Improve plugin approval email to focus on deploying first version and following best practices.

In creating https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress.org/pull/362, I realized that there is a lot of missed opportunity in the plugin approval email to encourage users to use best practices from day one. Many of these best practices are important because failing to follow them makes it harder for these users to adopt important security features like Release Confirmations.

This is a proposal to update the approval email more holistically and provide an easy to read almost step by step guide for users to follow.

Congratulations! Your plugin, {plugin}, has been approved and is now live on the WordPress Plugin Directory.

Here's What You Need to Do Next:

Access Your SVN Repository

Your account ({username}) will be granted commit access to your Subversion (SVN) repository within the next hour.

• SVN URL: https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/{plugin}
• Public URL: https://wordpress.org/plugins/{plugin}

Upload Your Code

Once access is active, upload your code to /trunk using SVN.

• Username: {username} (case sensitive, don't use your email address)
• Password: Generate one in your WordPress.org profile

If you're new to SVN, or need a refresher, check out How to Use Subversion with the WordPress Plugin Directory.

Deploy your code

Use the /tags folder to deploy your code. Follow these steps:

• Commit your code to the trunk directory, which is where the development version of your plugin lives.
• Update the Stable Tag field in your readme.txt to match the new version (e.g., Stable Tag: 1.0).
• Copy your code to the /tags/ directory using the command svn copy trunk tags/{version} to create versioned releases (e.g., svn copy trunk tags/1.0).
• Done, you code is live!

Prepare Your Plugin Assets

Make sure your plugin makes a great first impression in the directory.

• Add information about your plugin in your readme.txt .
• Upload your plugin assets (headers, images).
• Provide a blueprint that allows users to test drive your plugin.

Note: It may take up to 72 hours for your plugin to fully appear in search results.

You’re All Set!

Ensure your plugin stays compliant with the latest guidelines and if reach out if you need additional support!

• Follow our guidelines: - Read the Plugin Directory guidelines
• Keep your plugin safe: Run the plugin check often.
• Have any other questions?: - Read the Plugin Directory FAQs

The issue does not name a file, test, or entry point. Start by locating the current plugin approval email template, then compare it with the proposed guide and verify its placeholders and links. Done means the approval email presents the deployment steps and best-practice resources described here.