There is no doubt in the fact that WordPress is one of the first options that come to a person’s mind while creating a website. And the reason behind this is, this platform is very user-friendly. So the process does not get too difficult even for a person who is just a beginner. And when we talk about websites, it is almost impossible that we can leave the topic of ‘Themes’ untouched. If you want to change the layout and design of your website then themes come to your rescue. But have you ever wondered about creating your own theme for WordPress? If yes then there are a few things that you Need to Know about Theme Approval from WordPress.org.
WordPress.org is one of the most reliable sources from where you can download free themes. So it is also the best platform to upload your theme. This way you can make them available for other users as well. There are a few steps that you need to follow to submit your theme. And after that, there is a certain approval process as well.
Things to Keep in Mind: Theme Approval from WordPress.org
- First of all, you have to make sure that your theme fulfills all the basic requirements of WordPress.org.
- And then log in to WordPress.org. Then you can start uploading the theme.
- Once submitted, your theme will be thoroughly checked in every aspect like code, security etc.
- If it complies with all the standards then WordPress.org will approve your theme.
So this is how you can make your own theme live on WordPress.org!
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Check Your Theme:
Now the big question comes. How can you check your theme before submitting it? The answer is, there are a few points that you can check in your theme.
- Find out if there are any PHP and Javascript errors. If there are any then you have to fix them.
- You should not minify scripts. If you do so then you will have to incorporate the original files.
- If there are any favicon, CSS, or Javascript files directly in the header then you should eliminate them.
- You also have to ensure that your theme has text strings that can be translated.
- Make sure that the theme is carrying the right prefix, functions, and class declaration.
- You should not disable the admin toolbar.
- There should not be any paywall restricting any WordPress feature.
Licensing and Branding:
- Your theme has to offer features for 100% GPL licensing along with images
- You should not keep the name of your theme like WordPress.theme.
- In the entire public-facing text you should keep the spelling of ‘WordPress’ correct.
Other Key Points:
- You should avoid calling home without permission.
- Always get a valid readme.txt file. This will help you to get approval for your theme.
- You should avoid loading your own jQuery file or any other file, which is included in the WordPress core.
- Always get rid of any external CDN source.
Theme Review Process:
WordPress.org follows a process to review any theme that you upload. All the steps of the reviewing process are:
- You upload a theme.
- After submission, it will go to the new theme queue.
- A theme reviewer will be assigned for your theme.
- He/she will check the code and some other aspects. Once the review is done the review is added to the theme ticket.
- If your theme does not fulfill all the requirements then it will not get approved. After this, the theme will still remain in the reviewing status and open for updates.
- The author of the theme has 7 days to make any update. If there are no updates and it remains inactive then it will get closed.
- If your theme does not get any update from the theme reviewer within the first 48 hours then you can raise a request to get your theme returned to the queue.
- When a theme ticks all the points, the reviewer will mark it as ‘approved’.
- After getting approved the theme will be assigned to a key reviewer for the final review.
- If there are any issues at this point then the theme ticket will reopen.
- But if there are no issues found then the theme will go live on WordPress.org.
There can be instances when a theme needs consideration apart from the requirements. In such cases, one team representative will also join the review process along with the reviewer.
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Theme Upload Limit:
- You can only have one theme at a time in the queue. Before uploading a new theme, you have to wait for your existing theme ticket to get closed or go live. Only after that, you can submit another theme.
- This rule is not applicable to the updates of themes that are already in the directory.
There is no exact timeframe in which you can get your theme approved. It totally depends on the number of open tickets in the ques. The shorter the queue is, the lesser time your theme will take.
Wrapping Up!
When you plan to create a website, there are several factors that you have to keep in mind from the initial stage. And focusing on the design is one of the most crucial things. When we talk about the layout or design of a website, the word ‘theme’ automatically pops out in your head. Using the right theme, you can give your website the appearance you want. And where do you go to download a theme? The best place to get a theme is WordPress.org. And if you are thinking of uploading your own theme on WordPress.org then you should keep a few things in mind. Here we have listed all the things that you Need to Know about Theme Approval from WordPress.org.
After reading this detailed overview, the possibility is also high that everything must have got clear in your mind. But still, there can be instances when you have some doubts about it. If such a thing happens, you can also get the solution for your issues by contacting us for support. For this, you can call us on 1-866-332-O276. We are also working round the clock.
