WordPress.org Plugin Compliance Skill

WordPress.org Plugin Compliance

Ensures WordPress.org compliance for free vs premium code and upselling.

Core Rule: No Locked Code

Golden Rule: All code in WordPress.org plugins must be free and fully functional.

Every feature works completely without a license key
No trial periods or usage limits
No features requiring payment to unlock

Quick Reference

Not Allowed

Trial periods or time limits
Usage quotas or artificial limits
License keys for local features
Disabled features requiring payment
Intrusive nag screens

Allowed

Informational upselling (non-intrusive)
Separate premium plugin from your site
Feature detection (not restriction)
Comparison tables and teasers
Disabled form previews for premium-only features

Key Patterns

// ❌ WRONG: Feature Restriction
if ( ! $this->is_premium() ) {
    echo 'Premium required';
    return;
}

// ✅ CORRECT: Feature Detection
$this->show_basic_export();
if ( $this->has_premium_addon() ) {
    do_action( 'sh_premium_export_options' );
}

// ❌ WRONG: Artificial Limits
$limit = $this->is_premium() ? 10000 : 100;

// ✅ CORRECT: No Artificial Limits
$limit = apply_filters( 'sh_event_limit', 10000 );

Compliance Checklist

[ ] All features work without license key
[ ] No trial periods or time limits
[ ] No usage quotas
[ ] Upselling is informational, not obstructive
[ ] Free version provides real value

Detailed Information

examples.md - Detailed code examples
testing.md - Testing procedures and pre-submission verification

Resources

WordPress.org Guidelines

The Simple Rule: If it's in the WordPress.org version, it must work completely without payment.

Agent Skills: WordPress.org Plugin Compliance

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