Contributing during major WordPress releases

A new version of WordPress has been released, and you’re looking to lend a hand during a time when there’s often a higher support load than average? This is wonderful!

So before we get into it, a huge thank you for wanting to take your time to help users all over the world with the problems they may encounter, if it’s with a new WordPress version, or just in general, know that you are making a difference to that person.

Essential steps before you begin

  • Install the “Also Viewing” script, this helps avoid overlapping replies on topics
  • Join the support team in #forums on Slack, this helps share and pick up information about potential recurring issues.
  • Familiarize your self with the “Master List” topic, which is always posted right after a new release, as a sticky topic in the Fixing WordPress forum. This topic contains troubleshooting steps, common issues that have been identified, and a pre-emptive set of expected questions and responses by the support team.

Top ↑

Where to give support

The forums provide an overview of topics that have not been replied to yet, commonly referred to as the “no-replies list”, which can be viewed at https://wordpress.org/support/view/no-replies/, and is a great starting point to seeing if someone has posted questions that have so far gone unanswered.

It is natural for there to be extra helping hands following a WordPress release, which means this list may become empty rather fast, but there are other venues where WordPress users seek help that we can look into.

Top ↑

Support in your native language

Firstly, do you speak a language other than English? If that’s the case, your local support community may have more questions than usual , so check out the list of support forums in other languages, maybe you could lend a hand there?

Top ↑

Supporting official plugins and themes

If not, you could always turn to plugins and themes. The no-replies list only provides an overview of general support requests, it does not include 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 and theme related topics, but they are just as important!

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/ has many official plugins and themes that often get overlooked when everyone scurries around, the default Twenty-* themes is a great example of a very public part of WordPress that gets less attention than it often warrants.

Anyone may join in and help support these valuable assets, and of course if there’s a plugin or theme that you are very familiar with, they would probably not mind you helping out their users in their support forumSupport Forum WordPress Support Forums is a place to go for help and conversations around using WordPress. Also the place to go to report issues that are caused by errors with the WordPress code and implementations. sections of WordPress.org either.

Top ↑

What if things go awry?

Whenever a new version is released, or a problem occurs on a site, users may get frustrated. We don’t know the history, this site may for example be their livelihood, they rely on it, and it is now unavailable to them.

Although the team are big fans of giving users the benefit of the doubt, and to think that they have the best intentions, you should never put your self in a situation you are uncomfortable with. Be that from the first post, or a reply within a topic, we totally understand that some go too far, and will do anything in our power to help you feel safe.

Should you at any point feel that a topic goes against the support guidelines, or you feel uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to walk away. You don’t need to tell the user, you are volunteering, and there are no expectations from you and we do not wish for you to be in a situation which makes you uneasy.

Please feel free to report any such topic, there is a report topic button in the sidebarSidebar A sidebar in WordPress is referred to a widget-ready area used by WordPress themes to display information that is not a part of the main content. It is not always a vertical column on the side. It can be a horizontal rectangle below or above the content area, footer, header, or any where in the theme. of each forum topic, your report will only be visible to the moderators of WordPress.org. You may of course also let the moderation team know in the #forums channel on Slack, or if you prefer, send a DM to one of the support admins (if you do not know who they are, please feel free to ask, it is not a secret, but there’s no public list of any admin or moderator).

Pick the way of letting us know that you are comfortable with, no issue is too small or large, if it makes you uneasy, it’s important to us.

Last updated: