Title: Theme Check
Author: WordPress.org
Published: <strong>June 9, 2018</strong>
Last modified: December 20, 2023

---

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![](https://ps.w.org/theme-check/assets/banner-772x250.png?rev=904294)

This plugin **hasn’t been tested with the latest 3 major releases of WordPress**.
It may no longer be maintained or supported and may have compatibility issues when
used with more recent versions of WordPress.

![](https://ps.w.org/theme-check/assets/icon-128x128.png?rev=972579)

# Theme Check

 By [WordPress.org](https://profiles.wordpress.org/wordpressdotorg/)

[Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/theme-check.20231220.zip)

 * [Details](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/#description)
 * [Reviews](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/#reviews)
 * [Development](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/#developers)

 [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/theme-check/)

## Description

The theme check plugin is an easy way to test your theme and make sure it’s up to
spec with the latest [theme review](https://make.wordpress.org/themes/handbook/review/)
standards. With it, you can run all the same automated testing tools on your theme
that WordPress.org uses for theme submissions.

The tests are run through a simple admin menu and all results are displayed at once.
This is very handy for theme developers, or anybody looking to make sure that their
theme supports the latest WordPress theme standards and practices.

#### How to enable trac formatting

The Theme Review team use this plugin while reviewing themes and copy/paste the 
output into trac tickets, the trac system has its own markup language.
 To enable
trac formatting in Theme-Check you need to define a couple of variables in wp-config.
php: _TC\_PRE_ and _TC\_POST_ are used as a ticket header and footer. For example:

    ```
    define( 'TC_PRE', 'Theme Review:[[br]]
    - Themes should be reviewed using "define(\'WP_DEBUG\', true);" in wp-config.php[[br]]
    - Themes should be reviewed using the test data from the Theme Checklists (TC)
    -----
    ' );

    define( 'TC_POST', 'Feel free to make use of the contact details below if you have any questions,
    comments, or feedback:[[br]]
    [[br]]
    * Leave a comment on this ticket[[br]]
    * Send an email to the Theme Review email list[[br]]
    * Use the #wordpress-themes IRC channel on Freenode.' );
    ```

If **either** of these two vars are defined a new trac tickbox will appear next 
to the _Check it!_ button.

## FAQ

### What’s with the version numbers?

The version number is the date of the revision of the [guidelines](https://make.wordpress.org/themes/handbook/review/)
used to create it.

### Why does it flag something as bad?

It’s not flagging “bad” things, as such. The theme check is designed to be a non-
perfect way to test for compliance with the [Theme Review](https://make.wordpress.org/themes/handbook/review/)
guidelines. Not all themes must adhere to these guidelines. The purpose of the checking
tool is to ensure that themes uploaded to the central [WordPress.org theme repository](https://wordpress.org/themes/)
meet the latest standards of WordPress themes and will work on a wide variety of
sites.

Many sites use customized themes, and that’s perfectly okay. But themes that are
intended for use on many different kinds of sites by the public need to have a certain
minimum level of capabilities, in order to ensure proper functioning in many different
environments. The Theme Review guidelines are created with that goal in mind.

This theme checker is not perfect, and never will be. It is only a tool to help 
theme authors, or anybody else who wants to make their theme more capable. All themes
submitted to WordPress.org are hand-reviewed by a team of experts. The automated
theme checker is meant to be a useful tool only, not an absolute system of measurement.

This plugin does not decide the guidelines used. Any issues with particular theme
review guidelines should be discussed on the [Make Themes site](https://make.wordpress.org/themes).

## Reviews

![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3d30f1cadd5159b06e7c7a61eeaf0c2f94ef79cad046bff231df44f6f1cc2ead?
s=60&d=retro&r=g)

### 󠀁[Great plugin and support! It works well!](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/great-plugin-and-support-it-works-well-2/)󠁿

 [Samsul Islam Rana](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ranafge/) December 12, 2024 
1 reply

Great plugin and support! It works well!

![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6e8be5e1b657dfd7d1246e40da68461a196e99716521287d9e64781d94af5f84?
s=60&d=retro&r=g)

### 󠀁[False positives aplenty.](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/false-positives-aplenty/)󠁿

 [digstertron](https://profiles.wordpress.org/digstertron/) April 22, 2023

I heard good things about this plugin until I used it. It says my theme name and
text domain/slug do not match. They do so why is it flagging a non-existent error?

![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a86e2abc962942b251d24a967d17ac864094f3e6c4cdd24bb45e3453fa3b2044?
s=60&d=retro&r=g)

### 󠀁[A Necessity For Theme Developers](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/a-necessity-for-theme-developers/)󠁿

 [Organic Themes](https://profiles.wordpress.org/organicthemes/) December 4, 2019

We regularly use Theme Check for the development of all Organic Themes. Thanks for
creating and maintaining such a useful plugin!

![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0750c31ad2e4acbd1e971a549974bf676de83ffafccd57e2dd7e2139fdd9e88d?
s=60&d=retro&r=g)

### 󠀁[Perfect!](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/perfect-6132/)󠁿

 [Jose Mortellaro](https://profiles.wordpress.org/giuse/) June 6, 2019

One of the best plugins for theme developers. Really a very good job! Have you never
thought to create a similar plugin to check plugins? Plugins developers would also
need a so helpful tool.

![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2ee593427e90f2587166ade8f0a784362c3b2b283859b31baf643f0e3a4cc507?
s=60&d=retro&r=g)

### 󠀁[Useful Plugin from first level user to WordPress Developer](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/useful-plugin-from-first-level-user-to-wordpress-developer/)󠁿

 [vbaimas](https://profiles.wordpress.org/vbaimas/) January 18, 2019

This is a great plugin for everyone that really likes to develop a WordPress theme
and make successfully tests for the basic WordPress standards. The errors separated
in ‘Required’, ‘Warning’, ‘Recommended’ and ‘info’. Also provide the basic information
of this error and makes you understand where the problem is.

![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/af358d877aee39ba1857160fb3bc7704ca7b9cbdde3851ece4fd29dd6eb0e565?
s=60&d=retro&r=g)

### 󠀁[Very useful](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/very-useful-1704/)󠁿

 [Maarten Menten](https://profiles.wordpress.org/maartenm/) September 26, 2018

Thank you for this handy feature.

 [ Read all 195 reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/theme-check/reviews/)

## Contributors & Developers

“Theme Check” is open source software. The following people have contributed to 
this plugin.

Contributors

 *   [ WordPress.org ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/wordpressdotorg/)
 *   [ Samuel Wood (Otto) ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/otto42/)
 *   [ Simon Prosser ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/pross/)
 *   [ Carolina Nymark ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/poena/)
 *   [ acosmin ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/acosmin/)
 *   [ KafleG ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/kafleg/)
 *   [ Joy ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joyously/)

“Theme Check” has been translated into 16 locales. Thank you to [the translators](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/theme-check/contributors)
for their contributions.

[Translate “Theme Check” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/theme-check)

### Interested in development?

[Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/theme-check/), check
out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/theme-check/), or subscribe
to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/theme-check/) by
[RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/theme-check/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss).

## Changelog

Changes can be found in [the changelog.txt file](https://github.com/WordPress/theme-check/blob/master/changelog.txt).

## Community plugin

This plugin is developed and supported by a community. [Contribute to this plugin](https://github.com/WordPress/theme-check)

## Meta

 *  Version **20231220**
 *  Last updated **2 years ago**
 *  Active installations **20,000+**
 *  WordPress version ** 3.7 or higher **
 *  Tested up to **6.4.8**
 *  Languages
 * [Catalan](https://ca.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/), [English (Australia)](https://en-au.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/),
   [English (Canada)](https://en-ca.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/), [English (New Zealand)](https://en-nz.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/),
   [English (UK)](https://en-gb.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/), [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/),
   [German](https://de.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/), [Italian](https://it.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/),
   [Japanese](https://ja.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/), [Romanian](https://ro.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/),
   [Russian](https://ru.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/), [Spanish (Chile)](https://cl.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/),
   [Spanish (Colombia)](https://es-co.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/), [Spanish (Ecuador)](https://es-ec.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/),
   [Spanish (Mexico)](https://es-mx.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/), [Spanish (Spain)](https://es.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/),
   and [Spanish (Venezuela)](https://ve.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/).
 *  [Translate into your language](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/theme-check)
 * Tags
 * [guidelines](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/guidelines/)[themes](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/themes/)
   [wordpress.org](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/wordpress-org/)
 *  [Advanced View](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/advanced/)

## Ratings

 4.8 out of 5 stars.

 *  [  169 5-star reviews     ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/theme-check/reviews/?filter=5)
 *  [  17 4-star reviews     ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/theme-check/reviews/?filter=4)
 *  [  3 3-star reviews     ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/theme-check/reviews/?filter=3)
 *  [  1 2-star review     ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/theme-check/reviews/?filter=2)
 *  [  5 1-star reviews     ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/theme-check/reviews/?filter=1)

[Add my review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/theme-check/reviews/#new-post)

[See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/theme-check/reviews/)

## Contributors

 *   [ WordPress.org ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/wordpressdotorg/)
 *   [ Samuel Wood (Otto) ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/otto42/)
 *   [ Simon Prosser ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/pross/)
 *   [ Carolina Nymark ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/poena/)
 *   [ acosmin ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/acosmin/)
 *   [ KafleG ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/kafleg/)
 *   [ Joy ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joyously/)

## Support

Got something to say? Need help?

 [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/theme-check/)