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Choose a WordPress theme expert by matching their experience to your site’s theme architecture, asking for a concrete testing and documentation plan, probing security and accessibility knowledge, and agreeing on scope and handoff in writing. WordPress does not certify or endorse individual theme experts, so use the candidate’s explanations and work examples as evidence to evaluate—not as automatic proof.
1. Match their experience to your actual theme and project
Start with the work you need: a new theme, a visual customization, a template repair, or another defined change. Then ask whether the candidate has worked with the architecture and features involved on your site. A general claim of “WordPress experience” does not establish familiarity with your particular theme or task.
WordPress supports both block and classic themes. The Theme Developer Handbook describes block themes as built mainly with HTML and a theme configuration file, while classic themes commonly use PHP, JavaScript, and CSS. Ask which type your project involves and how the candidate’s relevant experience applies. WordPress Theme Developer Handbook
- Ask for public examples or a walkthrough of work the candidate is permitted to share.
- Ask what they personally handled on a relevant project and what other people or tools contributed.
- Discuss the templates, features, and constraints that make your project similar—or different—from those examples.
A portfolio is a useful starting point for questions, not proof that the candidate completed every part of each project. The official WordPress materials provide technical guidance, but they do not establish a standardized hiring credential or an approved-provider list.
2. Ask for a specific testing and documentation plan
A credible candidate should be able to explain what they will test, when they will test it, and what notes or evidence they will hand over. WordPress release guidance calls for thorough testing, including content, and proper documentation. It also points to Theme Check as one way to check against current theme review standards. Releasing Your Theme
For your project, agree which changed templates and pages will be checked, what content variations matter, and which screen sizes and supported browsers are in scope. Where relevant, include keyboard use in the test plan. Ask how the candidate records issues and confirms that fixes work.
Theme Check can be part of a process, but a tool result alone does not prove a theme is correct, secure, accessible, or visually sound. Look for a plan that combines appropriate automated checks with hands-on review of the actual site and its content.
3. Probe security knowledge before granting access
Ask how the candidate makes safe theme changes, validates and escapes untrusted values, and investigates a suspected security concern. Their answer should explain a process rather than rely on broad assurances that their work is “secure.” WordPress directs theme developers to secure-development guidance and says vulnerability reports should be handled confidentially through the appropriate route. Theme security guidance and WordPress security
Ask what they would do if they found a possible vulnerability during the work. WordPress guidance calls for confidential handling and appropriate reporting; do not ask a candidate to publish details of a suspected vulnerability publicly.
4. Turn accessibility claims into demonstrations
Do not treat “accessibility-ready” as a guarantee of WCAG AA compliance. WordPress says that label means a theme meets the Theme Review Team’s basic requirements; it is not a claim that the theme meets WCAG AA. Theme accessibility handbook and WordPress accessibility
Rank #4
Ask the candidate to demonstrate keyboard operation of navigation and controls, and explain how they check contrast, text resizing, semantic structure, and behavior at different screen sizes. The handbook’s cited WCAG 2.0 guidance includes a 4.5:1 contrast ratio for ordinary text and says content and functionality should remain available when text is resized up to 200%. These are specific checks from that guidance, not a complete accessibility audit.
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5. Define scope, boundaries, and handoff
Before work begins, document what is included and excluded, what assumptions affect the estimate, how proposed changes are approved, and what you will receive at completion. Ask how the candidate distinguishes visual presentation from functionality that should continue working if you later change themes.
WordPress.org directory-submission rules say directory themes must not bundle plugins or non-design functionality such as forms; they also list shortcodes, custom post types, and custom blocks among content not allowed in themes in that submission context. Use this as a technical boundary to discuss what belongs in a theme versus a plugin or another component—not as a universal rule for every private project. Theme Review Guidelines
Agree on the handoff in practical terms: what files or changes will be delivered, what documentation will accompany them, and what remains for you or another developer to maintain. Also discuss account ownership, the access needed for the work, backups and rollback, and when access should be removed. These are sensible client-side safeguards to agree on with the candidate; they are not presented here as official WordPress contract requirements.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Compare candidates on evidence, not confidence
Use the same questions with each candidate so you can compare the substance of their answers. WordPress does not publish a scoring rubric for hiring; the criteria below are a practical way to assess fit for your project.
Quick Recap
| What to compare | Useful evidence | A concern to clarify |
|---|---|---|
| Relevant experience | Examples and explanations tied to your theme architecture, requested work, and project constraints. | A generic WordPress claim without a clear connection to your task. |
| Testing and documentation | A plan naming what will be checked, when checks happen, and what notes or evidence you receive. | Reliance on a single automated tool or no defined handoff. |
| Security and accessibility | Clear explanations and practical demonstrations relevant to the changes being made. | Broad assurances without an explanation of validation, keyboard checks, or handling a concern. |
| Scope and handoff | Clear inclusions, exclusions, assumptions, approval process, and completion deliverables. | Unclear ownership of functionality, dependencies, or what happens after the work ends. |
Questions to ask before you hire
- Which parts of my site’s theme architecture and requested work have you handled before?
- Can you show or walk me through relevant work you are allowed to share, and explain your role in it?
- What will you test, at what stages, and what documentation or evidence will I receive?
- How do you validate and escape untrusted values, and what would you do if you suspected a vulnerability?
- Can you demonstrate keyboard use and explain how you assess contrast, text resizing, and different screen sizes?
- What is included, excluded, or dependent on assumptions, and how are changes approved?
- Which functionality belongs in the theme, and which should be kept separate so it can survive a theme change?
- What will I receive at handoff, and how should access, backup, and rollback be handled?
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