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, and is an official Craft Partner. 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 your Craft 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.

Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Practical Development
Chapter 3 Security
Chapter 4: Setting Up Craft
Chapter 5: Version Control
Chapter 6: Updating Craft
Chapter 7: Customization
Chapter 8: Optimizing Craft
Chapter 9: Coming From ExpressionEngine
Chapter 10: Matrix and Long Form Content
Conclusion
Craft CMS Resources

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 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.

What Readers Say

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