Maintenance subscriptions
This page is for designers who want recurring income from keeping themes healthy. Maintenance is real work every time Exponential, PHP or a browser moves; a subscription pays for it.
What a maintenance period can contain
| Work | Page that describes it |
|---|---|
| Testing each new Exponential release with the theme | Upgrade testing, step by step |
| PHP version updates | PHP version compatibility |
| Security fixes | Security fixes in themes |
| An accessibility audit | An accessibility audit for every release |
| A Content Security Policy audit | A CSP audit for every release |
| Library updates | Keeping dependencies up to date |
| Installing updates on the customer's site | Optional, priced separately or in a higher tier |
Step by step: define the offer
- Pick the work items above you will do in every period.
- Write the period (month, quarter, year) and what is delivered in it.
- State what is not included (new features, redesigns).
- State what happens at the end: the customer keeps the code and every release delivered (under the GPL they keep the right to use and change it); updates and support stop.
- Set renewal and cancellation terms (Contracts and terms).
Good practice
- Keep a maintenance calendar (A maintenance calendar).
- Send a short report each period: releases tested, fixes made, audit results.
- Never hold back a security fix from non-subscribers of a public theme; publish it for everyone.
Related pages
- Delivering updates to paying customers
- The maintenance life cycle: start here
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.
Become an Exponential Partner
Partners share their information, provide funding, contribute back and develop the products with us, and that is how Exponential grows. A partner website and dashboard are planned for mid-2027: please become a partner today to speed up our growth rate and land new features faster.