Topics
- How do I create an account?
- Can I have multiple accounts?
- How do I find out if my problem is already solved?
- I have the same problem! Can I just reply to someone else’s post with “Me too”?
- Where should I put my post?
- What do I put in the title of my post?
- What do I put in my post?
- Should I link to my site?
- Why is the block editor in the forums different than the one on my WordPress site?
- Where can I report a bug or request an enhancement to the block editor in the forums?
- How do I opt out of using the block editor in the forums?
- Can I include screenshots or videos?
- How do tags work?
- How do I post code examples?
- How can I fix typos?
- Why did a moderator edit my post?
- What do I do if I posted in the wrong place or with the wrong account?
- Should I bump my post if no one answers?
- Should I repost my question if no one answers?
- How do I find my posts?
- How do I mark my post as solved?
- How did someone else mark my post solved?
- Will you delete my post once the problem is solved?
- My post shows up on a search for my domain, will you delete my post or my my link within my post?
- Why was my post closed?
- Why did a post disappear?
- How do I report abuse or spam in the forums?
- Someone posted lies about me/my plugin/theme. Will you delete/edit the post?
- What is Slack?
- How do I report harassment?
- What if someone’s causing trouble outside the forums?
- Why are links not allowed in reviews?
- Why is asking for/offering email support not permitted?
- Can you delete my account?
Every forums system is managed a little differently. In order to help everyone understand the way we manage WordPress’, we ask you please read this FAQ.
Last Updated: 22 February 2023
How do I create an account?
In order to post or comment in this forum, you first need to have an account at WordPress.org. You can register at login.wordpress.org/register
Can I have multiple accounts?
Individuals are not permitted to have and use more than one account on WordPress.org, in order to maintain accountability for actions and to prevent anonymous abuse.
Companies are permitted to have a separate account to own and manage their plugins and/or themes. However in those situations, the account is only intended to be the owner of the plugins/themes, and is not permitted to use the forums.
Individual user accounts are to be appointed to the various roles used such as contributors, support representatives and similar. Developers who abuse this privilege will have it revoked.
Please read Using the Forums and Special Roles and Capabilities for further details.
How do I find out if my problem is already solved?
You can search the forums for an answer before you post. All of WordPress.org has been indexed by Google, so if a search directly in the forum doesn’t result in answers, check in Google too (e.g. Google for site:wordpress.org/support widget).
If the topics you find don’t help you, go ahead and make your own post so you can get individual help.
I have the same problem! Can I just reply to someone else’s post with “Me too”?
We’d rather you didn’t.
Unless users have the exact same version of WordPress on the same physical server hosted by the same hosts with the same plugins, theme, and configurations, then the odds are the solution for one user will actually not be the same for another. Also it means someone else will get alerts for your problems and debugging, when they don’t need it.
We ask everyone make a new topic, just for themselves, unless they are absolutely certain the problem is the same (like ‘I can’t log in to your service via your website!’).
Where should I put my post?
The forum is organized in sections, with each forum having its own one-line description on the forum front page. Try to pick the section that makes the most sense and post there. You can start a new topic by clicking the “Add New »” button to the right of the section’s title.
Please only post once, so the volunteers don’t get spread too thin trying to answer you multiple times.
To post support questions for specific themes or plugins, visit the WordPress.org directory page for the theme/plugin first (i.e. Hello Dolly) and click on the support link to create a post. This will make it more visible to the author and making it more clear what the post is about.
If your site uses the hosted version over at WordPress.com instead of a self-hosted install of WordPress, downloaded from WordPress.org, please post in the forums designated for WordPress.com sites, where you’ll be able to receive help regarding your issue. If you’re not certain which version your site uses, feel free to compare the differences.
What do I put in the title of my post?
A descriptive title is best, as that will attract people who think they may know the answer right away. Generic titles are much less effective.
“Database error creating a new post with Plugin Foobar Active” is a great title. “URGENT HELP PLS!!!” is less so.
What do I put in my post?
Include details about the hosting environment, WordPress install (plugins, themes, etc.), and the problem being faced when posting a topic.
If there are errors, copy them exactly, word for word, into the post. It’s best to include the full error than to summarize – sometimes wording is important. If a plugin was activated or a setting changed immediately before the error occurred, mention that and, if possible, exactly what steps were taken.
Be careful not to leak any privileged information (like your real name or email) if you’re not okay with those being public.
Should I link to my site?
If you can, yes. When a question relates to a specific site or page, and the site is publicly viewable, a link makes things faster to solve. This will allow people to see the issue and often leads to faster resolutions.
Keep in mind, links will not get removed any time later, unless in extreme circumstances. Google will capture posts, including any available links within minutes, so if that is a concern to you, please don’t link in the body of your post. Instead, include the link in the field for “Link” in the original post.
That field will only be shown to logged in users, and Google will not be able to capture it.
Why is the block editor in the forums different than the one on my WordPress site?
The forums’ editor includes a limited set of blocks. Learn all about which blocks can be used and get more tips on using the block editor in the forums.
Where can I report a bug or request an enhancement to the block editor in the forums?
Learn how to report issues here.
How do I opt out of using the block editor in the forums?
Can I include screenshots or videos?
Yes, but screenshots and videos cannot be uploaded directly. Learn more about how to share images or embed other types of content.
How do tags work?
The same as in your website, tags are ways we use to organize posts to attract the right helpers. They can be used to allow developers keep track of specific features, as well as the volunteer moderators to recognize repeat issues and escalate to core devs if needed.
That means your tags should be chosen wisely and carefully. The tag “REST API” would be a great for a topic about the REST API, while “rest” is common and largely unrelated English word and therefore not a great tag choice. Avoid very general tags, like “WordPress” and “problem” that don’t add any value.
Tags should be separated by commas.
How do I post code examples?
Using a Code block allows you to paste code in the forums.
If you’ve opted out of the block editor in the forums, you must enclose code between backticks (`). To do this, highlight the code in the editor and click on the “code” button. This feature behaves like blockquotes, and there is no need to mark each individual line.
When a large amount of code needs to be posted, like an entire php, css, or JS file, it should be posted on a service such as Pastebin or Gist and linked in the post.
If it’s more than 20 lines of code, we recommend you use those services, especially since they have syntax highlighting, which may point out the problem right away.
How can I fix typos?
Users can edit a post for up to 60 minutes from the time of submission. After that, the post can only be edited by a moderator.
Why did a moderator edit my post?
Moderators will edit posts when it’s required. If someone uses vulgarities, posts private information (like emails or passwords), or otherwise violates the guidelines, we will clean up the post. We also may edit a post to fix code samples, or correct a typo that completely changes the meaning of the post.
What do I do if I posted in the wrong place or with the wrong account?
Either edit your post or reply to it and explain what was wrong, then use the report post button and a moderator will help. Please don’t abuse this, and keep in mind that most posts will not be removed.
Should I bump my post if no one answers?
No.
Bumping (moving your own post to the top of the forums) actually makes your post harder to find for the volunteers, since it will look as if someone has already replied and tried to help you.
We have a whole section for ‘unanswered’ posts. If you bump, you remove yourself from that list. The best thing to do is be patient and wait. Remember, this is a volunteer forum!
Should I repost my question if no one answers?
No.
This actually makes it harder for people to help you, and drains the resources of the volunteers. People actively look at un-answered posts to see what needs help. Making multiples means more posts to look at, and less time to help each person.
How do I find my posts?
A list of all posts and replies you’ve made can be found on you profile: https://wordpress.org/support/users/YOURID/
When you’re logged in, you can click on the “Howdy, Your Name” link found in the top bar for immediate access.
How do I mark my post as solved?
There’s a drop-down on the right side of the post for ‘status’, which includes options to resolve your post. You can also use the checkboxes at the bottom of the reply form, to reply and mark a post solved.
How did someone else mark my post solved?
Forum moderators can mark any post resolved. Plugin and theme developers can mark posts resolved in their specific forum areas. They should have replied and explained why. If you think it’s not solved, you can just un-resolve it and ask again.
Will you delete my post once the problem is solved?
No.
We do not delete posts except under extreme situations. We feel that leaving your solved post up will be helpful to the next person who has a similar issue.
If you feel you have a pressing need (legal or otherwise) to have a post removed, you can report the post (there’s an option on the sidebar) and explain why or come to the #forums channel on Slack.
Keep in mind, even if your post is deleted, Google already scraped it and we can’t fix that. Don’t post anything you’re not willing to have in public forever.
My post shows up on a search for my domain, will you delete my post or my my link within my post?
Unless it’s a legal or security issue, we do not remove links.
Rest assured, if your URL is listed in the custom field from your post, only logged in users can see it and it is not possible for search engines to scrape it.
Why was my post closed?
All posts (including reviews) are automatically closed after a certain period of inactivity (currently 6 months). They cannot be reopened after that time, not even by admins.
In addition, posts can be closed by a moderator if they’ve become non-productive to the community. By this we mean if someone’s violating the guidelines (using the forums as a blog, arguing about world politics, vulgarity, attacking people, etc), we may close the post to prevent further escalation. We also will close posts that have gone too far off topic to be recovered.
In those cases, a moderator will normally explain why the post has been closed, and direct people who are still trying to find help in what they can do next.
Moderators also often will close “Release notes” for replies.
Why did a post disappear?
At times, posts are archived in order to hide them from public consumption. We archive posts and reviews that are in violation of the guidelines. Sometimes this is done without apparent warning, as moderators have the ability to reply to closed and archived posts and may have left a reply you cannot see. Also sometimes posts are removed because a user has been warned previously not to do a thing (like make multiple posts) and they did it again. We always delete spam.
We try not to delete useful posts, but if there are legal issues, or harassment cases, we may do so to protect the people involved.
How do I report abuse or spam in the forums?
If you spot a problem with a forum topic or comment, you can report it using the “Report” form found on the sidebar of every forum post. This alerts the moderators that their attention is needed.
When reporting a topic, please select the most appropriate category:
- Guideline violation – review forum guidelines
- Security related – review how to report security issues
- Spam – feel free to report something you think might be spam; a moderator will decide how to proceed
- NSFW (Not Safe For Work) link – review NSFW link policy
- Other – choose this option if you’re reporting a post for a reason not covered above
You must enter a reason for reporting the topic. Feel free to include as much information as necessary.
Moderators review reported topics regularly, so there’s no need to call attention to your report in Slack – someone will get to it.
Someone posted lies about me/my plugin/theme. Will you delete/edit the post?
It depends on the situation.
There’s a difference between lying and just being wrong about facts. A lie is when someone intentionally says things they know aren’t true. Being wrong just means they’re mistaken, and that can be solved.
If someone’s just wrong about debugging a problem and blamed your plugin, that’s not a lie. Reply to the post and explain how they’re incorrect (nicely!) and try to help them out. It’s also not libel nor slander (the latter of which refers to spoken words) to post a review that they had a bad experience with your plugin or theme. That’s just someone’s experience, and they believe it to be true.
It’s all about intent. You can’t be sure of someone else’s, so we urge you to assume good faith.
That said, if someone’s harassing you (or your company) on the forums, do report the post or come by Slack to ask for help. We do not tolerate harassment from anyone, users nor developers.
What is Slack?
WordPress.org has a chat system via a service called Slack. This organization is free for all WordPress user to join. The #forums channel there is available for anyone to come and post questions about handling questions on the forums.
How do I report harassment?
You can either report the post (from the sidebar) or you can come to Slack and ask for help in the #forums channel. If you’re worried about making a request in public, just come to Slack and ask to speak to a moderator about harassment. We’re here for you.
Harassment by anyone is grounds for immediate banishment from WordPress.org. The following situations are examples of harassment:
- making multiple posts/replies to attack a person/company
- making multiple accounts to leave angry reviews/posts regarding a person/company
- following someone to twitter to complain at them
- using a contact form on someone’s site to continue contacting them
We do not tolerate harassment of anyone, for any reason.
What if someone’s causing trouble outside the forums?
We do not have any authority over what people do to each other outside of WordPress.org, however abuse and harassment are not welcome in our community and may result in the abuser being banned.
If someone is harassing, bullying, or otherwise abusing people outside of WordPress.org, regarding a matter related to any of WordPress.org’s services, please let the moderators know in Slack. We will do our best to curtail this behavior immediately.
If the matter is regarding a specific plugin or theme, you can contact those teams directly at themes@wordpress.org or plugins@wordpress.org and those team will take appropriate action. This includes harassment from or towards developers. Everyone should be kind to each other.
Why are links not allowed in reviews?
Reviews are expected be about your experiences with the plugin or theme you are reviewing. Links to your own website are not needed for this, and are in a majority of cases only added by those wanting to promote their own websites (often referred to as spam).
To reduce the overhead of needing to constantly re-check reviews, links and so forth for our volunteers, we made the decision that links should not be used in reviews. If we do notice these, any such link will be removed or the review will be archived, at the discretion of the moderators. If someone repeatedly puts in links in a review, their account will be suspended.
Why is asking for/offering email support not permitted?
In order to keep the forums actually useful for the next person who searches for an answer, it’s best to keep all communication in public. Not everyone can come back and post a followup, and when you take the solutions off the forums, no one else will know what to do when they have the same (or similar) issue.
Asking people to email for support is primarily done to gain access to their site, which is prohibited for security reasons. While most people mean well when they offer this, there’s no possible way to be sure that everyone is altruistic. They could be someone waiting to hack a site.
As for people who offer to log in, the problem with your offer is that if the person isn’t a client with whom you have an explicit contract, and something breaks on their site, you become liable for damages.
In order to protect everyone, and to educate people to basic security practices (i.e. never let strangers log into your site), we prohibit asking for emails or offering them in the forums.
Can you delete my account?
The forum moderators cannot, as they have no access to do so.
Instead, users must request removal via the Data Erasure Request form. While the process is mostly automated, the Privacy Team is available to assist you should there be issues. Keep in mind, your userid will be ‘locked’ so it cannot be reused, and you may have issues if you want to create a new account.
If you constantly delete and make new accounts, you may be banned for system abuse, as generally people have no need to do that.