Update Theme Check Plugin Documentation

Function: Write
Type: Project
Level: Beginner

Review the Theme Check pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. handbook page, identify what’s outdated or missing, and draft improvements for the Themes team. The handbook page is the go-to reference for theme reviewers, and keeping it accurate helps the entire theme review process run smoothly.

Before you start

Complete the common setup first, then:

Setup: Set up WordPress Playground and install the Theme Check plugin
Read: Read through the Theme Check plugin handbook page and the broader Theme Review page so you understand how Theme Check fits into the review process
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

Steps

Familiarize yourself with the plugin. Install a theme in Playground and run Theme Check against it. Explore what the plugin checks, what it flags, and how the results are presented.
Compare the plugin to the handbook. Read through the Theme Check plugin handbook page and note anything that’s outdated, inaccurate, missing, or unclear. Compare what the plugin actually does against what the handbook says.
Research the plugin’s current state. Review the Theme Check GitHub repository for recent changes, open issues, or new checks that may not be reflected in the handbook.
Draft your improvements. Write your updated version of the handbook page in a Google Doc or WordPress post. Below are some known issues to get you started, but don’t limit yourself to these. If you spot other ways to improve the page, include them.
Known issues to address:
- The page displays an “Information on this page may be out of date” warning and was last updated in November 2020
- Broken links to the old GitHubGitHub GitHub is a website that offers online implementation of git repositories that can easily be shared, copied and modified by other developers. Public repositories are free to host, private repositories require a paid subscription. GitHub introduced the concept of the ‘pull request’ where code changes done in branches by contributors can be reviewed and discussed before being merged by the repository owner. https://github.com/ repository (Otto42/theme-check) need updating to the current WordPress/theme-check repo
- The page lists checks with little context about what each one does, why it matters, or what a theme author should do if they fail
- There are no installation or usage instructions for the plugin
- There are no screenshots or examples showing what Theme Check output looks like
- Some sections are raw GitHub links rather than actual documentation
- There is no mention of how checks apply to blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. themes vs classic themes
Share your draft for review. Post a link to your draft in #themes on Slack and ask the Themes team to review it. A team member with handbook access will apply the changes once approved.

Contribution checklist

Theme Check tested in Playground and compared against the handbook page
Outdated, missing, or inaccurate content identified
Draft improvements written up in a Google Doc or WordPress post
Draft shared in #themes for review

What happens next

A Themes team member will review your draft and may suggest changes or ask questions. Once approved, someone with handbook access will update the page. If there’s no response after two weeks, follow up in #themes.

This page benefits from periodic review, particularly after major plugin updates or WordPress releases. If you’d like to check back in a few months, your familiarity with the page will make future reviews quicker.