FAQ

Here you’ll find a collection of the most commonly asked questions, mostly relating to the theme review process.

The questions have been categorized into two groups. Those which are most relevant to theme authors, and those which are most relevant to theme reviewers.

Authors:

When will my theme be reviewed?

The review duration varies. Each theme is reviewed manually, line by line, so there is no precise timeframe on when your theme will be reviewed. Themes are reviewed on a first come first serve basis, you can keep track of your themes position in the queue here:

https://themes.trac.wordpress.org/report/2

Can I recommend plugins with TGMPA?

Yes. Any plugins that are recommended must be from the 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/ 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 repository. Plugins from 3rd party sites or bundling plugins directly with the theme is not permitted.

The theme must work fully without the need to install any recommended plugins. Moreover, recommended plugins should be relevant and integrated somehow to your theme. Adding plugins in the recommended list just for advertising purpose is not allowed.

Can I include custom controls or options in my 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. theme?

No. Any custom controls or options are considered a plugin territory. Anything that would be deleted after users switching themes should not be included in a theme.

My theme requires a plugin in order to work. Can I include a plugin in the theme?

No. Themes are not allowed to include a plugin. Learn more about the requirements.

Can I change the name of my theme that is already in the directory?

No. It is not possible to rename themes in the directory.

Can my screenshot look like my demo site even though I use a plugin to create a demo site?

Yes, a screenshot is to give an idea of how the theme would look. You can recommend a plugin or let the user know which plugin you use to build the demo site.

How do I find text that is not translation ready?

Theme authors should ensure they understand every single line of their code. There is currently no automated method to detect strings that need to be made translation ready, as such please review your code line by line to detect such issues.

There are a number of plugins that can be used to aid in this task (e.g. Pig Latin). However, such plugins should not be seen as an alternative to manually reviewing your theme code in full.

What do I do if my reviewer is not responding?

If there is no response from the assigned reviewer for 48 hours, you are free to contact a team moderator either in-ticket or via 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/. in the #themes channel. Abandoned tickets will be returned back to the review queue giving the opportunity for a new reviewer to continue the review.

What do I do if my reviewer asks me to change things that are not listed as required?

If you do not agree with reviewers feedback you are free to request a second opinion for confirmation on whether the issue is genuine or not. Please pingPing The act of sending a very small amount of data to an end point. Ping is used in computer science to illicit a response from a target server to test it’s connection. Ping is also a term used by Slack users to @ someone or send them a direct message (DM). Users might say something along the lines of “Ping me when the meeting starts.” a team moderator in the ticket.

How do I update my theme (and do I have to wait)?

Themes can be updated in the same way as a new theme submission. Please login to your WordPress account and navigate to wordpress.org/themes/upload. You can upload your theme as normal.

When uploading your theme please ensure that the version number is higher than the version currently in the repository. The update will be set live shortly after submission and is not manually reviewed. Regardless, your theme must comply with the latest WordPress guidelines. Circumventing guidelines through abuse of the automated review for updates may result in theme suspensions.

The exceptions are themes that have not been updated in two years. These themes are manually reviewed before they go live. Remember that all themes, even old ones, need to follow the current requirements.

How do I remove my theme?

Comment in the most recent ticket for your theme cc’ing a team representative to request your theme to be removed from the repository. Alternatively, please contact a team representative in the #themes channel on Slack. You can find team representatives here.

How do I transfer my theme to another user?

Do you want to transfer your live theme to the new owner? Or want to know the process of how to transfer a theme from one author to another?

There might be various reasons to transfer the theme. If you are not able to maintain it properly, then you can transfer the theme who wants to adopt it and maintain it.

Comment on the theme ticket [Recommended]

The best and most recommended way is to comment on the theme ticket. To find the theme ticket, go to themes trac and click on {26} My theme uploads. There you can see all your themes list. Find the ticket of that theme that you want to transfer and comment in the comment box. (The comment box is on the last part of that page, scroll down).

In the comment section, you need to provide:

Provide the new owner’s username
Comment from the current owner

We highly recommend mentioning the current team representative in the comment so that the transfer process will be fast.

Using Email

You can also email at themes@wordpress.org by providing the theme name as well as the link and the new owner’s WordPress.org username.

Using Slack

You can join the #themes channel on WordPress slack and message there. Team representatives of moderators who have access to change ownership will transfer the theme.

Can I update the theme when ticket is in admin queue (approved but not live)?

Tickets can be updated when in the admin a queue. However, it is discouraged as the final reviewer may need to review your entire theme again. Additionally, a new ticket will be created recognizing the update as a new submission. This will not impact your position in the review queue, as the final reviewer will pick the ticket from the admin queue as normal.

My ticket is approved and it is now in admin queue. Can I upload another theme?

According to “one active ticket per author” rule effective from 23 August 2016, an author is allowed to have only one active tickets in the system. Author cannot submit new theme until their earlier ticket is closed as either not-approved or set live.

How can I add the accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility)-ready tag to my theme?

If your theme is in the review queue, you can add the tag to the style.css file. It will then be placed in a queue that is specific for accessibility reviews.

If your theme is live, you can only add the accessibility-ready tag once your theme passes an accessibility review. To request a review, ping one of the team representatives in your themes latest TracTrac Trac is the place where contributors create issues for bugs or feature requests much like GitHub.https://core.trac.wordpress.org/. ticket, send an email to themes@wordpress.org, or request a review via the #themes Slack chat.

What do I do if my theme name is already in use?

If there is a theme by this name that has active installs, the only thing you can do is rename your theme.

Reviewers:

How can I assign a ticket to myself for review?

Select a theme from the top of the new queue. Add a comment to the ticket, explaining that you are starting the review. A moderator will assign the ticket to you as soon as they have the time.

I am reviewing a theme. How can I get another ticket for review?

Anyone can pick a ticket for review, if you don’t have the permission level to assign a ticket to yourself please simply pick the first theme in the queue and make a comment pinging a team lead requesting that the ticket be assigned to yourself.

Tickets should always be picked from the top of the following queue: