Theme Directory Draws a Harder Line on Encrypted PHP
IonCube and friends are out. If reviewers cannot read it, it does not ship. A few commercial authors are loudly surprised.
by Riley Cho·June 11, 2026·0 Comments
The theme directory is restating a rule that was already implied: if the PHP is encrypted, it is not reviewable, and if it is not reviewable, it is not in the directory.
Commercial authors who used encoding as a licensing scheme will need a different shop. The directory is not that shop.
Users get a theme they can audit. Authors get a smaller surface for “trust us.” That trade is the point of the directory.
