The Guide to Craft CMS Development

Craft CMS professional Ryan Masuga shares a practical method for developing Craft CMS projects and version controlling them with Git.

Be a better Craft CMS developer right now.

Masuga Design has developed sites on Craft CMS since 2013. I'm sharing everything we know about setting up Craft projects and versioning them with Git. We have continually refined our approach from one project to the next, and now you can immediately benefit from our trial and error by reading The Guide to Craft CMS Development.

Make More Money With Craft

If you can competently and efficiently produce a solid product and market your Craft skills with confidence, you're going to be able to charge more money for your services. Our average project quote has grown significantly over the last few years, and our efficiency in setting up Craft projects means we are more profitable on those projects.

I believe after reading this guide you'll feel confident enough to charge what you're worth, and be more efficient so that each project nets you more profit.

Separate Yourself From the Cruft

Your client isn't just buying a Craft site - they're buying a better version of themselves - and they're trusting you to deliver. So what separates you from any other Craft developer? It's the details. With my practical advice on efficiently setting up and deploying Craft projects, you can turn out your best work and make your clients sing your praises.

Topics Covered In The Craft CMS Guide

How can I get a site up and running quickly? How should I structure my project? What security measures can I implement? How can I best customize the CMS for the client? I answer these questions and more by drawing from our experience developing with Craft.

Project Organization

I show you a sensible way to structure a Craft site for secure, no-nonsense development. It's the method Masuga Design uses to build Craft sites.

Version Control

How do you version control a Craft site with Git? What should you ignore? I answer these questions and more.

Multiple Environments

Config settings, environment variables, and .env files. A setup for working locally and deploying remotely that isn't overly complex.

Resources

From Craft Stack Exchange, to Mijingo, to Craft Link List and beyond, I discuss various Craft resources and their relative merits.

Automating Installs

Save a ton of time and whip up new Craft sites very efficiently by automating the installation and setup process. I share how we start new Craft projects. You're sure to learn something new!

Coming from ExpressionEngine

Many ExpressionEngine developers have taken an interest in Craft, just like us. For those people, I have a whole section of info that contrasts and compares the two systems.

The Early Word on the Craft Guide

I’m blown away by how useful, well written and worthwhile it's been – it’s already leveled up my Craft game by an astonishing amount. Many thanks for an excellent guide!

—Sid O'Neill, Developer

Huge congrats to @masuga for getting this out! Just got my copy & I’m stoked to dig in to see where I can improve my own #CraftCMS projects

—Paulo Elias, Developer

THANK YOU for the guide. Already implemented several things to our basic build.

—Jae Barclay (@ejaedesign)

Having read @masuga’s Guide to #eecms, if you’re working with #craftcms, would recommend you go here gomasuga.com/craft-cms-guide #craftcmsguide

—Andrew Armitage

Looks interesting: gomasuga.com/craft-cms-guide from @gomasuga - The EE version was excellent, more of the same please. #craftcmsguide #craftcms

—Johnnie|Moylan

Looking forward to the new @CraftCMS guide from @masuga .. keen to learn this CMS #craftcmsguide

—Ryde Digital

Tweeting about the Craft guide? Use hashtag #craftcmsguide

What People Have Said About Ryan Masuga's Guide to ExpressionEngine Development

Your ExpressionEngine guide was awesome, thanks!

—Tom Spetter, Developer

Found the guide really useful thank you – still referring to it as we try to reduce some of the 'technical debt' on our early sites.

—Andrew Armitage, Developer, A Digital

Your book changed a big part of how I work with EE, so, thanks! Love the book.

—Pontus Madsen, Founder, Design Director, Big South

Your first book fundamentally changed many things we do.

—Julian Matthews, Developer, The Story Group

Just finished reading #eecmsguide. Great guide! So much common sense shoved in your face. Small things that dripped out over time. #EECMS

—Black Belt Designs (@BBDOKC)

@masuga Half way through. Definitely has very good value for advanced #eecms devs. #eecmsguide

—@outofcontrol

Get the Guide to Craft CMS Development

Basic - $49

You'll get a 165 page PDF with your order.

PDF

165 page PDF. No nonsense stuff!

About the Author

Ryan Masuga

I've used Craft CMS professionally since 2013, and Masuga Design has recently started all new client projects with it - because it's very often the best tool for the job. View our Craft page for more info on Masuga Design's experience using Craft.

I live in West Michigan with my wife and three young kids.

Changelog for the Craft Guide

Version 2 (June 22, 2017)

Clarified keeping .git directories on the production server (whether in public folder or above webroot)
Fixed numerous typos. (Thanks for Andy and Jae for pointing those out.)
Improved the Table of Contents (It now showschapter names, and they're clickable right to the chapter)

Version 1 (June 16, 2017)

Initial release!