/wp-plugin-directory-guidelines

name: wp-plugin-directory-guidelines
description: "Use when reviewing WordPress plugins for GPL compliance, checking license headers or compatibility, evaluating upsell/freemium/trialware patterns, validating plugin naming or trademark rules, checking plugin slugs, running Plugin Check (PCP) to validate plugin changes, interpreting its findings, understanding why a plugin was rejected from WordPress.org, or answering questions about the 18 WordPress.org Plugin Directory guidelines."
compatibility: "Targets WordPress 7.0+ (PHP 7.4.0+). Automated validation requires a local WordPress environment, WP-CLI, and Plugin Check."

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

Procedure

Scope the review to the request. Conceptual licensing or naming questions do not require a WordPress installation or a full audit.

1. Check the plugin's license header against the **Valid License Headers** section below. 2. Walk through the **18 Guidelines** checklist, paying special attention to Guidelines 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 17. 3. Confirm trialware/freemium compliance using the checklist in [guideline-review-checklist.md](references/guideline-review-checklist.md) (Guideline 5 section). 4. For bundled third-party code, verify license compatibility against **GPL-Compatible Licenses (Quick)** below. 5. Flag matches from **Common GPL Violations (Quick)** below. 6. For edge cases, consult the detailed references and the [GNU GPL FAQ](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html). 7. For source-code reviews or validation after changes, load [Plugin Check validation](references/plugin-check.md): test, check, assess findings, apply authorized fixes, and retest. It includes commands, reporting requirements, and troubleshooting.

Verification

• Report evidence for each conclusion using the licensing, naming, or Plugin Check reporting guidance below. Distinguish manual review, executed checks, and proposed next steps.

Failure modes / debugging

• If automated validation is unavailable, continue manual review and use the prerequisite and coverage fallbacks in [Plugin Check validation](references/plugin-check.md). Never report an unexecuted check as passed.

Escalation

Use official Plugin Check documentation for tool behavior and the directory guidelines for policy. Surface unresolved policy ambiguity, uncertain findings, and fixes outside the authorized scope for human review.

18-Guideline Review Checklist

Use the detailed, per-guideline checklist in [guideline-review-checklist.md](references/guideline-review-checklist.md). Load this reference file only when a full guideline audit is requested.

GPL Compliance (Guideline 1 in Detail)

Use [gpl-compliance.md](references/gpl-compliance.md) for full license tables, compatibility nuances, and examples. Keep this inline section as a quick decision aid.

Verification (Licensing)

• Every licensing-related issue must cite **Guideline 1** and include the file path and exact license string.
• Confirm compatibility claims against **GPL-Compatible Licenses (Quick)** and escalate ambiguous licenses.
• When recommending a header correction, provide both literal `License:` and `License URI:` values from the examples below. Link to [gpl-compliance.md](references/gpl-compliance.md) for the compatibility basis; do not merely say to add a matching URI.

Failure modes (Licensing)

• If a license is not clearly GPL-compatible, do not guess. Check the [GNU license list](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html).
• For dual-license packages, verify both licenses and redistribution terms.

Quick Reference: WordPress GPL Requirements

• WordPress is **GPLv2 or later**.
• Plugins distributed on WordPress.org must be 100% GPL-compatible (code and assets).
• Include a valid `License:` header and `License URI:` in the main plugin file.
• Do not add restrictions that conflict with GPL freedoms.

Valid License Headers

GPL Versions Summary

| Version | Year | Key Addition | |---------|------|--------------| | GPLv1 | 1989 | Base copyleft: share-alike for modifications | | GPLv2 | 1991 | "Liberty or death" clause (Section 7), clearer distribution terms | | GPLv3 | 2007 | Anti-tivoization, explicit patent grants, compatibility provisions |

WordPress uses **GPLv2 or later**, meaning plugins can use GPLv2, GPLv3, or "GPLv2 or later".

For full license texts, see:

• [GNU General Public License v1](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-1.0.html)
• [GNU General Public License v2](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html)
• [GNU General Public License v3](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html)

License Compliance Checklist

When reviewing a plugin, verify:

• [ ] Main plugin file has a valid `License:` header (e.g., `GPL-2.0-or-later`, `GPL-2.0+`, `GPLv2 or later`)
• [ ] Main plugin file has a `License URI:` header pointing to the GPL text
• [ ] If bundled libraries exist, each has a GPL-