This post is a proposal for how the themes team can continue reducing the theme directory requirements.
The problem: Blocked theme uploads
When a theme is uploaded to the directory, the files are checked by the Theme Check plugin. If a theme fails some checks, the upload process is halted.
The checks in the plugin were created for classic themes, and some checks prevent block themes from being submitted to the theme directory without help from an admin.
Parts of full site editing are planned to be included in WordPress 5.8, and to make sure that end-users can test different full site editing themes, it needs to be easier to submit these themes to the theme directory.
Goals
This process has two short term goals:
- Allow submission of themes that has support full site editing
- Remove low impact requirements for all theme formats
Proposed solution
The first step is removing or reducing the severity level of some checks in the Theme Check plugin.
Examples:
- CSS classes (Already in progress)
- Tags and categories
- Post navigation, pagination
- Comments
Secondly, a flag needs to be created in the plugin to allow other checks to run selectively depending on the theme format. To do this, the plugin needs to be able to determine if the theme is a full site editing theme or not.
Related issues:
https://github.com/WordPress/theme-check/issues/297
https://github.com/WordPress/theme-check/pull/280
Once the plugin is updated, related pages on WordPress.org also needs to be updated to match this:
https://make.wordpress.org/themes/handbook/review/required/theme-check-plugin/
https://make.wordpress.org/themes/handbook/review/required/
The changes to the uploader also need to be combined with a call for full site editing themes, encouraging designers and theme authors to submit their themes.
If we need to discuss specific requirements in more detail, this can be done on GitHub or during team meetings.
Proposed deadline
The planned release date of WordPress 5.8 is July 20, 2021. Considering the current review time, at the latest, the date for allowing full site editing themes in the directory would be June 20, 2021.
How to get involved
Initially, work will happen in the Theme Check GitHub repository and anyone is welcome to contribute. If you would like to hold a scrub and work on issues with other contributors, you are welcome to schedule one and host it in the #themereview Slack channel.
Feedback
If you have any feedback on the proposed solution and deadline or other suggestions for how the team can work to remove the blocker, please comment below.