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FormAgent.ai WordPress Plugin Publishing Guide

📋 Pre-Publishing Checklist

✅ Files Prepared

  • formagent-wp.php - Main plugin file with complete headers
  • readme.txt - WordPress.org compatible readme file
  • uninstall.php - Clean uninstall script
  • languages/ - Translation files (en_US, zh_CN, ja)
  • assets/ - Directory for icons and banners
  • build.sh - Automated packaging script
  • .gitignore - Version control exclusions

🎨 Assets Needed (Create These)

Create the following images in the assets/ directory:

  1. Plugin Icon (icon-128x128.png, icon-256x256.png)

    • Square images representing your plugin
    • Clean, professional design
    • FormAgent.ai branding

  2. Plugin Banner (banner-772x250.png, banner-1544x500.png)

    • Horizontal banner for plugin directory
    • Include plugin name and key features

  3. Screenshots (screenshot-1.png, screenshot-2.png)

    • Settings page screenshot
    • Frontend widget screenshot
    • Name them descriptively in readme.txt

🚀 WordPress.org Submission Process

Step 1: Create WordPress.org Account

  1. Go to https://wordpress.org/support/register.php
  2. Create an account (use a professional email)
  3. Complete your profile

Step 2: Submit Plugin for Review

  1. Go to https://wordpress.org/plugins/developers/add/
  2. Fill out the submission form:
    • Plugin Name: FormAgent.ai Integration
    • Plugin Description: Brief description of functionality
    • Plugin ZIP File: Upload your complete plugin package

Step 3: Required Information

Plugin Name: FormAgent.ai Integration
Description: Integrate FormAgent.ai chat widget into WordPress websites
Plugin ZIP: formagent-wp.zip (containing all plugin files)

Step 4: Wait for Review

  • Initial review takes 2-14 days
  • WordPress team will check for:
    • Security issues
    • Code quality
    • Compliance with guidelines
    • Trademark violations

📦 Creating the Submission Package

Automated Build Process

Simply run the build script to create a clean WordPress.org submission package:

# Run the automated build script
./build.sh

This script will:

  • ✅ Create a clean build directory
  • ✅ Copy only required files (no development files)
  • ✅ Generate formagent-wp.zip ready for submission
  • ✅ Show package contents and size
  • ✅ Clean up temporary files

Manual Build (Alternative)

If you prefer manual control:

# Create a clean directory
mkdir build
mkdir build/formagent-wp

# Copy only required files
cp formagent-wp.php build/formagent-wp/
cp readme.txt build/formagent-wp/
cp uninstall.php build/formagent-wp/
cp -r languages build/formagent-wp/
cp -r assets build/formagent-wp/  # if assets exist

# Create ZIP file
cd build
zip -r ../formagent-wp.zip formagent-wp/
cd ..
rm -rf build

Final Directory Structure

formagent-wp/                 # Development directory
├── formagent-wp.php          # Main plugin file
├── readme.txt                # WordPress.org readme
├── uninstall.php             # Uninstall script
├── build.sh                  # Automated packaging script
├── .gitignore               # Version control exclusions
├── PUBLISHING_GUIDE.md      # This guide (dev only)
├── assets/                   # Icons and banners
│   ├── icon-128x128.png
│   ├── icon-256x256.png
│   ├── banner-772x250.png
│   ├── banner-1544x500.png
│   ├── screenshot-1.png
│   └── screenshot-2.png
└── languages/                # Translation files
    ├── formagent-wp-en_US.po
    ├── formagent-wp-en_US.mo
    ├── formagent-wp-zh_CN.po
    ├── formagent-wp-zh_CN.mo
    ├── formagent-wp-ja.po
    └── formagent-wp-ja.mo

formagent-wp.zip             # Generated package (WordPress.org ready)
├── formagent-wp/
│   ├── formagent-wp.php     # Only production files
│   ├── readme.txt           # No dev files included
│   ├── uninstall.php
│   ├── assets/
│   └── languages/

📝 Important Notes

Before Submitting

  1. Update Author Information:

    • Replace "Your Name" with actual author name
    • Update "yourwordpressusername" in readme.txt
    • Add your real contact information

  2. Test Thoroughly:

    • Test on fresh WordPress installation
    • Test plugin activation/deactivation
    • Test uninstall process
    • Test with different themes

  3. Security Review:

    • All user input is properly escaped
    • No SQL injection vulnerabilities
    • Proper nonce verification for forms

WordPress Guidelines Compliance

  • ✅ GPL-compatible license
  • ✅ No premium features in free plugin
  • ✅ Proper data sanitization
  • ✅ WordPress coding standards
  • ✅ No external dependencies
  • ✅ Clean uninstall process

After Approval

  1. SVN Repository Access: You'll get access to SVN repository
  2. Regular Updates: Keep plugin updated and secure
  3. Support Forum: Monitor WordPress.org support forum
  4. Version Management: Follow semantic versioning

🔄 Post-Approval Process

Using SVN Repository

# Checkout your plugin's SVN repository
svn co https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/formagent-ai-integration/

# Add your files to trunk/
cp -r formagent-wp/* formagent-ai-integration/trunk/

# Add files to SVN
cd formagent-ai-integration
svn add trunk/*

# Commit to trunk
svn ci -m "Initial plugin submission"

# Create tags for releases
svn cp trunk tags/1.1
svn ci -m "Tagging version 1.1"

Assets Upload

# Add assets to SVN
svn add assets/*
svn ci -m "Adding plugin assets"

🎯 Success Tips

  1. Clear Documentation: Comprehensive readme.txt file
  2. Professional Assets: High-quality icons and banners
  3. Security First: Follow WordPress security best practices
  4. User Experience: Intuitive interface and clear instructions
  5. Regular Updates: Keep plugin current with WordPress versions
  6. Automated Building: Use ./build.sh for consistent, clean packages

🛠️ Build Script Features

The build.sh script provides:

  • Clean Packaging: Only includes WordPress.org required files
  • Automatic Validation: Shows package contents and size
  • Error Handling: Stops on errors with clear messages
  • Asset Detection: Warns if icons/banners are missing
  • Size Optimization: Excludes development files for smaller packages
# Make the script executable (first time only)
chmod +x build.sh

# Create WordPress.org package
./build.sh

# The script will generate formagent-wp.zip ready for submission

📞 Support Resources

Good luck with your plugin submission! 🚀