Title: Plugin Submission ZIP files
Author: Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)
Published: August 19, 2015

---

 [  ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/)
4:03 pm _on_ August 19, 2015     
Tags: [guidelines ( 27 )](https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/tag/guidelines/),
[submissions ( 2 )](https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/tag/submissions/)   

# Plugin Submission ZIP files

This comes up now and then so I thought we should have a quick post about what your
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/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/)
or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. zip should be when you submit.

Keep in mind, if we email you and tell you we cannot download or open your zip, 
please don’t just say “Well it works for me!” The fact is, we’re smart people. If
we cannot get the zip to open, there actually is a problem. Check the link and check
the zip. Attach the zip to your email reply.

**It should be a zip file**

I know, that’s obvious, but we actually force you to send a zip for a number of 
reasons. I strongly urge you NOT to use anything fancy like winrar to compress it,
because that can make your zip un-openable on Mac or Linux boxes. Protip? We all
use Mac or Linux.

**Use a real URLURL A specific web address of a website or web page on the Internet,
such as a website’s URL www.wordpress.org**

Don’t use localhost. Don’t use your dev environment. Don’t try to upload the zip.
It’s a link to where your zip is publicly accessible. No more, no less.

Be very careful when you use ‘free’ upload sites. If they open up a dozen popups,
we’re not going to risk them. We don’t like viruses.

Speaking of…

**The link should be one that’s accessible to NON-logged in users**

Bitbucket folks, this means you, eh? If you’re using 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/](https://github.com/),
you can link us to the zip they make _UNLESS_ you’re including submodules. Surprise!
Github’s autogenerated zips don’t include that. Drives me nuts. I know.

Test the URL in an incognito window, just to be sure. It takes a second and you’ll
see exactly what we see.

**The zip should be _only_ the plugin**

It should be exactly what you would upload manually to WordPress to test (which 
you did test, right?) because that’s what _we_ are going to do! Don’t include themes
or other zips or required plugins. All of those requirements should be accounted
for in your plugin by making checks and properly informing users as to what they
need to do.

By the way, please don’t nest your zips. Seriously. We see a lot of zips that have
a readme.txt and then a second zip file. That means we have to open the zip, extract
the other zip, check that it’s right, and then upload it.

[#guidelines](https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/tag/guidelines/), [#submissions](https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/tag/submissions/)

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 1. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b01ec0896d3867ba97ca655f843bce74d396f9018a844d665e5e513297930de1?
    s=32&d=mm&r=g)
 2.  [Rami Yushuvaev](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ramiy/)  4:51 pm _on_ August 19,
    2015
 3. You should add this to 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/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/)
    or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. handbook.
 4.  * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/479f05d4acc73915a43b24a1ee3f30477d4ee19bbec6a5a79906d396f2b2d2ad?
       s=32&d=mm&r=g)
     *  [Samuel Sidler](https://profiles.wordpress.org/samuelsidler/)  6:25 pm _on_
       August 27, 2015
     * I agree. 🙂 Want to add it?

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