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Plugin Check (PCP)

By WordPress.org

Site Administration & Utilities / Site Health & Diagnostics

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Plugin Check (PCP) Review - In-Depth Analysis

Plugin Check is a tool for testing WordPress plugins against directory requirements and best practices. It helps identify issues related to accessibility, performance, and security.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

7.09/10

User Rating

4.5/5 (based on 36+ reviews)

Active Installations

10,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Plugin Check is a tool for testing whether your plugin meets the required standards for the WordPress.org plugin directory. With this plugin you will be able to run most of the checks used for new submissions, and check if your plugin meets the requirements.

Additionally, the tool flags violations or concerns around plugin development best practices, from basic requirements like correct usage of internationalization functions to accessibility, performance, and security best practices.

The checks can be run either using the WP Admin user interface or WP-CLI. To check a plugin using WP Admin, please navigate to the Tools > Plugin Check menu. You need to be able to manage plugins on your site in order to access that screen.

To check a plugin using WP-CLI, please use the wp plugin check command. For example, to check the 'Hello Dolly' plugin: wp plugin check hello.php. Note that by default when using WP-CLI, only static checks can be executed. In order to also include runtime checks, a workaround is currently necessary using the --require argument of WP-CLI, to manually load the cli.php file within the plugin checker directory before WordPress is loaded.

The checks are grouped into several categories, so that you can customize which kinds of checks you would like to run on a plugin.

Keep in mind that this plugin is not a replacement for the manual review process, but it will help you speed up the process of getting your plugin approved for the WordPress.org plugin repository, and it will also help you avoid some common mistakes.

Even if you do not intend to host your plugin in the WordPress.org directory, you are encouraged to use Plugin Check so that your plugin follows the base requirements and best practices for WordPress plugins.

Plugin Check now includes an AI-powered Plugin Namer tool that helps plugin authors evaluate plugin names before submission. This tool checks for similarity to existing plugins in the WordPress.org directory, potential trademark conflicts with well-known brands, compliance with WordPress plugin naming guidelines, and generic or overly broad naming issues.

The Plugin Namer provides instant feedback with actionable suggestions, helping you choose a clear, unique, and policy-compliant name that stands out in the plugin directory. This feature requires WordPress 7.0+ and configured AI connectors.

The Plugin Namer tool provides guidance only and is not definitive. All plugin name decisions are subject to final review and approval by the WordPress.org Plugins team reviewers.

Comparing to Alternatives

Plugin Check (PCP) has no close direct alternatives in its category, making it a unique tool for plugin developers.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Helps developers adhere to WordPress coding standards and best practices.
Identifies potential security and coding issues effectively.
Provides detailed feedback that aids in improving plugin quality.
Lightweight and easy to use within the development workflow.
No known security vulnerabilities, ensuring safe usage.

Weaknesses

May produce false positives that require manual filtering.
Lacks features to mark or ignore resolved issues for easier re-scanning.
No pro version or advanced premium features available.
Interface could benefit from clearer severity indicators for issues.

User Sentiment Analysis

With a strong majority of 5-star ratings and very few low ratings, users generally appreciate Plugin Check for its helpfulness and accuracy in plugin development.

Positive highlights

Great for checking your work and covering basic best practices of plugin authoring, especially security (mlipenk).
Perfect for helping comply with WordPress standards and improving code quality (Hub5050).
Able to spot issues missed during development, making it practical for validation (J-C Berthon).
Very useful for identifying and fixing errors before publishing (muzKore).
Helpful tool for finding issues early and considered a must-have for serious developers (Stachethemes).

Common complaints

The plugin review started with false positives and was not accurate (Barry).

Weaknesses

False positives can cause confusion and require additional effort to filter.
Lacks functionality to ignore or mark fixed issues for easier management.
Could improve issue severity indicators for better accessibility and prioritization.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Plugin developers who want a reliable tool to check their code against WordPress standards and improve plugin quality before release.

Not ideal for

Users seeking a plugin with advanced management features for issues or those who prefer tools with fewer false positives and more refined filtering options.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers comprehensive plugin code checks, highlighting errors and warnings to improve quality and security.

Final Verdict

Plugin Check (PCP) stands out as a valuable and unique tool for WordPress plugin developers, offering thorough code analysis and helping ensure adherence to best practices and security standards. Its high user ratings reflect its effectiveness and usefulness despite some false positives.

While it lacks advanced features like issue management and has no premium version, its free offering is robust and secure, making it a recommended choice for developers seeking to improve their plugins before release.