Review a Theme

Theme reviewers help theme authors get their themes into the official WordPress theme directory. You’ll install and test themes, review code for security issues, and confirm GPLGPL GPL is an acronym for GNU Public License. It is the standard license WordPress uses for Open Source licensing https://wordpress.org/about/license/. The GPL is a ‘copyleft’ license https://www.gnu.org/licenses/copyleft.en.html. This means that derivative work can only be distributed under the same license terms. This is in distinction to permissive free software licenses, of which the BSD license and the MIT License are widely used examples. compatibility — all of which keep the directory safe and high-quality for everyone.

Reference: Onboarding for new reviewers — the full process from setup to first review
Connect: Join #themes on SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/ and introduce yourself. Attend meetings if possible, or read meeting notes.

Steps

Set up your review environment. Open the Theme Review Environment in Playground — it comes pre-configured with the tools you need.
Complete the reviewer onboarding. Work through the reviewer onboarding guide to understand the full review process.
Select a theme to review. Follow the theme selection guide. Focus on license compliance and security, not design, unless something is broken or unusable.
Post your review. Comment on the ticket using the suggested ticket format.
Follow up on responses. Leave the ticket open and watch for replies. The author may submit several updates for you to re-review. Approve the theme once it passes all requirements.

Contribution checklist

Completed the reviewer onboarding guide
Reviewed the theme for license and security issues
Posted review using the suggested ticket format
Responded to any follow-up from the author

What happens next

An experienced reviewer will look over the ticket once you’ve completed your review. You may be asked follow-up questions, or the admins will add the theme to the directory.

After enough reviews, you’ll be added to the Reviewers group, which lets you assign and close tickets yourself.