🔴 Core Requirements (MUST HAVE)

• 100% GPL or compatible license REQUIRED
• No obfuscated or encrypted code REQUIRED
• Use WordPress functionality (no reinventing) REQUIRED
• Properly escape all data output REQUIRED
• Sanitize all user input REQUIRED
• Validate and sanitize all untrusted data REQUIRED
• Include copyright and license info in style.css REQUIRED
• Use wp_enqueue_* for scripts and styles REQUIRED
• No removal of admin notices REQUIRED
• Screenshot must be representative REQUIRED
• No phone home or tracking without consent REQUIRED
• Theme Check plugin must pass REQUIRED

💻 Code Quality Requirements

• No PHP or JS errors REQUIRED
• Prefix everything (functions, classes, globals) REQUIRED
• No deprecated functions REQUIRED
• Secure code (no SQL injection, XSS, etc.) REQUIRED
• Follow WordPress PHP Coding Standards RECOMMENDED
• Use WordPress APIs and functions RECOMMENDED
• Proper documentation and comments RECOMMENDED

<?php
// WRONG - No prefix
function setup_theme() {
    // Theme setup
}

// CORRECT - With unique prefix
function mytheme_setup() {
    // Theme setup
}

// WRONG - Generic class name
class Walker_Menu extends Walker_Nav_Menu {
    // Custom walker
}

// CORRECT - Prefixed class name
class MyTheme_Walker_Menu extends Walker_Nav_Menu {
    // Custom walker
}

// WRONG - Global without prefix
$options = get_option('theme_options');

// CORRECT - Prefixed global
$mytheme_options = get_option('mytheme_options');

⚙️ Functionality Requirements

• Display dynamic content correctly REQUIRED
• Comments must work if enabled REQUIRED
• Use WordPress features (menus, widgets, etc.) REQUIRED
• Include default WordPress CSS classes REQUIRED
• Support post formats OPTIONAL
• Custom headers and backgrounds OPTIONAL
• Editor styles RECOMMENDED

<?php
function mytheme_setup() {
    // Required: Let WordPress manage the title
    add_theme_support( 'title-tag' );
    
    // Required: Add default posts and comments RSS feed links
    add_theme_support( 'automatic-feed-links' );
    
    // Required: Enable support for Post Thumbnails
    add_theme_support( 'post-thumbnails' );
    
    // Required: Register navigation menus
    register_nav_menus( array(
        'primary' => __( 'Primary Menu', 'mytheme' ),
        'footer'  => __( 'Footer Menu', 'mytheme' ),
    ) );
    
    // Required: Add support for core custom logo
    add_theme_support( 'custom-logo', array(
        'height'      => 100,
        'width'       => 400,
        'flex-height' => true,
        'flex-width'  => true,
    ) );
    
    // Required: Switch default core markup to output valid HTML5
    add_theme_support( 'html5', array(
        'search-form',
        'comment-form',
        'comment-list',
        'gallery',
        'caption',
        'style',
        'script',
    ) );
    
    // Recommended: Add support for responsive embeds
    add_theme_support( 'responsive-embeds' );
    
    // Recommended: Add support for Block Styles
    add_theme_support( 'wp-block-styles' );
    
    // Recommended: Add support for full and wide align images
    add_theme_support( 'align-wide' );
}
add_action( 'after_setup_theme', 'mytheme_setup' );

♿ Accessibility Requirements

• Keyboard navigation must work REQUIRED
• Skip links for screen readers REQUIRED
• ARIA labels where appropriate REQUIRED
• Proper heading hierarchy REQUIRED
• Color contrast WCAG AA compliant RECOMMENDED
• Focus indicators visible RECOMMENDED
• Form labels properly associated RECOMMENDED

<!-- Skip Link -->
<a class="skip-link screen-reader-text" href="#content">
    <?php esc_html_e( 'Skip to content', 'mytheme' ); ?>
</a>

<!-- Proper Menu Toggle -->
<button class="menu-toggle" aria-controls="primary-menu" aria-expanded="false">
    <span class="screen-reader-text"><?php esc_html_e( 'Menu', 'mytheme' ); ?></span>
    <span class="menu-toggle-icon" aria-hidden="true"></span>
</button>

<!-- Proper Search Form -->
<form role="search" method="get" action="<?php echo esc_url( home_url( '/' ) ); ?>">
    <label>
        <span class="screen-reader-text">
            <?php echo esc_html_x( 'Search for:', 'label', 'mytheme' ); ?>
        </span>
        <input type="search" placeholder="<?php echo esc_attr_x( 'Search...', 'placeholder', 'mytheme' ); ?>"
               value="<?php echo get_search_query(); ?>" name="s" />
    </label>
    <button type="submit">
        <span class="screen-reader-text">
            <?php echo esc_html_x( 'Search', 'submit button', 'mytheme' ); ?>
        </span>
        <svg>...</svg>
    </button>
</form>

🚫 Prohibited Items

• No "powered by" or credit links required BANNED
• No selling of links or ads BANNED
• No obfuscated/encrypted code BANNED
• No external CDN dependencies BANNED
• No tracking without user consent BANNED
• No shortcodes in themes BANNED
• No custom post types or taxonomies BANNED
• No admin notices that can't be dismissed BANNED
• No iframe loading from external sites BANNED
• No base64 encoded content BANNED

📚 Documentation Requirements

• License clearly stated REQUIRED
• Copyright information REQUIRED
• Credits for all resources REQUIRED
• readme.txt file RECOMMENDED
• Inline documentation RECOMMENDED
• Setup instructions RECOMMENDED

=== Theme Name ===
Contributors: yourwordpressusername
Requires at least: 5.9
Tested up to: 6.4
Requires PHP: 7.4
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

== Description ==
Theme description goes here. Explain what your theme does and who it's for.

== Installation ==
1. Upload the theme folder to /wp-content/themes/ directory
2. Activate the theme through the 'Themes' menu in WordPress
3. See Theme Settings for customization options

== Frequently Asked Questions ==
= How do I set up the homepage? =
Navigate to Settings > Reading and set up a static front page.

= Does this theme support plugins? =
Yes, it's tested with WooCommerce, Contact Form 7, and more.

== Changelog ==
= 1.0.0 =
* Initial release

== Resources ==
* Normalize.css https://necolas.github.io/normalize.css/, (C) Nicolas Gallagher, MIT
* Font Awesome https://fontawesome.com, (C) Fonticons, Inc., CC BY 4.0
* Images: All images are from Pexels.com and are GPL compatible

🧪 Testing Requirements

• Theme Check plugin must pass REQUIRED
• Theme Unit Test data tested REQUIRED
• Different content scenarios tested REQUIRED
• WP_DEBUG enabled testing RECOMMENDED
• Plugin compatibility testing RECOMMENDED
• Multiple browser testing RECOMMENDED

// In wp-config.php for testing
define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );
define( 'SCRIPT_DEBUG', true );
define( 'SAVEQUERIES', true );

⚠️ Top Rejection Reasons

1. Escaping Issues: Not escaping output properly
2. Licensing Problems: Non-GPL compatible code or resources
3. Plugin Territory: Including functionality that belongs in plugins
4. Sanitization: Not sanitizing user input
5. Prefixing: Using generic function/class names
6. Hidden Links: Credit links that can't be removed
7. External Dependencies: Loading from CDNs
8. Selling/Upselling: Too aggressive promotion
9. Code Quality: PHP errors, deprecated functions
10. Missing Features: No widget areas, no custom menus