About Me
Hi, I’m Jose Mortellaro, a freelance WordPress developer based in Menorca. I specialize in building powerful, lightweight, and purpose-driven WordPress plugins that solve real problems for site owners, developers, and agencies.
With over a decade of experience in the WordPress ecosystem, I’ve shared more than 50 plugins on the official repository, installed on more than 45,000 websites worldwide.
Over the years, I’ve transitioned from a mechanical engineer to a skilled WordPress developer.
In my previous career, I worked on engine combustion systems for vehicles like the Ducato, Daily, various excavators, and agricultural machinery such as those from John Deere and CNH. I worked in cities like Turin, St. Gallen, and Fribourg. During this time, I developed the problem-solving mindset and attention to performance that I now apply to speeding up websites and building WordPress plugins.
In 2016, my wife and I decided to leave Switzerland and move to Ibiza, Spain. That’s when I decided to dive into web development.
After a year of preparation, we were ready to begin a new chapter. We packed our Fiat Multipla with the essentials, brought along our two daughters and three dogs, and started our journey.
Working alongside my wife, I co-founded several projects — including the Freesoul WordPress theme and builder, which powered countless websites — and later developed many plugins that are now used worldwide.
What I Do
Plugin Development
I build and maintain custom plugins with a focus on performance, clean code, and real-world usability.
Here are some of my most popular plugins on the official WordPress repository:
- Freesoul Deactivate Plugins — disable unused plugins on specific pages for better speed. 9,000+ active installs.
- Lazy Load Control For Elementor — manage background image lazy loading in Elementor. 20,000+ active installs.
- Specific Content For Mobile — show different content on mobile and desktop. 5,000+ active installs.
- Essential Form — lightweight contact form plugin. 400+ active installs.
- PlugVersions — easily roll back to previous versions, including PRO plugins. 1,000+ active installs.
- Hide Tooltips On Hover — remove annoying tooltips from links. 3,000+ active installs.
- Mu Manager — manage must-use plugins easily from the dashboard. 600+ active installs.
More than 45,000 websites around the world use at least one of my plugins.
Performance Optimization
I help WordPress sites run faster and smoother by:
- Disabling plugin bloat (with FDP)
- Conducting custom performance audits
- Implementing advanced lazy loading, script management, and theme tuning
AI Integration for WordPress
I develop and offer AI-powered solutions for WordPress, including:
- Custom AI integrations using OpenAI and similar APIs
- AI-powered quoting systems
- Smart content generation tools
- Optimized AI-based internal search engines
- And much more…
Main Projects
Freesoul Deactivate Plugins — Allows even complex websites with many plugins to achieve the performance of a lightweight site.
Aurorem — Dedicated to helping users integrate AI into their WordPress websites.
My Blog — I share WordPress tips and thoughts. If you’re tired of reading the same things everywhere, my blog might be the right place for you.
Specific Content For Mobile — Enables tailored content, design, and layout specifically for mobile users.
Content No Cache — Lets you use full-page caching even in situations where it’s usually not possible.
Main Skills & Tech Stack
- Advanced WordPress Plugin Development
- PHP, JavaScript, HTML, CSS
- REST API Integrations
- Custom Blocks for Elementor and Gutenberg
- eCommerce Customizations
- AI APIs (OpenAI, DeepSeek, etc.)
- Performance Optimization
How I Work
- I write clean, documented, and maintainable code
- I build for performance and real-world usage
- I collaborate with agencies and clients to deliver custom solutions
Let’s Work Together
Need a custom plugin? Want to integrate AI into your WordPress site? Looking for performance tuning?