Title: Forum Guidelines Author: Marius L. J. Published: July 15, 2017 Last modified: April 25, 2026 --- # Forum Guidelines ## In this article * [User Expectations](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#user-expectations) * [Contacting the Moderators](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#contacting-the-moderators) * [Guidelines](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#guidelines) - [Do not advertise on the support forums](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#do-not-advertise-on-the-support-forums) - [Do not offer to pay for help](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#do-not-offer-to-pay-for-help) - [Do not post about commercial products](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#do-not-post-about-commercial-products) - [Do not create multiple accounts](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#do-not-create-multiple-accounts) - [Be mindful when creating links to external resources](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#be-mindful-when-creating-links-to-external-resources) - [We reserve the right to manage the forums to the best of our ability](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#we-reserve-the-right-to-manage-the-forums-to-the-best-of-our-ability) - [In closing](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#in-closing) Last Updated: 25 July 2024 Welcome to the WordPress.org support forums! 😃 The forums is a volunteer-powered resource, available to all users of WordPress to help improve the quality of WordPress Core, plugins and themes and to help solve problems with WordPress. ## 󠀁[User Expectations](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#user-expectations)󠁿 As a volunteer-powered forum, users are expected to be kind, helpful and respectful to all, assuming the best intentions of people and trying to help make things better. Please also be aware that these are community forums, this means that all users are required to follow the [Community Code of Conduct](https://make.wordpress.org/handbook/community-code-of-conduct/). Be aware that there is no obligation for support to be provided, including by the developers of themes and plugins hosted on WordPress.org. Be mindful to follow any and all reasonable instructions given by a forum moderator at all times, they are long time contributors with experience to know when action needs to be taken, or warnings need to be issued. ## 󠀁[Contacting the Moderators](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#contacting-the-moderators)󠁿 If a post needs moderator attention, there is a ‘Report this topic’ link on every thread. That will add the post to a queue moderators watch and follow up with many times a day. If immediate action is needed, or the situation is not limited to a specific post, users should come to [Slack](https://make.wordpress.org/chat) and post in the #forums channel. (In many cases, the [FAQ](https://wordpress.org/support/forum-user-guide/faq/) already might have an answer to your question. Please remember that the moderators are also volunteer contributors and may not always be online to respond immediately.) --- ## 󠀁[Guidelines](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#guidelines)󠁿 ### 󠀁[Do not advertise on the support forums](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#do-not-advertise-on-the-support-forums)󠁿 The forums are not a venue to promote your own (or others’) plugins, themes, websites or services. You are also not allowed to request payment to fix someone’s site, please use [jobs.wordpress.net](http://jobs.wordpress.net) for this. ### 󠀁[Do not offer to pay for help](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#do-not-offer-to-pay-for-help)󠁿 Do not offer to pay for services or help on the forums, please use [jobs.wordpress.net](http://jobs.wordpress.net) for this. ### 󠀁[Do not post about commercial products](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#do-not-post-about-commercial-products)󠁿 Commercial plugins and themes are not sold on WordPress.org, therefore please use their respective websites for support and reviews. For support of commercial themes or plugins, go to their official support channel. In order to be good stewards of the WordPress community, and encourage innovation and progress, we feel it’s important to direct people to those official locations. Doing this will provide the developer with the income they need to make WordPress awesome. Reviews of commercial plugins/themes are acceptable on WordPress.org when such reviews discuss functionality (including Software as a Services [Saas] solutions) or user- facing features. Reviews that are essentially payment disputes or are used to leverage support will be archived, with a reply that such disputes should be handled via private email. ### 󠀁[Do not create multiple accounts](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#do-not-create-multiple-accounts)󠁿 Individuals are limited to a single personal account. A company may register a brand account with a verifiable company email. We do not allow individual users to make multiple accounts, and consider this a bannable offense. ### 󠀁[Be mindful when creating links to external resources](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#be-mindful-when-creating-links-to-external-resources)󠁿 Public links in plugin or theme support topics may only be posted if they meet one or more of the following criteria: * The link is to the plugin or theme authors own website. * The link is to the plugin or theme authors own support website. * The link is posted by the plugin or theme author themselves (or registered support users) to an external resource related to the topic. * The link is to resources on the WordPress.org website. * The link is to a reputable image-sharing service for screenshots. ### 󠀁[We reserve the right to manage the forums to the best of our ability](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#we-reserve-the-right-to-manage-the-forums-to-the-best-of-our-ability)󠁿 We do our best to keep the forums friendly and safe for all users and developers. In order to do so, topic content may be moderated and users may have their access restricted, should the moderation team feel it is appropriate. We aim to use this power lightly and as sparingly as possible, however in severe cases, users may be suspended and posts removed entirely. Common reasons for edits or suspensions include but are not limited to: * Violations of the WordPress [Community Code of Conduct](https://make.wordpress.org/handbook/community-code-of-conduct/). * [Spamming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spamming). * Unhelpful responses including but not limited to unvetted AI-generated responses or simple copy-and-paste of internet search results that aren’t specifically helpful to the thread starter. * Posting personal information of other people (including but not limited to email, name, job, gender, living situation, location, etc). * Posting private communication in the public forums or Slack. This includes direct messages, emails, support tickets, or other off-WordPress.org communication. * Posting or accepting offers or requests for login information to a site. While plugin and theme authors may ask for this on their own support systems, _they may not do so on WordPress.org_ for liability reasons. * Harassment, threats, or abuse via any of WordPress.org’s systems or events (such as meetups or WordCamps). This includes actions such as following people to social media to continue a disagreement or complaint. * Posting broad questions about opinions, such as “who is the best web host?” or other similar discussion topics that are not directly related to WordPress, its themes, or plugins. * Posting only to solicit feedback for a site, theme, or plugin. * Posting in ALL CAPS or abusing formatting (such as bolding the entire topic). * Seeking legal advice or threatening legal action, including lawsuits. Please note that neither the list of examples above, or bannable offenses are exhaustive. Each and every post and interaction is judged on its own merits. ### 󠀁[In closing](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/?output_format=md#in-closing)󠁿 And that’s all. Enjoy your stay at the forums! Oh.. And, when you’re done, please mark your topic as “Resolved”. Thanks!