Recent changes
Wednesday November 04 2026
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Security fixes in themes Updated Markdown page
The security problems a theme can have - unescaped output, output in the wrong context, inline script injection, links opening other sites, exposed settings - how to find them, and a real fix from a published theme.
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A support policy for your theme Updated Markdown page
Write down which versions of a theme you maintain, with which Exponential and PHP versions, and what an older version gets - modeled on the supported-versions table of Exponential's own security policy.
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The life cycle of a theme Updated Markdown page
The stages a theme passes through - development, first release, active maintenance, security-only maintenance, end of life, archive or handover - what each stage promises users, and how to announce a change of stage.
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Transferring the repository and the Packagist package Updated Markdown page
Move a theme's GitHub repository and Packagist package to a new owner without breaking installs - GitHub's transfer and redirect, the package name question, Packagist maintainers and the update hook.
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An upgrade test environment Updated Markdown page
Set up a place to test a theme against new Exponential and PHP versions - a separate installation installed with Composer, demo content, the theme as a Git checkout, and a way to reset it - never a live site.
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Upgrade testing, step by step Updated Markdown page
The routine for testing a theme against a new Exponential release - update the test installation, clear caches, walk the page list, compare overrides, check the error log, audit, and record the result.
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Visual regression checks: light, dark, zoom Updated Markdown page
Catch unintended visual changes between releases - screenshots of the page list at fixed widths and modes before and after, compared side by side or by tool - with the widths the Exponential project uses.
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Images and fonts under separate licenses Updated Markdown page
How to keep a theme's own photos, illustrations or fonts under terms different from its GPL code - separate files, a clear asset license, a theme that works without them - and the third-party assets you may never…
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Contracts and terms Updated Markdown page
The topics a contract or terms of sale for theme work should cover - scope, deliverables, ownership and licenses, payment, changes, support, warranty, liability, termination, data - as a checklist to take to a lawyer…
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Custom theme services Updated Markdown page
Run a custom theme project for a client from discovery to handover - phases, deliverables, reviews, quality gates and the ownership question - so the result is a maintainable Exponential theme extension.
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Customer data and privacy Updated Markdown page
Handle the personal data you meet when selling and supporting themes - your buyers' data, the data on clients' sites you get access to, screenshots and bug reports - and keep it out of public repositories, issues and…
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Customization and white-label work Updated Markdown page
Adapt an existing theme to a client's brand, or build themes that agencies resell under their own name - how to keep customizations upgradeable, what may and may not be removed, and how to keep credits honest.
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Delivering updates to paying customers Updated Markdown page
Ways to get theme releases to customers - public Packagist releases, a private Git repository with Composer, packages sent as files, or installing for them - with how each works and what access ends when.
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Demos that sell Updated Markdown page
Turn a theme demo into a sales conversation - a guided path through the demo, showing editing as well as the look, proving accessibility and dark mode live, and following up - building on the general demo scripts of the…
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Estimating theme work Updated Markdown page
Break theme work into pieces you can estimate - pagelayout, view templates, overrides, styles, accessibility, dark mode, testing - keep your own records of actual time, and add a margin for review and the unknown.
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Funding an open source theme Updated Markdown page
Ways to fund a free theme - GitHub Sponsors and other donation services through a FUNDING.yml, sponsored features, paid support alongside free code - with the example of the se7enxweb funding file, and why supporting…
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The GPL and selling: what is allowed Updated Markdown page
Selling GPL software is allowed - what you may charge for, the rights every buyer receives, what you may not restrict, and common misunderstandings, in plain words. Not legal advice.
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Licensing models, as options Updated Markdown page
The licensing models a theme seller can choose between - all GPL, GPL code with separately licensed assets, GPL plus a paid service agreement, proprietary - with what each allows, its risks and who uses it. Options, not…
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Maintenance subscriptions Updated Markdown page
Offer theme maintenance as a recurring service - what a maintenance cycle contains (compatibility, security, accessibility and CSP audits, dependency updates), how to describe it, and what ends when the subscription…
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Names and trademarks Updated Markdown page
Name your themes and services without borrowing other people's names - "a theme for Exponential" rather than "Exponential theme", the product family's names, the old product name only as history, and checking a name…