- Code Quality:
- Themes are required not to generate any WordPress deprecated-function notices, PHP errors, warnings, or notices, HTML/CSS validation errors, or JavaScript errors.
- Functionality:
- Whether implementing required, recommended, or optional functionality, Themes are required to support proper WordPress core implementation of all included functionality.
- Template Tags and Hooks:
- Themes are required to implement WordPress template tags and hooks properly.
- WordPress-Generated CSS Classes:
- Themes are required to support WordPress-generated CSS classes.
- Theme Template Files:
- Themes are required to utilize Theme template files properly.
- Licensing:
- Themes are required to be licensed fully under a GPL-compatible license.
- Theme Name:
- Themes are required to use appropriate Theme Names.
- Credit Links:
- Themes are recommended to use credit links. If used, credit links are required to be appropriate.
- Theme Documentation:
- Themes are required to provide sufficient documentation to explain the use of any custom features or options.
- Theme Unit Tests:
- Themes are required to meet all requirements in the Theme Unit Tests
- Theme Obsolescence:
- Themes are required to be kept current once accepted into the Theme Repository
Elie 1:59 pm on December 2, 2010 Permalink
Hi there,
We recently submitted a WordPress theme – it was rejected, twice.
The first time, we received this feedback (http://themes.trac.Wordpress.org/ticket/1556)
“Review Summary
Theme cannot be accepted until items listed under Required are addressed. Once these issues have been resolved, please re-submit your Theme using the uploader tool on WordPress.org/extend/themes, and a new Trac ticket will be generated”
We followed the ticket instructions, and proceeded to resubmit – we then received another rejection, which included this feedback (http://themes.trac.Wordpress.org/ticket/1746):
“General Observations:
=> Aside from some style changes, a different width, and a new header image I am not seeing a significant difference between this theme and the default Twenty Ten theme.
=> This theme is more ‘child-theme’ than an original work. ‘Child-themes’ are not currently being approved for the repository.
– Note: It is expected a significant amount of change and obvious difference in functionality be included when using another theme as a base when submitting to the repository, please keep this in mind.”
In order to save the time of your developers and our efforts, we’d like to have some clarification regarding a couple of factors:
1) Is it that our design is not original, or distinct enough and thus it cannot be approved?
2) If we keep the same design and change the code to reflect the issues they raised will it be approved?
The last question, and less tangible (though ultimately, what would be the most helpful for us) would be:
How different should our WP theme should be in order to get accepted as a non child theme i.e. when we read “a significant amount of change and obvious difference in functionality [should] be included when using another theme as a base” could you provide us with an example of how different the functionality would need to be, in order to qualify?
We really appreciate the time you’re taking to respond, and provide us guidance. We have produced several popular WordPress themes in versions past, and we provide free support for our users – we hope, genuinely, to be able to continue to do so.
cais 3:50 pm on December 5, 2010 Permalink
@Elie – This would be better discussed on the relevant trac ticket(s), but IMO if you are asking if your theme is different enough from the original or “parent” theme to be considered then in most cases it will likely not be. A completely different layout, unique built-in widgets, the default top navigation menu above the header image, a second top navigation menu … those are just a couple of ideas that may or may not fit your design concept but would help in differentiating your theme from Twenty Ten as well as following the requirements and suggestions noted in the past trac tickets, too.