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, understanding why a plugin was rejected from WordPress.org, or answering any question about the 18 WordPress.org Plugin Directory guidelines — even if the user doesn't mention 'guidelines' explicitly.
WP Plugin Directory Guidelines is an authoritative review-and-reference skill for the 18 WordPress.org Plugin Directory guidelines. It solves the problem of plugins being rejected or delisted for compliance mistakes by giving agents a structured checklist to evaluate GPL licensing, plugin naming and trademark rules, trialware/freemium restrictions, and all other submission requirements before a plugin is submitted.
The skill provides a defined procedure: check the plugin's license header against valid license formats, walk the 18-guideline checklist (with special attention to guidelines 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 17), confirm trialware/freemium compliance, verify bundled third-party libraries against GPL-compatible licenses, and flag common GPL violations. Detailed references cover GPL compliance (full license tables, GPLv1/v2/v3 history, and compatibility nuances), naming rules (technical requirements, AI-namer quality rules, banned and discouraged terms, and a static trademark slug blocklist), and a per-guideline review checklist. It cites concrete error codes, slug rules, and worked naming examples, and directs edge cases to the GNU GPL FAQ and license list rather than guessing.
Target users are WordPress plugin developers preparing a submission, reviewers auditing plugins for compliance, and anyone answering questions about what is or is not allowed on WordPress.org. It targets WordPress 7.0+ (PHP 7.4.0+) and functions as read-only expertise: it reviews source, readme, and header metadata and reports findings, without executing or modifying code.
WordPress plugins for compliance with the 18 WordPress.org Plugin Directory guidelines, including GPL license compatibility, license headers, plugin naming and trademark rules, trialware and freemium patterns, and other submission requirements.
The plugin source code or specific files to review, and optionally the plugin readme and header metadata for naming and license checks.
Every licensing issue must cite Guideline 1 with the file path and exact license string. It verifies compatibility against a GPL-compatible license list, refuses to guess on ambiguous licenses, and points to the GNU license list and GPL FAQ for edge cases and dual-license packages.
Placeholder names, names under five alphanumeric characters, overly generic names, keyword stuffing, trademarks used outside the allowed for/with/using/and structure, portmanteaus of WordPress or WooCommerce, and banned or discouraged terms. It checks against a static trademark slug blocklist.
It targets WordPress 7.0+ running on PHP 7.4.0+, and references WordPress's GPLv2-or-later licensing baseline for plugin compatibility.
Quick Setup:
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wordpress/agent-skills