The WordPress Plugin Review Team has officially adopted a new name, the Plugins Team, signaling a shift in identity to better reflect the expanding scope of its work beyond plugin submissions.
Since a major team transition in June 2023, the team’s responsibilities have grown significantly. Now, apart from reviewing new plugin submissions, the team is also focused on improving internal tools, creating community resources, and contributing to the development of the Plugin Directory.
Why the Name Change?
David Perez stated, “ We’ve come to feel that the name “Plugin Review Team” no longer reflects everything we do. That’s why we’re proposing a simplified name: “Plugins Team.” Earlier, the Themes Team also followed a rename procedure last year.
David Perez also provided a quick overview of the Plugins Team’s evolving focus areas, in which reviewing new plugin submissions remains the primary task, “We’re now receiving over 87% more weekly plugin submissions. Our goal is to keep the queue as short as possible and ensure a balanced workload across the team.”
Tooling Upgrades and AI Checks
In addition to reviews, the team has upgraded its internal Scanner tool to run over 220 automated checks and introduced AI-based validations as highlighted, “ We’ve also introduced AI checks for plugin names, helping ensure clear and trademark-compliant naming from the start.”
Perez also emphasized the importance of community tools like the Plugin Check Plugin, saying, “it’s become increasingly integrated into workflows, helping plugin authors self-review their plugins and boosting the overall quality and security of the WordPress ecosystem.”
Improving the Plugin Directory
The team is also collaborating with the Meta team to improve the Plugin Directory itself, “ We’ll be working closely with the Meta team to help review open tickets and propose new features we believe will improve plugin reliability and security.”
David Perez said the name change reflects how far the team has come, “ We believe this small change is well deserved, given all the efforts the team has made to improve the WordPress plugin ecosystem. We’re looking forward to continuing to grow and evolve.”