Wp Plugin Directory Guidelines

If you're building WordPress plugins or reviewing them for submission to WordPress.org, this walks you through all 18 directory guidelines with a focus on the ones that trip people up most: GPL licensing, trialware restrictions, and naming rules. It includes quick reference tables for GPL-compatible licenses, valid header formats, and slug requirements, plus detailed checklists for spotting common violations like split licensing or trademark abuse. The skill targets WordPress 6.9+ and pulls from structured references when you need the full compliance deep dive. Useful before you submit a plugin or when you're debugging why one got rejected.

skills.sh installs: 3.9K
GitHub stars: 2.3K
last updated: Aug 21, 2026

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Install

$ npx -y skills add wordpress/agent-skills --skill wp-plugin-directory-guidelines --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

Files

Overview

Authoritative reference for the 18 WordPress.org Plugin Directory guidelines. Covers GPL licensing, plugin naming/trademark rules, trialware restrictions, and all other submission requirements.

When to use

Use this skill when you need to:

Review a WordPress plugin for compliance with the WordPress.org Plugin Directory guidelines
Check GPL license compatibility for a plugin or its bundled libraries
Verify license headers in plugin files
Identify common guideline violations before submission
Answer questions about what is or is not allowed on WordPress.org
Evaluate premium/upsell flows, license checks, or freemium positioning
Review "teaser" or "preview" UI for trialware violations
Validate plugin changes with Plugin Check and assess errors or warnings in context

Inputs required

Plugin source code (or specific files to review)
Optional: plugin readme and plugin header metadata for naming and license checks
For automated validation: target plugin slug/path, local WordPress environment and command runner, available tests, and whether the task authorizes fixes or only review