Title: Bounces, AutoReplies, and You Author: Ipstenu (Mika Epstein) Published: December 17, 2018 --- [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 9:25 pm _on_ December 17, 2018 Tags: [email ( 7 )](https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/tag/email/), [reminder ( 30 )](https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/tag/reminder/)    # Bounces, AutoReplies, and You Over 150 plugins were closed during WCUS due to auto replies, bounces, and confusing 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. ownership. In our [plugin developer expectations](https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-org/detailed-plugin-guidelines/#developer-expectations), we say this: > It is the responsibility of the plugin developer to ensure their contact information > on WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created > and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress > core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations > and organization. [https://wordpress.org/](https://wordpress.org/) is up to date > and accurate, in order that they receive all notifications from the plugins team. > Auto-replies and emails that route to a support system are not permitted as they > historically prevent humans from addressing emails in a timely fashion. Your email _has to work_. If we can’t get a hold of you, we’re going to either remove you from your plugin or, if you’re the owner, close it. This is especially true if we can’t figure out who’s meant to own a plugin, or the ‘official’ company account is bouncing. If your email sends an auto-reply, or a partial bounce (that is, you have a group email and one address in the group bounces) we **ALWAYS** email you with as much detail as needed to resolve the issue. Since we sent out a mass email in October, pre 5.0, and another last week, we had a 50 day window for many people to correct the issues. Let’s hit up some of the reasons why we do this: **Auto-Replies are a bad _developer_ practice** Two reasons, besides the fact that they’re spammy, that a developer account should never auto-reply: 1. Security 2. Communication Security is the biggest. An auto-reply generally comes from a SUPPORT account. A support account should NEVER be receiving our emails because they’re likely to be related to insecurity in your plugins. We don’t 0-day you, ever, that would be cruel. We want you to fix things ASAP, though, for your users, and if support gets that message, now you have more people, who may not understand not to tell customers about the problems. Also we have no way to be sure the developer got the email. You’re trusting support to escalate properly every time. Communication is obviously related. We’ve got to be able to get a hold of you, and putting layers between us and you isn’t going to help. **Auto-replies cause developers to not get notifications** We actually DO inform everyone about the status of auto-replies. Once we determine what plugin causes the reply, we email _everyone_ with commit access (i.e. your developers) that there is a problem and to please resolve it. The fact that a high number of you aren’t seeing those emails is indicative of the problem. **Developers aren’t support** For the majority of plugins, this is actually not true. That is, most people are developers and their own support. But those aren’t the people who make auto-replies. The people who have auto-replies tend to be _companies_. And for a company, there’s a reason they want the auto-replies for people contacting support. That’s perfectly sensible. The disconnect here is that _we_ expect the people who have commit access to be developers. We Thankfully we have a solution for you! You can add your support users as [Support Representatives](https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-org/special-user-roles-capabilities/#support-rep) for your plugin! **WordPress isn’t your user** All of that said, having an auto-reply on the account you use _here_ to manage your plugin and support your users creates a poor experience. People can’t email you from WordPress.org and while you can chose to get emails for all new posts in your plugin’s forum, having that sent to an auto-reply is rather odd. Why would you want to auto-reply to an automated notification email? **Shared accounts are dangerous** This goes back to security. Don’t share accounts. NEVER share accounts. Give developers individual access to commit code. Add support reps individually. Doing this gives you an easy way to track who commits what code, who answered what question, and you can now hold them accountable for their individual actions! Got one support tech who goes off the rails? You can explain that it was one person and you’re handling it. Or the forums team can help you 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. their account if needed. **Bounces are harder to unravel than you think** Sometimes a bounce is obvious. If a user no longer exists, we can close the plugin. If a domain no longer exists, you’d think we could close it, but what if that happened because a company renamed themselves and forgot to update the emails? And what about when the bounce is from the domain, but doesn’t say _WHICH_ user account bounced? It takes time. We know a handful of people have been upset to find out we closed their plugins instead of trying to sort out who actually should own the plugin when the email bounced. We are sorry about that, but it was a case of prioritizing and expediency. It’s much more efficient for us to close the plugin and let you contact us than to spend a couple hours untangling who represents a company and is legally responsible for managing a plugin. **Questions?** As always, if your plugin was closed and you don’t know why, email us with a link to the plugin and ask. We’d rather have them up and active and usable too! [#reminder](https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/tag/reminder/) [#email](https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/tag/email/) ### Share this: * [ Threads ](https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/2018/12/17/bounces-autoreplies-and-you/?share=threads) * [ Mastodon ](https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/2018/12/17/bounces-autoreplies-and-you/?share=mastodon) * [ Bluesky ](https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/2018/12/17/bounces-autoreplies-and-you/?share=bluesky) * [ X ](https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/2018/12/17/bounces-autoreplies-and-you/?share=x) * [ Facebook ](https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/2018/12/17/bounces-autoreplies-and-you/?share=facebook) * [ LinkedIn ](https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/2018/12/17/bounces-autoreplies-and-you/?share=linkedin) 1. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/408517ca1720114b04648d1738d17a428e84e8b32c22cda8a0d439d9a7822647? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 2. [Brad Davis](https://profiles.wordpress.org/brad-davis/) 3:41 am _on_ December 19, 2018 3. Hi Ipstenu, The plugins that have been closed, could it be possible to add them to a adopt me tag but not currently able to be installed? Or is there a list anywhere for others to pick up? 4. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 5:04 pm _on_ December 21, 2018 * There isn’t a list (I only kept a list of the emails that bounced and not the related plugins). FWIW the majority are either not ones anyone would care to adopt (out of date for current WP) or owned by companies (which we generally don’t permit adoption of due to ownership concerns). - ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/de21c2c51106372a159cf21ca20d17c5f16987b95774a4e18d77864319b5dbf4? s=32&d=mm&r=g) - [zuda](https://profiles.wordpress.org/zuda/) 9:40 am _on_ December 30, 2018 - Mika, My company adopts any 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. and we manage them. If people believe it’s worth using it, we believe it’s worth maintaining it. To your second point, maintaining also means making it compliant to the latest version of WP. Your 3rd point is interesting in regards to companies 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/](https://wordpress.org/about/license/). The GPL is a ‘copyleft’ license [https://www.gnu.org/licenses/copyleft.en.html](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. code. Is there a clause in the GPL we’ve missed? The GPL doesn’t appear to have any clause that would provide special provisions for companies who have GPL code over individuals who have GPL code, so I don’t fully understand that concern, unless it simply comes down to not wanting to deal with their legal teams. - Thanks for the great work, you know I appreciate it! * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 5: 36 pm _on_ December 31, 2018 * It’s nothing to do with 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/](https://wordpress.org/about/license/). The GPL is a ‘copyleft’ license [https://www.gnu.org/licenses/copyleft.en.html](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.. There are legal issues around copyright, trademark, and more. But keep this in mind: GPL doesn’t mean we get to ignore contract law 🙂 * You can fork the 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., but we probably aren’t going to give it back to you since legal ownership of the plugin directory ( not the plugin code, the directory and accounts hosted HERE) aren’t yours. 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