DEV Community: Robert Saylor

Recovering a Hacked WordPress Site and Rebuilding It with Laravel

Robert Saylor — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:16:15 +0000

Recently I was brought into a project involving a legacy WordPress website that had suffered a security incident. By the time I got access, parts of the site were no longer functioning correctly, content was missing, and the overall platform had become difficult to maintain.

At Custom PHP Design, we frequently help businesses modernize aging websites and web applications, but this project presented a unique challenge: recovering years of content while rebuilding the platform from the ground up.

The client wanted to preserve as much content as possible while moving to a more maintainable and secure platform.

Rather than attempting another WordPress recovery, we decided to rebuild the site entirely using Laravel.

Assessing the Damage

The first step was determining what could be recovered.

While portions of the site's database were available, the content was incomplete. Some pages existed only in archived versions of the website, while others had been modified or removed over time.

The challenge wasn't just rebuilding the application—it was reconstructing years of content.

Leveraging the Wayback Machine

One of the most valuable tools during the recovery process was the Wayback Machine.

Archived snapshots allowed us to:

Recover missing pages
Verify historical content
Rebuild navigation structures
Restore articles that were no longer present in backups
Cross-reference content against available database records

Many developers think of the Wayback Machine as a research tool, but in this case it became an essential part of the disaster recovery process.

Without those archived snapshots, a significant amount of content would have been permanently lost.

Why We Chose Laravel

Once we had a recovery strategy, the next decision was selecting a platform.

We chose Laravel because it provided:

A modern application architecture
Strong security defaults
Flexible routing
Better long-term maintainability
Full control over the data model
Simplified deployment workflows

Instead of fitting the project back into WordPress, Laravel allowed us to build exactly what the client needed.

Building the Migration Process

The migration involved more than simply importing content.

We had to:

Extract recovered content
Clean legacy HTML
Normalize URLs
Rebuild internal links
Restore media references
Generate SEO-friendly slugs
Validate imported records

To speed up the process, we built custom import scripts that transformed recovered content into Laravel models.

Automation handled the repetitive work while manual review ensured content quality.

Preserving Search Visibility

A major concern during any rebuild is SEO.

To minimize disruption, we focused on:

Preserving URL structures where possible
Implementing redirects
Generating XML sitemaps
Adding canonical URLs
Creating structured data
Maintaining internal linking

By treating SEO as part of the migration rather than an afterthought, we were able to launch the new platform without sacrificing discoverability.

Lessons Learned

A few things stood out during this project:

Backups Aren't Always Enough

Many organizations assume they can recover quickly from backups, but gaps often exist.

Archive Services Can Be Invaluable

The Wayback Machine provided access to content that was unavailable elsewhere.

Rebuilding Can Be More Efficient Than Repairing

In some situations, continuing to patch a heavily customized legacy system costs more than rebuilding on a modern framework.

Security and Maintainability Matter

Moving to Laravel gave the client a platform that was easier to secure, update, and extend.

Modern Frameworks Provide Long-Term Flexibility

By rebuilding the application in Laravel, the client now has a platform that can continue to evolve as business requirements change without being constrained by legacy plugins or themes.

Final Thoughts

This project started as a recovery effort but became an opportunity to modernize an aging platform.

By combining archived content from the Wayback Machine with custom migration tooling and a Laravel rebuild, we were able to preserve years of valuable content while delivering a faster, more maintainable application.

Sometimes the best recovery plan isn't restoring what existed before—it's building something better.

At Custom PHP Design, we specialize in Laravel development, legacy PHP modernization, AWS infrastructure, and custom web application development. Projects like this demonstrate how the right recovery strategy can turn a difficult situation into an opportunity to build a stronger, more secure platform for the future.

Modernizing a 10+ Year Old PHP Application into Laravel 12 (Historical Text Archive Case Study)

Robert Saylor — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 23:14:13 +0000

When you inherit a PHP application that has been running for over a decade, stability and technical debt often grow together.

That was the situation with the Historical Text Archive (HTA), a long-running content site containing hundreds of historical articles, primary sources, and educational material.

Over time, the original codebase became harder to maintain, harder to extend, and increasingly difficult to integrate with modern tooling.

Rather than continue patching the legacy system, we decided to modernize the platform using Laravel 12 while preserving the data structure and URLs that search engines already trust.

HTA is publicly available here:

https://historicaltextarchive.org

Goals of the Migration

We wanted to improve:

maintainability
security
search functionality
extensibility
performance
developer experience

while keeping:

existing URLs intact
article IDs stable
database structure understandable
SEO authority preserved

Challenges of Legacy PHP

The original application was built more than 10 years ago using procedural PHP and a MySQL database.

Common issues we encountered:

mixed business logic and presentation
limited separation of concerns
manual SQL queries everywhere
inconsistent naming conventions
limited testability
difficulty adding new features
older authentication approach

Despite these limitations, the schema itself was solid. The database structure had aged well, making it a good candidate for migration.

Migration Strategy

Instead of rewriting everything at once, we focused on incremental modernization.

High-level approach:

export existing database schema
generate Laravel migrations from schema
generate Eloquent models
replicate core functionality
preserve routes and URLs
add modern features
improve search capabilities

This approach reduced risk and allowed the application to remain functional during development.

Step 1: Converting SQL Schema into Laravel Migrations

We started with a schema.sql dump from the legacy application.

From there we generated Laravel migration files that recreated the structure in a fresh database.

Benefits:

version controlled schema
easier onboarding for future developers
consistent database structure across environments
rollback capability

Example migration:

Schema::create('articles', function (Blueprint $table) {
    $table->increments('artid');
    $table->integer('secid')->index();
    $table->string('title');
    $table->date('published')->nullable();
    $table->text('body');
});

Step 2: Generating Eloquent Models

Once migrations were in place, we created Eloquent models for each major table.

Example:

class Article extends Model
{
    protected $primaryKey = 'artid';

    protected $fillable = [
        'title',
        'secid',
        'published',
        'body'
    ];

    public function section()
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(Section::class, 'secid');
    }
}

Benefits:

structured ORM relationships
simplified queries
reusable logic
easier refactoring

Step 3: Preserving SEO-Friendly URLs

One of the most important requirements was preserving search engine rankings.

Many HTA articles have been indexed for years.

Breaking URLs would:

reduce search visibility
lose backlinks
create poor user experience

We maintained existing routes wherever possible:

Route::get('/articles/{artid}/{slug?}', [ArticleController::class, 'show']);

This allowed legacy URLs to continue working without redirects.

Step 4: Improving Search

Search is central to any archive.

The legacy system used simple SQL queries which worked but were limited.

Laravel makes it easier to:

expand search fields
add filters
build indexing logic
support future AI categorization

Example search query:

Article::query()
    ->where('title', 'like', "%{$search}%")
    ->orWhere('body', 'like', "%{$search}%")
    ->paginate(20);

Future improvements may include:

full text indexing
semantic search
tagging automation
historical topic clustering

Step 5: Modern Development Workflow

Laravel provides a modern toolkit:

migrations
artisan CLI
blade templates
validation rules
routing system
middleware
queue support
testing tools

Example artisan usage:

php artisan migrate
php artisan make:model Article
php artisan make:controller ArticleController

Development is now faster and more consistent.

Step 6: Preparing for Future Features

With Laravel in place, HTA can now expand into:

newsletter automation
"On this day in history" article discovery
improved article categorization
editorial workflow improvements
API endpoints
AI assisted tagging
advanced search capabilities

Because the foundation is now structured, new features are significantly easier to implement.

Key Takeaways

Migrating a legacy PHP application does not require abandoning everything.

In many cases:

the database design is still valuable
the content is still valuable
the domain authority is still valuable

Laravel allows modernization without losing what already works.

For HTA, the result is a platform that keeps its historical depth while gaining modern flexibility.

Live Site

https://historicaltextarchive.org

If you are working with a legacy PHP application, start with:

database migration
model structure
route preservation

Modernization can happen incrementally without disrupting users.

Sometimes the best upgrade is not replacing everything, but building a better foundation underneath what already exists.

VidShare Just Got Approved for Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok 🎉

Robert Saylor — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:10:28 +0000

This week was a big milestone for VidShare.

After weeks of development, testing, and API reviews, VidShare is now approved to publish video content to Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, bringing us closer to the goal of making video distribution simple again.

VidShare started with a simple idea:

Upload once, shape the post, and publish across your video stack.

Creators shouldn’t have to upload the same video 5+ times just to stay consistent online.

And now, that workflow is finally becoming reality.

Why This Matters

Publishing video content across multiple platforms is still surprisingly manual.

Even experienced creators often:

Export the same video multiple times
Resize or tweak captions per platform
Upload separately to each social network
Try to keep everything scheduled consistently

This repetitive work slows creators down and makes consistency harder than it should be.

Social media scheduling tools have existed for years, helping marketers plan and publish content more efficiently across channels.

VidShare focuses specifically on video-first creators, simplifying the process of distributing video content across multiple platforms from one place.

Newly Approved Platforms

This week, VidShare received approval for:

Facebook video publishing
Instagram video publishing
TikTok draft publishing
LinkedIn video publishing (already available)
YouTube publishing
Pinterest video support
Additional platforms including Bluesky and Mastodon

With these approvals, creators can now manage most of their core video distribution workflow from a single dashboard.

Current Workflow Inside VidShare

The workflow is intentionally simple:

Upload your video once
Customize captions for each platform if needed
Choose publish time or schedule
VidShare distributes the content automatically

No more jumping between apps just to post the same content repeatedly.

TikTok Draft Support

One of the most requested features has been TikTok support.

TikTok’s API review process is known to be more restrictive than other platforms, particularly around content publishing permissions.

Instead of immediately publishing videos publicly, VidShare currently supports sending videos directly to the user's TikTok drafts inbox, giving creators full control before posting.

This provides a balance between automation and creative flexibility.

Why We Built VidShare

VidShare was created after experiencing the same frustration many creators have:

Uploading the same video repeatedly across platforms wastes time that could be spent creating better content.

Many existing tools focus heavily on analytics or enterprise workflows.

VidShare focuses on:

simplicity
speed
creator-first workflow
AI-assisted optimization
reducing repetitive tasks

The goal is not to replace creativity, but to remove friction.

What’s Next

Now that major platform approvals are in place, the roadmap becomes clearer.

Upcoming areas of exploration include:

improved scheduling workflows
bulk upload capabilities
expanded AI optimization tools
deeper integrations with additional platforms
improved creator discovery features

One step at a time.

Build in Public

VidShare is still early, but momentum is building quickly.

Recent milestones include:

Multi-platform publishing support
AI-assisted captions and descriptions
unified video calendar
OAuth integrations across major platforms
creator-focused workflow design

And now:

Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok approval.

Try VidShare

If you create video content and want to simplify distribution:

VidShare is designed to help you stay consistent without increasing workload.

Upload once. Publish everywhere.

Introducing Get Discovered: A New Way for Creators to Grow with VidShare

Robert Saylor — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:15:49 +0000

If you’ve ever uploaded content and felt like it just… disappeared into the void—you’re not alone.

One of the hardest parts of being a creator today isn’t making content.

It’s getting noticed.

That’s exactly why we built something new inside VidShare:

👉 Get Discovered*
https://vidshare.us/get-discovered

🎯 The Problem

Creators today are everywhere—YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest… the list never ends.

Tools like VidShare already help solve one big issue:
upload once, distribute everywhere.

But distribution alone doesn’t solve visibility.

Because even if your content is everywhere…
it still has to compete with everything else.

💡 The Idea Behind Get Discovered

We wanted to flip the script.

Instead of chasing algorithms, what if creators had a dedicated space to be seen?

Get Discovered is exactly that:

A place where creators can feature themselves
A system where visibility is earned through engagement
A platform designed to help creators grow their audience organically

🔥 How It Works

Here’s the core concept:

1. Creators Sign Up (Free)

Anyone can create an account and join the discovery system.

2. Get Featured

Creators are scheduled into a featured window where they get visibility.

3. Community Voting

During that time:

Users can upvote creators
The most engaging creators rise to the top

4. Follow & Grow

Visitors can:

Click into creator profiles
Follow them on their platforms
Discover new content worth watching

🧠 Why This Matters

Most platforms are built around algorithms.

Get Discovered is built around:

People
Community
Fair exposure

It creates a level playing field where:

New creators can compete
Small creators can be seen
Great content actually has a chance to win

🔗 Built to Work With Your Existing Content

This isn’t another platform you have to “start over” on.

It works alongside everything you’re already doing:

Upload once with VidShare
Distribute everywhere
Then use Get Discovered to drive attention back to you

🚀 What’s Next

This is just the beginning.

We’re exploring:

Leaderboards
Creator tiers
Featured categories
Deeper analytics

👉 Try It Out

If you’re a content creator looking to grow your audience:

Check it out here:
https://vidshare.us/get-discovered

I Build a Tool to Stop Uploading the Same Video 5 Times

Robert Saylor — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 11:01:24 +0000

As a developer and a content creator, I ran into a problem that felt way more painful than it should be:

Uploading the same video… over and over… to different platforms.

My workflow looked like this:

Upload to YouTube
Upload again to Pinterest
Upload again to Twitch
Upload again to Mastodon
Upload again to Bluesky

Every. Single. Time.

It wasn’t just repetitive — it made it harder to stay consistent.

The Real Problem Isn’t Uploading — It’s Friction

At first, I thought the issue was just “too many platforms.”

But after doing this repeatedly, I realized something deeper:

The real problem is friction between platforms.

Each platform:

has its own upload flow
its own UI
its own quirks
its own timing

Even small differences add up.

And when posting becomes annoying, consistency drops.

What I Built (For Myself First)

So I built a tool called VidShare.

The idea is simple:

Upload once → distribute everywhere.

Instead of repeating the same process 5 times, I wanted a single workflow:

Upload video once
Select platforms
Let the system handle the rest

What Works Today

Right now, VidShare supports:

YouTube
Pinterest
Twitch
Mastodon
Bluesky

Some platforms were easy.

Others… not so much.

The Hardest Part Wasn’t the Code

Surprisingly, building the system wasn’t the hardest part.

Getting platform approvals was.

If you’ve ever worked with APIs like Meta or TikTok, you already know:

strict permission reviews
unclear requirements
multiple submission cycles

At one point, I had to build an entire UI just to prove I was using a permission correctly.

What I Learned Building This

1. Repetition is a product opportunity

If something feels annoying every time you do it, there’s probably a product hiding there.

2. APIs are the real bottleneck

You can build fast — but approvals slow everything down.

3. Consistency beats perfection

Making it easier to post consistently is more valuable than optimizing each post individually.

Where This Is Going

I’m currently working through approvals for:

Facebook
Instagram
TikTok

Once those are in, the workflow becomes much more powerful.

Final Thought

Most creators don’t struggle with making content.

They struggle with distributing it efficiently.

That’s the problem I’m trying to solve.

If you're dealing with the same issue, I’d love to hear how you're handling multi-platform posting.

Are you doing it manually, or using tools to streamline it?

If you're dealing with the same problem, you can check it out here:

👉 https://vidshare.us

Would love to hear how you're handling multi-platform posting.

I got tired of uploading videos to multiple platforms, so I built this

Robert Saylor — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:33:53 +0000

If you create video content, you probably know this workflow:

Record or edit a video

Upload to YouTube

Then upload the same video to TikTok

Then Instagram

Then maybe Pinterest or others

Each platform has its own process, formatting, scheduling, and quirks.

What should be simple turns into a repetitive, time-consuming task.

I ran into this myself after growing a small audience on TikTok. When I started posting to YouTube and other platforms, I realized I was spending more time uploading and managing posts than actually creating content.

And it only gets worse as you scale.

The problem isn’t creating content anymore — it’s distributing it.

So I built a tool to solve that.

VidShare is a platform that lets you upload your video once and distribute it across multiple platforms without repeating the same steps over and over.

Instead of:
Upload → configure → post → repeat

It becomes:
Upload once → select platforms → schedule → done

The goal isn’t to replace any platform, but to remove the friction between them.

Right now, creators are stitching together workflows manually, even though the content is often the same across platforms.

It feels like something that should have been solved already.

I’m still early in building this, and currently looking for creators who want to test it and give feedback.

If you’re dealing with the same problem, I’d genuinely like to hear how you’re handling it today.

Also curious — do you think this is something platforms will eventually solve themselves, or will third-party tools always fill the gap?

If you want to check it out or try it:
https://vidshare.us