Editorial policy
This page explains how we test, how we pick what goes into our lists, how sponsored content works on WP Team X, and how we fix mistakes. It applies to every article from 21 October 2026 onward, and we're bringing older articles up to it one by one.
How we test themes and plugins
- A clean install. Each test starts on a fresh WordPress site in WordPress Playground, currently WordPress 7.1.3 on PHP 8.3, with the default sample post and page.
- Installed from the source. Free themes and plugins come from the WordPress.org directory. We don't use modified or nulled copies.
- Same page, same tools. For themes, we activate each one and load the homepage in Chrome with the admin toolbar turned off (our test site keeps us logged in), then record the number of requests and the uncompressed size of the HTML, CSS, JavaScript and fonts. These numbers describe a theme with no setup, which is the fairest comparison we can make. A real site with images and plugins will be heavier.
- Our own screenshots. Screenshots on the site come from our test install unless the caption says otherwise. We don't use vendor marketing images as proof that something works.
- Directory data, with a date. Versions, active installs, ratings and last update dates come from WordPress.org on the day we check, and the article says which day.
- Premium products are marked. When a list includes a paid theme or plugin we haven't installed, the article says so instead of pretending we tested it.
How we choose what to recommend
We look at how a theme or plugin performs in our test, how actively it's maintained, what its users say in the directory, and whether it fits the job the article is about. A product that hasn't been updated in more than a year gets a warning, even if it's still popular. Can a company pay to appear in a list, or to move up in one? No. Placement in our lists isn't for sale.
Sponsored content
WP Team X sells a limited number of sponsored placements. These rules apply to every placement published from 21 October 2026:
- A sponsored article carries a visible Sponsored label at the top.
- Links that were paid for or exchanged use
rel="sponsored". - We only accept topics our readers care about: WordPress, web design, web development and the tools around them. No gambling, finance, health, adult or crypto placements.
- Sponsors can't change our test results, our lists or our opinion of their product in other articles.
- We may turn down any placement that doesn't fit the site.
How we use AI
We use AI tools to help with research, outlines and editing. Test results, measurements and screenshots always come from our own installs, and a person checks every page before it goes live. We don't publish AI generated reviews of products we haven't looked at.
Corrections and updates
When a theme or plugin changes, or a reader tells us something is wrong, we check it on the test site, fix the article and change its “Updated” date. Found something? Write to us through the contact page.
Independence
WP Team X isn't affiliated with WordPress.org, the WordPress Foundation or Automattic. WordPress is a trademark of the WordPress Foundation. The domain's history, including the theme studio that owned it before 2026, is on our About page.