hub-insurance/.agents/skills/wp-plugin-development/references/data-and-cron.md

Data storage, cron, and upgrades

Use this file when adding persistent storage, background jobs, or upgrade routines.

Data storage

• Prefer Options API for small config/state.
• Use custom tables only when needed; store schema version and provide upgrade paths.

Cron

• Ensure tasks are idempotent (may run late or multiple times).
• Provide a manual trigger path for debugging (WP-CLI or admin-only action).

Database safety note

If using $wpdb->prepare(), avoid building queries with concatenated user input. Recent WordPress versions support identifier placeholders (%i) but you must not assume it exists without checking capabilities or target versions.