First WordPress plugin approved on WordPress.org

🗣️ Off-Topic Lounge
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I got my first plugin free version approved on WordPress.org, it took about a month :slight_smile: The next ones will be faster.

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Happy to hear this! I think it can make a big difference over the long term for your products. It also adds a lot of SEO juice and discoverability.

I recommend you do one for every product, especially your most popular ones like the video players.

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Btw, a trick I learned from Dokan (and many plugins do it): Make the PRO version require installing the free one.

  • This way you pump up the numbers on the free plugin (making it more visible in all searches and rankings).
  • In turn, that visibility also pumps up your paid plugin and purchases
  • You also monetize pirates this way - if someone pirates or steals your plugin code, at the very least it helps push your free plugin numbers (as they are forced to install it).
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Thank you for the advices, this will be my mission now to add as many free version of my plugins as I can.

It was not easy is completely different from Envato or WpBay.

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What are the problems associated with adding a plugin to the WordPress.org marketplace? Can you tell us more?

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There are too many differences from Envato to list here. The best approach is to take your time and read their guidelines carefully. Go through the process, or—if you already have plugins approved here—try submitting and you’ll receive a list of required fixes. Keep in mind, you can still be rejected if there are too many issues, so reading the guidelines thoroughly is your safest bet.

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I am also creating a free plugin now, but I wonder how to tackle their requirement to “not include any locked features” in the free plugin. I am not sure what they mean by this, as many plugins advertise premium features and it seems that this is a norm on their part.
Any tips on this?

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I think you just need to make sure not to include code for pro features in the free plugin itself.

In other words, the free plugin can include free functionality + advertisements (e.g. a ‘pro’ page in the plugin where you list the pro features). What it cannot include is the actual pro features code unlockable via license key.

So the code of the 2 should be segregated.

But to keep things simpler for yourself, I recommend you do not include the advertisements until the first version is approved (subsequent ones are auto-approved).

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Thanks for the tips!

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No sure what to say my plugin free version has the lightbox blocked the user can’t use the lightbox in the backend so instead of showign the lightbox stuff I show a message “uPgrade to Pro version to use the lightbox feature” with a link to the plugin page, but I had to remove the lightbox files entierly from the plugin content.

You can try to do something similar.