I use a working folder with all my projects. First, I create a separate Uploads folder. If you create multiple product types for multiple platforms (for example, plugins and themes for WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, etc.), create separate folders in the Download folder for each platform and for each project type. Use edit_theme_options function to determine the user`s permission to change options instead of relying on a role (such as administrator) or another function (such as edit_themes, manage_options). Envato constantly listens to feedback from theme developers, but in the end, they will follow the path that will make them more money in the end, as this is their ultimate goal as a for-profit business. And WordPress themes are what this site is all about! What is it? I`m glad you asked. We`re talking about ready-made layouts that you can apply to your website. If the WordPress dashboard allows you to take care of your site`s content (categories, subcategories, sections, pages, text, etc.), a theme defines what the site looks like. Its visual design and interactions. What color will the background be? How is a link highlighted when you move the mouse pointer? Will there be a big slider on the homepage? That is what it is all about. Statistics show that from December 2016 to February 2017, 708 subjects were submitted to WordPress.org for review. 177 of them were eventually put online, all the others – 531 – were rejected.
53 of the 531 rejections were either duplicates of existing themes in the repository, did not receive a response from the theme developer, or were closed for other various reasons. So let`s remove that number from the equation, assuming you don`t fall into these categories when you submit your topic 😉 WordPress.org has made significant changes to its overall structure and approach to topic review in order to be more efficient and less prone to open-ended interpretations by individual reviewers, and to provide a clear basis for immediate rejection of topics. Now that we`ve covered the basics, let`s take a look at what needs to be included. In the themename_pack folder, add the following: All code, data, and images—everything in the theme`s zip file—must comply with the GPL or a GPL-compatible license. Included libraries, codes, images, or other third-party items must be compatible. For a specific list of compatible licenses, please refer to the list of GPL-compatible licenses on gnu.org. Each week, we select some of the best new website themes from our collection. These beautiful models make our heads spin! Envato, on the other hand, doesn`t share data on rejection of topic reviews, but there are plenty of articles online that tell the story. To get answers to these questions, we need to understand why topics are being examined in the first place. «These requirements are intended to maintain a minimum level of quality in WordPress themes distributed through Envato.
Some exceptions may be permitted at the discretion of the expert. Special application: Blog themes do not require an extended license for websites with paywall, payment, or paid subscription requirements. In this article, I`ve included a mix of recommendations and requirements for submitting the final WordPress theme files to ThemeForest. Your theme can always be rejected in one form or another, but by including all the necessary files in the right way, you`ll make the review process a little smoother. If your child theme extends the main theme, the functionality .php file must contain at least the following: If your theme contains premium plugins and you have a so-called «Stock Use License», you must include the plugin`s ZIP files here. For example, I usually include Slider Revolution and WPBakery Page Builder. Now that we`ve covered the context of examining the topic and the different reasons for rejection, let`s dive into how the process works. Changelog files are an important way to make your theme development completely transparent. List all your changes and bug fixes in this document. Organize it with versions and dates, as follows: You may be wondering why it`s important that the process has changed over time – but it directly affects how you might end up approaching your topic submission. Options and settingsUse the Customizer to implement theme options.
Here`s what WordPress.org expect for all topics submitted to the repository: we carefully review new entries in our community one by one to make sure they meet high standards of design and functionality. From versatile themes to niche templates, you`ll always find something that catches your eye. In general, what we`ve covered so far is everything you can find from official sources on packaging theme production files – the rest depends on best practices and recommendations. I will share my own approach, which you are invited to develop. Suggest your own ideas in the comments. And the last one is the zip file of the downloadable theme itself. This is the file that users can upload to WordPress to use your theme. While not all of this information gives us the exact answer we`re looking for, it`s as close as possible without inside information about Envato`s percentage of subject rejections. Here`s an infographic we`ve put together so you can see what to expect when you submit your theme on each platform. For example, the Theme Review Team WordPress.org regularly posts changes to the theme review process based on discussions at its weekly public meetings. These releases allow theme developers to provide feedback and participate in the process.
The requirements of ThemeForest and WordPress.org are justified because their purpose is to protect end users. Without these requirements, it could be a «Wild West» in the WordPress ecosystem with regular shootouts between theme plugins and hackers 🤠. Example: A CodeCanyon author has a cursor and gives a ThemeForest author permission via email to use the cursor under the extended license in a theme. The best way to avoid rejecting themes on ThemeForest and WordPress.org is to follow their guidelines – Duh! Considering that the theme review team needs a 7-day response time before closing a ticket, that means a lot of back and forth on a single topic, reopening tickets, etc.
