Plugin Repository And Commercial Plugins ![rw-book-cover]() 🔗 **Source:** [Plugin Repository And Commercial Plugins](https://wptavern.com/plugin-repository-and-commercial-plugins) > [!note]+ Document Notes > --- > tags: [commercial, guidelines, plugins, upselling, wp-tavern-archive, wp-tavern-2009] > author: Jeff Chandler > source: WP Tavern > reference: https://wptavern.com/plugin-repository-and-commercial-plugins > date created: 2026-04-17 13:22 > --- > # Plugin Repository And Commercial Plugins > ## 📝 Summary > - WordPress leadership clarified guidelines for commercial plugins in the official plugin repository, deciding to keep it as a hosting site for free-to-download plugins only. > - Placeholder plugins that exist solely to direct users to download premium versions elsewhere are prohibited, but "lite" versions with links to commercial counterparts are permitted. > - Mark Jaquith and Matt Mullenweg established that the policy is not anti-business but rather a clarification of existing rules to maintain the repository's purpose as a free plugin hosting site, not a listing service. > - The WordPress plugin repository will continue to host free plugins while allowing commercial authors to offer lite versions with mentions of their premium offerings. > ## 💬 Comments (0) > No comments. > --- Before the September 3rd WordPress development meeting took place, Mark Jaquith added [some interesting items to the meeting agenda](http://wpdevel.wordpress.com/2009/08/31/agenda-for-20090903-dev-chat-discus/) that specifically addressed commercial plugin authors and the guidelines of the repository. Mark had conversed with Matt Mullenweg and the decision was that there was not much to talk about. > Matt and I had a chat and there’s not really anything to discuss. Plugins that merely exist as placeholders for a plugin hosted elsewhere (like a “requirements check” plugin) are out, but “lite” versions, etc are in. The goal is to have the directory be free-to-download plugins. A placeholder for a premium plugin is against that spirit. > > Makes perfect sense to me. When I pressed on for more clarification, this is what Mark had to say: > WordPress is not anti-business. We’ve just decided to keep the wp.org Plugin Directory a hosting site for zero-cost plugins. There is already a rule (#3) that says it is a hosting site, not a listing site. It’s for actual plugins, not plugins whose primary purpose is to send people somewhere else to download a plugin. This is not a change in policy as much as being consistent about the existing policies. One “requirements check” plugin was allowed in, and another was not. I was concerned about the dual standard. > > > If your plugin is actually a plugin, not just an advertisement or a placeholder for a plugin hosted elsewhere, you’re fine, as far as this rule is concerned. > > I don’t see very many commercial GPL plugin authors having a product in the repository anyways. However, it definitely looks like you can have a free “lite” version hosted in the repository with links or mentions to a commercial version of that plugin. However, where does one draw the limits between a lite plugin that is reduced to the point where the commercial option is the only one that makes sense thus making it seem like a plugin who’s primary purpose is to push the commercial option? Obviously, common sense here goes a long way to avoiding issues. If you have questions about adding your plugin to the repository, you should get in touch with **markr** who usually can be found in the WordPress.com IRC channel. By the way, Matt himself said he was not aware of writing a blog post that would clarify these issues. So that rumor is debunked. Category: [WordPress](https://wptavern.com/category/wordpressorg)Tags: [commercial](https://wptavern.com/tag/commercial), [guidelines](https://wptavern.com/tag/guidelines), [Plugins](https://wptavern.com/tag/plugins), [upselling](https://wptavern.com/tag/upselling), Plugin Repository And Commercial Plugins, Jeff Chandler, 01kpe7dwcj8xabvwjsgnhanrwp.