[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #65095: Introduce Application Mode (DISABLE_BLOG) to disable post/blog features for secure non-CMS usage

[WordPress Trac]

#65095: Introduce Application Mode (DISABLE_BLOG) to disable post/blog features for
secure non-CMS usage
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 Reporter:  dramitstalbot                        |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  feature request                      |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal                               |   Milestone:  Awaiting
                                                 |  Review
Component:  General                              |     Version:
 Severity:  normal                               |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  feature-request needs-design-        |     Focuses:  rest-api,
  feedback                                       |  performance
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Comment (by dramitstalbot):

 Thank you @joshuadnelson — really appreciate the response and willingness
 to explore this in core.

 I reviewed the Disable Blog plugin, and it aligns closely with the
 direction I had in mind. However, from a framework perspective, I believe
 having a native core-level flag would be more reliable and secure,
 especially for applications in regulated domains like healthcare.

 In my HMIS use case, WordPress is used strictly as an application
 framework, where:

 * No post types are required
 * REST endpoints for posts are unnecessary
 * Minimizing attack surface is critical

 I’d be happy to help with:

 * Testing edge cases
 * Identifying which components can be conditionally skipped
 * Providing real-world constraints from healthcare deployments

 @knutsp — I completely agree regarding Progressive Web App (PWA)
 functionality. In fact, combining an “Application Mode” with basic PWA
 support (manifest + service worker hooks) could make WordPress a very
 strong foundation for modern web applications beyond CMS use.

 Perhaps a phased approach could work:

 1. Application Mode (disable blog features)
 2. Optional PWA bootstrap support in core

 Happy to collaborate further and help move this forward.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/65095#comment:3>
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