Update: Turning the Tide

Currently there are 1,241 plugins awaiting review.

We are painstakingly aware of this. We check that number every day and realise how this delay is affecting pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party authors. We are sharing an update to let you know what we are doing, not just to fix the current situation, but also to prevent a similar scenario in the future.

New Team Members

We have three new people in the team: Gustavo Bordoni, Gagan Deep Singh & Rob Rawley (thank you!) and we are still reviewing submissions. The experience we have gained onboarding two rounds of new team members, added to the fact that we now have a system in place, means that it will be a lot easier to repeat this process in the future.

Since we have 40+ submissions at this point, we are planning to close the “Apply to join the team” form at the end of September. If you are planning to apply to join the team, please do so before Oct 1st. We would like to extend our gratitude to all those how have taken a step forward and volunteered to join the team.

Self-reviews

We have also started emailing plugin authors whose plugins are currently in the queue and asked them to self-check their plugins to ensure they meet basic security standards. We find ourselves correcting the same three or four errors on +95% of plugins and this is not a good use of our time. Once authors confirm that their plugins meet these basic requirements, we will proceed with the review.

We want to thank those of you who are receiving these emails for your collaboration, as it will allow us to tackle the current backlog a lot faster.

Plugin Check plugin

In the same vein, we are just about to release have just released a Plugin Check plugin (PCP) to the WP.org as a regular plugin. This plugin will allow authors to self-review their plugins automatically and will provide them with feedback and links to fix common errors.

Once the PCP is merged with this other plugin that the Performance team has been working on, it will provide checks for a lot of other things. When this is completed, we will be in a better spot to take in feedback and make improvements.

In the short term, we are going to ask authors to test their plugins using the PCP before submitting them, but our goal is to integrate the plugin as part of the submission process and run automated checks.

The Plugin Check plugin is about to be released has been released as a regular repo plugin. Running it will become requirement soon, please take a look now.

Security Reports

We have made significant progress with the security reports backlog, and we are hoping to clear that queue in a matter of days. This will mean more hands available to focus on new plugin reviews and other tasks. We have also made some progress regarding the methods and formats in which researchers submit their reports which, in turns reduces the amount of time required to process these reports.

Bailing Water Vs Fixing the Leak

If you indulge me to share a sailing metaphor: When your boat has a leak, it is more effective to prioritize fixing the source of the leak rather than solely focusing on bailing out water, even though to external observers, it might appear as if no progress is being made. Bailing water can provide temporary relief and may give the appearance of actively addressing the issue, but it is essentially a band-aid solution that requires continuous effort.

During the last 6 months, the Plugin review team has worked on documenting its processes, training new members and improving its tools. Now, thanks to your patience and support, the tide is about to turn.

#update