{"id":5099,"date":"2026-06-13T15:16:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T15:16:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/?p=5099"},"modified":"2026-06-13T15:19:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T15:19:29","slug":"update-on-the-status-of-the-team-june-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/2026\/06\/13\/update-on-the-status-of-the-team-june-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on the status of the team \u2013 June 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-wporg-notice is-info-notice\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-wporg-notice__icon\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-wporg-notice__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>TL;DR:<\/strong> Three new reviewers have completed their onboarding and are now actively reviewing plugins. Thanks to them, and to the whole team, the review queue went from a mid-April peak of roughly <strong>1,050 plugins<\/strong> back to <strong>nearly zero<\/strong>, even as submissions hit new records. And we have great news: <strong>the application form is open again<\/strong> for a second round. <a href=\"https:\/\/forms.gle\/8AoYpRhZPNpotd7t5\">Apply here<\/a> before <strong>26 June 2026<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A quick recap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back in March we published <a href=\"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/2026\/03\/13\/contribute-to-the-plugins-team\/\">Contribute to the Plugins Team!<\/a>, where we explained that you were submitting plugins faster than ever, and that we needed more hands on deck to keep up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You answered. We received a wonderful response from the community, selected a first group of candidates, and started their training. Today we want to <strong>introduce the people who completed that process<\/strong>, show you <strong>what their contribution has already achieved<\/strong>, and let you know that the form is open again for anyone who wants to join the next round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Welcome to our new reviewers!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After roughly two months of onboarding and mentoring, three new members have joined the team and are <strong>already reviewing plugins and replying to authors every week<\/strong>. Please join us in welcoming:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.wordpress.org\/mardroid\/\">Marcel Tannich (@mardroid)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.wordpress.org\/shivashankerbhatta\/\">Shiva Shanker (@shivashankerbhatta)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.wordpress.org\/shameemreza\/\">Shameem Reza (@shameemreza)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their work has been <strong>essential to the stability of the review queue<\/strong>. Beyond the reviews themselves, having more reviewers sharing the load means other members can <strong>devote more time to projects that improve the directory for everyone<\/strong>, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/plugin-check\/\">Plugin Check<\/a> and our internal scanner tooling. A healthy queue is not just about clearing a backlog, it is what makes the rest of the team\u2019s work possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can find them, and the rest of us, on <a href=\"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/handbook\/the-team\/\">the team page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happened to the queue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The best way to thank our new contributors is to show what changed. Here is how the review queue evolved through the first half of 2026, alongside the number of new plugins you submitted each week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/files\/2026\/06\/image.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"880\" height=\"470\" src=\"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/files\/2026\/06\/image.png\" alt=\"This graph shows the number of new plugins submitted for inclusion in the directory each week from January 2024 to June 2026. A constant linear increase can be seen in 2024 and 2025. There is a sudden increase in 2026.\" class=\"wp-image-5103\" srcset=\"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/files\/2026\/06\/image.png 880w, https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/files\/2026\/06\/image-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/files\/2026\/06\/image-768x410.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 880px) 100vw, 880px\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/files\/2026\/06\/image-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"877\" height=\"466\" src=\"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/files\/2026\/06\/image-1.png\" alt=\"Plugins in the queue in 2026 up to June 2026. \nIn January it is stable around 300. In February, March and mid-April it is increasing up to around 1000 in mid-April. Then there is a sudden decrease during May and begins to increase again in June.\" class=\"wp-image-5104\" srcset=\"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/files\/2026\/06\/image-1.png 877w, https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/files\/2026\/06\/image-1-300x159.png 300w, https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/files\/2026\/06\/image-1-768x408.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 877px) 100vw, 877px\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The story in numbers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>February \u2014 the warning sign.<\/strong> The queue was already climbing: around <strong>301 plugins at the start of the month and 580 by the end<\/strong>. The existing reviewers were able to review many plugins, but not as many as you were submitting. The number of submissions in February was double that of February 2025 and quadruple that of February 2024.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>March \u2014 we asked for help.<\/strong> We opened the call for new members. Meanwhile submissions held at around <strong>500 per week<\/strong>, and the queue kept growing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>April \u2014 onboarding, peak, and recovery.<\/strong> The new reviewers joined the team in early April. By mid-April the queue reached its highest point, roughly <strong>1,050 plugins<\/strong> \u2014 and then it fell rapidly to <strong>hit zero within a few weeks<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>May \u2014 a record month.<\/strong> Submissions <strong>climbed again to a new record of around 700 per week<\/strong> (That\u2019s an increase of 2.7 times compared to 2025, and 5 times compared to 2024). This month team carried out more <span tabindex='0' class='glossary-item-container'>plugin<span class='glossary-item-hidden-content'><span class='glossary-item-header'>Plugin<\/span> <span class='glossary-item-description'>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/\">https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/<\/a> or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party.<\/span><\/span><\/span> reviews than ever before and by a wide margin: nearly <strong>3,000 initial reviews in a single month<\/strong>. For perspective, that\u2019s about <strong>5% of the entire directory<\/strong>. In the same month a year earlier, the figure was around 1,100.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In other words: the team absorbed a <strong>rising tide of submissions<\/strong> and <strong>cleared a huge backlog at the same time<\/strong>. This was achieved thanks to the efforts of both existing and new team members. You are still increasing the number of plugins you submit, and besides plugin reviews we also have many more emails to manage regarding all kind of queries about the directory, its use and guidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI helps \u2014 but people are essential<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ve continued to lean on automated tooling to make reviews faster, and AI-assisted checks did help us handle this volume. But we want to be clear about something: <strong>these tools support reviewers; they don\u2019t replace them<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Judgement calls, conversations with authors, security context, manage of guideline violations and the many edge cases that don\u2019t fit a pattern all still depend on <strong>experienced humans<\/strong>. This is a combination of tooling and committed people working together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The application form is open again<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team is in better shape, but submissions keep increasing, <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/news\/2026\/06\/pts\/\">we have new challenges ahead<\/a> and want to be future-proof. As we announced in March, we\u2019re opening a <strong>second round<\/strong> of applications. If you\u2019d like to help keep the plugin directory healthy, secure, and reliable for the millions of sites that depend on it, we\u2019d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are still two ways to contribute:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>As a volunteer reviewer<\/strong> \u2014 you can help reviewing plugins, replying to authors, and helping us improve our processes. Our team will guide and train you; the training period takes about two months. <a href=\"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/2026\/03\/13\/contribute-to-the-plugins-team\/\">Tasks and requirements are mentioned on the original post<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>As a sponsoring organization<\/strong> \u2014 by contributing the time of people from your organization, or by supporting volunteers who are (or could be) on the team. If you don\u2019t know anyone to sponsor, we\u2019ll help you find them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The deadline to apply for this round is 26 June 2026.<\/strong> <br><em>If you already submitted it back in March, you don\u2019t need to do it again, we have your submission and it will be taken into account.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/forms.gle\/8AoYpRhZPNpotd7t5\"><strong>I want to apply to join the Plugins Team \u00bb<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thank you<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To Marcel, Shiva, and Shameem: thank you for the time, care, and energy you\u2019ve already put in. To the reviewers who mentored them, the rest of the team and to the sponsors who help volunteers to devote their time and cover costs such as the intensive use of AI: thank you. And to everyone who submits and maintain plugins making the plugins directory a trusted place for extending WordPress\u2019s functionality.<\/p>\n<nav class='o2-post-footer-actions'><ul class='o2-post-footer-action-row'><li class='o2-post-footer-action'><a href=\"https:\/\/login.wordpress.org\/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fmake.wordpress.org%2Fplugins%2F2026%2F06%2F13%2Fupdate-on-the-status-of-the-team-june-2026%2F%23respond&#038;locale=en_US\" title=\"Login to Reply\"  class=\"genericon  genericon-reply\"  data-action=\"login-to-reply\"  data-actionstate=\"default\" >Login to Reply<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='o2-post-footer-action-likes'><\/div><ul class='o2-post-footer-action-row'><\/ul><\/nav>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A quick recap Back in March we published Contribute to the Plugins Team!, where we explained that you were submitting plugins faster than ever, and that we needed more hands on deck to keep up. You answered. We received a wonderful response from the community, selected a first group of candidates, and started their training. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8967770,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5099","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","mentions-nilambar","author-frantorres"],"revision_note":"","jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p29geH-1kf","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5099","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8967770"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5099"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5099\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5106,"href":"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5099\/revisions\/5106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}