Setting the skill. One moment.
Skills
Skill 16 of 20
Use when reviewing WordPress plugins for GPL compliance, checking license headers or compatibility, evaluating upsell/freemium/trialware patterns, validating plugin naming or…
4 minutes · 872 words · 20 sections
Install
npx skills add WordPress/agent-skills --skill wp-plugin-directory-guidelinesnpx skills add WordPress/agent-skillsThe first command installs just this skill, by the name in its SKILL.md; the second installs the whole repository.
Authoritative reference for the 18 WordPress.org Plugin Directory guidelines. Covers GPL licensing, plugin naming/trademark rules, trialware restrictions, and all other submission requirements.
Use this skill when you need to:
Scope the review to the request. Conceptual licensing or naming questions do not require a WordPress installation or a full audit.
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.
Use the detailed, per-guideline checklist in guideline-review-checklist.md (opens in a new tab). Load this reference file only when a full guideline audit is requested.
Use gpl-compliance.md (opens in a new tab) for full license tables, compatibility nuances, and examples. Keep this inline section as a quick decision aid.
License: and License URI: values from the examples below. Link to gpl-compliance.md (opens in a new tab) for the compatibility basis; do not merely say to add a matching URI.License: header and License URI: in the main plugin file.| 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:
When reviewing a plugin, verify:
License: header (e.g., GPL-2.0-or-later, GPL-2.0+, GPLv2 or later)License URI: header pointing to the GPL textLicense: GPL-2.0-or-later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.htmlLicense: GPL-3.0-or-later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.htmlLicense: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.htmlUse naming-rules.md (opens in a new tab) for full trademark lists, slug blocks, and naming examples. Keep this inline checklist for quick screening.
For naming reviews, cite Guideline 17, explain the applicable trademark or blocked-slug rule, and link to the reference. When proposing a replacement, give both name and slug and explicitly verify lowercase, hyphen separation, and the 50-character limit.
for, with, using, and.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.
The verbatim description from this skill’s front matter — the string an agent matches on to decide whether to load it.
skills/wp-plugin-directory-guidelines/SKILL.mdtrunk, last pushed 5 November 2026.SKILL.md, not by matching a directory convention. One layout observed: skills/*/SKILL.md./WordPress/agent-skills.md, and each skill at its own .md URL.4 files · 49 KB
Everything this skill ships beside its prose. All of it is set here, as subchapters of skill 16.
Documentation the agent loads on demand, rather than up front.