Why AI Plugins Are Forced to Change Names That Aren’t Even in the Official Rules (Independent WordPress Plugin Developer)
Plugin Directory
Hello dev.to community!
A developer recently shared an experience that raises serious questions about whether the rules in the WordPress Plugin Directory are applied equally to everyone.
After several rounds of technical review, their AI plugin received a blocking comment: the name “AI Advisor” is “too generic”. The review team demanded that a “distinctive term” must be added at the beginning and suggested changing it to “Nexlify AI Advisor”.
The most concerning part? There is no such requirement in the official Detailed Plugin Guidelines.
Exact email from the WordPress Plugins Team
Here is the exact message the developer received:
Thank you for the update and for the work you already did on the technical issues.There is still one blocking issue: the plugin name.AI Advisor is too generic for the directory. It uses broad functional words and is not distinctive enough to identify your plugin clearly. For approval, the plugin needs a more specific name with a distinctive term at the beginning.Please change the display name and the slug. For example:
• Nexlify AI Advisor — nexlify-ai-advisor
• Nexlify AI Chat Advisor — nexlify-ai-chat-advisorIf you want to use another name, that is fine, but it must start with a distinctive term and not remain a generic functional name.After updating the plugin, reply with the exact slug you want us to use. Please note that changing it only in the files is not enough. The review will not continue, and the plugin will not be approved, until this is corrected.
What the official rules actually say (Guideline 17)
The latest version of the Detailed Plugin Guidelines (updated March 11, 2026) has only one section about plugin names — Guideline 17: Plugins must respect trademarks, copyrights, and project names.
It only states:
“The use of trademarks or other projects as the sole or initial term of a plugin slug is prohibited unless proof of legal ownership/representation can be confirmed.”
There is no mention of:
“too generic”
“broad functional words”
“must start with a distinctive term”
“not remain a generic functional name”
None of these phrases exist in the public official guidelines.
Real examples from the directory
Despite this, dozens of AI plugins with exactly the same “generic” names are already approved and actively listed:
AI Engine
AI ChatBot
AI Assistant
AI Content Generator
AI Writer
AI Copilot
Smart AI
All of them passed review without being forced to add any brand prefix like “Nexlify”.
Why this feels like discrimination
Lack of transparency — the requirement only appears in private review emails, not in the published guidelines.
Selective enforcement — it is applied mostly to new AI plugins.
Unequal conditions — some developers can keep short, functional names, while others are forced to make their names longer and less user-friendly.
Blocking approval — even if the entire code is perfect, the plugin can be stuck for months because of one phrase in the name.
This is not a recommendation. It is a hard blocking requirement.
Final thoughts
When rules are enforced selectively and are not publicly documented in the official guidelines, it creates unfair conditions for developers and sets a dangerous precedent. Today the target is “AI Advisor”, tomorrow it could be any other functional name.
The developer in this case has refused to change the name and is waiting for a re-review.
The community would like the WordPress Plugins Team to give a clear public answer: Is the “distinctive term requirement” now an official rule? If yes — why wasn’t it added to the Detailed Plugin Guidelines?
