// Use when auditing or updating .gitattributes export-ignore coverage so dev-only files (lint configs, CI, tests, docs, build tooling) don't ship in the WordPress.org plugin zip. Run before a release, after adding a new top-level file or config, or when a tool is renamed (e.g. .eslintrc.js → eslint.config.cjs).
| name | gitattributes |
| description | Use when auditing or updating .gitattributes export-ignore coverage so dev-only files (lint configs, CI, tests, docs, build tooling) don't ship in the WordPress.org plugin zip. Run before a release, after adding a new top-level file or config, or when a tool is renamed (e.g. .eslintrc.js → eslint.config.cjs). |
Ensure the WordPress.org release archive (git archive output) contains only runtime files. Dev tooling, tests, CI, and repo meta must be export-ignored.
The WordPress.org zip is built via git archive. Anything without export-ignore ends up on every user's site, bloating the install and shipping dev-only code. Equally bad: stale export-ignore entries for files that no longer exist look tidy but protect nothing.
# Entries in the release archive at the repository root
git archive --format=tar HEAD | tar -t | awk -F/ '{print $1}' | sort -u
# Same, but uses the working-tree .gitattributes (use while iterating on edits)
git archive --worktree-attributes --format=tar HEAD | tar -t | awk -F/ '{print $1}' | sort -u
git archive HEAD reads .gitattributes from the commit, so uncommitted fixes won't show up. Use --worktree-attributes to preview a pending change before committing.
The output should contain ONLY runtime artifacts. For this plugin that's:
LICENSE, readme.txt, activitypub.php, assets, build, includes, integration, patterns, templates.
Anything else in the list is a gap — add an export-ignore rule.
# Top-level tracked entries
git ls-tree --name-only HEAD | sort > /tmp/tracked.txt
# Entries referenced in .gitattributes
grep export-ignore .gitattributes | awk '{print $1}' | sed 's|^/||; s|/$||' | sort > /tmp/ignored.txt
# Stale entries (in .gitattributes but no longer tracked)
comm -23 /tmp/ignored.txt /tmp/tracked.txt
Stale entries aren't dangerous, but they rot and mislead future readers. Delete them.
| Category | Examples | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Runtime PHP | activitypub.php, includes/, integration/ | keep |
| Runtime assets | assets/, build/, patterns/, templates/ | keep |
| WordPress.org meta | readme.txt, LICENSE | keep |
| Dev dotfiles | .editorconfig, .prettierrc.js, .stylelintrc.json, eslint.config.cjs, .wp-env.json | export-ignore |
| Repo meta | .github/, .githooks/, .gitignore, .gitattributes, .wordpress-org/ | export-ignore |
| Agent/AI tooling | .agents/, .claude/, AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md | export-ignore |
| Build & package configs | package.json, package-lock.json, composer.json, webpack.config.js, tsconfig.json, jest.config.js, jest.setup.js | export-ignore |
| QA configs | phpcs.xml, phpunit.xml.dist | export-ignore |
| Source (pre-build) | src/ | export-ignore (shipping build/ instead) |
| Tests | tests/ | export-ignore |
| Docs for contributors | docs/, snippets/, CHANGELOG.md, CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md, CONTRIBUTING.md, FEDERATION.md, README.md, SECURITY.md | export-ignore |
| Scripts | bin/, local/ | export-ignore |
.eslintrc.js → eslint.config.cjs)./ to anchor to the repo root: /phpcs.xml, not phpcs.xml./ for directories: /tests/.Also used in .gitattributes to shape GitHub's language stats:
/build/** linguist-generated — hides machine-built output./docs/** linguist-documentation — keeps docs out of the language bar./package-lock.json linguist-generated — hides lockfile churn.These don't affect the archive, but live in the same file, so keep them current too.
.gitattributes untouched → likely a gap.ActivityPub protocol specification and federation concepts. Use when working with ActivityPub activities, understanding federation mechanics, implementing protocol features, or debugging federation issues.
Use when auditing or updating .gitattributes export-ignore coverage so dev-only files (lint configs, CI, tests, docs, build tooling) don't ship in the WordPress.org plugin zip. Run before a release, after adding a new top-level file or config, or when a tool is renamed (e.g. .eslintrc.js → eslint.config.cjs).
INVOKE THIS SKILL before creating any PR to ensure compliance with branch naming, changelog requirements, and reviewer assignment.
PHP coding standards and WordPress patterns for ActivityPub plugin. Use when writing PHP code, creating classes, implementing WordPress hooks, or structuring plugin files.
Development workflows for WordPress ActivityPub plugin including wp-env setup, testing commands, linting, and build processes. Use when setting up development environment, running tests, checking code quality, building assets, or working with wp-env.
Third-party WordPress plugin integration patterns. Use when adding new integrations, debugging compatibility with other plugins, or working with existing integrations.