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A checklist for shipping a WordPress plugin update safely

A release checklist for WordPress plugin developers — compatibility matrix, regression signals, and what to attach to your changelog.

Folt Team3 min read
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Shipping a WordPress plugin update should feel boring. This checklist keeps it that way.

Before you tag the release

  1. Choose compatibility coverage — not just your laptop. Cover the PHP versions you support, the current and previous supported WordPress releases, and relevant theme/plugin combinations. A focused scan may be the right gate; the full matrix is not included on Free.
  2. Diff against the last green scan — new failures should be intentional, not surprises.
  3. Check checkout and admin flows — if you integrate with WooCommerce or page builders, exercise those paths.
  4. Review JS console and screenshots — PHP fatals are not the only signal.

What to keep in the release artifact

  • Pass/fail count across the matrix
  • Stack traces for new failures
  • Blast radius estimate for anything red
  • Link to the full report for your team

After you ship

Monitor support tickets for environment hints. If users report white screens without stack traces, queue another matrix scan with their combo added (Team plans support custom matrices).

Automate the boring part

Folt expands one scan into the environment runs you select and groups the evidence in one report. Review how coverage works, attach the report to your release notes, and make compatibility an explicit release decision.

See pricing and included run allowances when you are ready to make scans part of every release.

See a sample report View pricing

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