WordPress Playground (WordPress-in-the-browser via WASM).
• The runner/live demo is at wordpress.org/playground; this site hosts documentation, split into four hubs:
  1. Documentation (intro + quick start)
  2. Blueprints (JSON-based setup)
  3. Developers (programmability)
  4. API Reference (all endpoints/objects)

Fast path (how to actually use Playground)

1. Try it: go to wordpress.org/playground (UI boots a fresh WP in your browser).
2. Zero-install testing: use query params or a Blueprint to preload a theme/plugin/content.
3. Shareable states: host a small blueprint JSON somewhere → link to Playground with a ?blueprint-url=... param to reproduce the same environment anywhere.
4. Make it installable/offline: install the PWA from the Playground page; it reopens with your chosen start URL (handy for demos/classes).

The three ways to drive Playground (choose one)

1. Query API – simplest (URL parameters).
   Use for quick demos: “load WP, then fetch and activate X”.
2. Blueprints API – declarative JSON.
   Use for repeatable environments (plugins/themes/content/options/users/import steps).
3. JavaScript API – full control from code (npm client).
   Use for embedding Playground in dev tools/docs/education portals.

Minimal blueprint pattern (copy, then fill)

{
  "landingPage": "/wp-admin/",
  "preferredVersions": { "php": "8.3", "wp": "latest" },
  "features": { "networking": false },
  "steps": [
    { "step": "login", "username": "admin", "password": "password" },
    { "step": "installPlugin", "pluginZipUrl": "https://example.com/your-plugin.zip" },
    { "step": "activatePlugin", "plugin": "your-plugin/your-plugin.php" },
    { "step": "setSiteOption", "option": "blogname", "value": "Playground Demo" }
  ]
}

Load it by hosting the JSON and appending:

https://wordpress.org/playground/?blueprint-url=ENCODED_URL_TO_JSON

Good to know (constraints & power moves)

• Storage: lives in the browser; great for testing/sandboxes, not a production DB.
• Networking: often sandboxed; enable in blueprints only when needed.
• Version pinning: you can specify PHP and WordPress versions (great for regression checks).
• Reproducibility: Blueprints are your “infrastructure as JSON” for WP—perfect for training, QA, and doc pages.

Where to click next (from this docs page)

• Quick Start Guide → start a site, try a theme/plugin, pin WP/PHP.
• Web Instance → explains the runner at playground.wordpress.net.
• Blueprints → full schema & examples.
• Developers / API → JavaScript client and architecture internals.

If you want, tell me the exact demo scenario (e.g., “WP 6.8 + PHP 8.3, Twenty Twenty-Four, plugin X enabled, page seeded with Y”), and I’ll hand you a ready-to-share blueprint + the one-click Playground URL that boots straight into it.