Aligning Automattic’s Sponsored Contributions to WordPress
Automattic has always been deeply committed to the success of WordPress, dedicating significant resources and talent to its development for almost two decades. However, we’ve observed an imbalance in how contributions to WordPress are distributed across the ecosystem, and it’s time to address this. Additionally, we’re having to spend significant time and money to defend ourselves against the legal attacks started by WP Engine and funded by Silver Lake, a large private equity firm. We’ve also faced intense criticism and even personal attacks against a number of Automatticians from members of the “community” who want Matt and others to step away from the project.
To recalibrate and ensure our efforts are as impactful as possible, Automattic will reduce its sponsored contributions to the WordPress project. This is not a step we take lightly. It is a moment to regroup, rethink, and strategically plan how Automatticians can continue contributing in ways that secure the future of WordPress for generations to come. Automatticians who contributed to core will instead focus on for-profit projects within Automattic, such as WordPress.com, Pressable, WPVIP, Jetpack, and WooCommerce. Members of the “community” have said that working on these sorts of things should count as a contribution to WordPress.
A Level Playing Field
As part of this reset, Automattic will match its volunteering pledge with those made by WP Engine and other players in the ecosystem, or about 45 hours a week that qualify under the Five For the Future program as benefitting the entire community and not just a single company. These hours will likely go towards security and critical updates.
We’ve made the decision to reallocate resources due to the lawsuits from WP Engine. This legal action diverts significant time and energy that could otherwise be directed toward supporting WordPress’s growth and health. We remain hopeful that WP Engine will reconsider this legal attack, allowing us to refocus our efforts on contributions that benefit the broader WordPress ecosystem.
WP Engine’s historically slim contributions underscore the imbalance that must be addressed for the health of WordPress. We believe in fairness and shared responsibility, and we hope this move encourages greater participation across all organizations that benefit from WordPress.
Focused on the Future
While our sponsored contributions are reduced, Automattic remains deeply invested in the WordPress platform. We will redirect our energy toward projects that can fortify WordPress for the long term—ensuring its resilience, relevance, and vitality for the next generation of users and contributors. Part of this will be making WordPress.com much closer to a core WordPress experience, instead of having a different interface.
We’re excited to return to active contributions to WordPress core, Gutenberg, Playground, Openverse, and WordPress.org when the legal attacks have stopped. We’ll be back, stronger and more focused than ever, with a clear plan to drive meaningful contributions that reflect the needs of the broader WordPress community.
This realignment is not an end, but a new beginning—one that will ultimately strengthen the foundation of WordPress.
Thank you for your grace, support, and understanding as we take this step forward.
– The Automattic Team
Automattic