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Newsletter · Issue #2

Issue #2 — Quiet on the outside, busy underneath

July 2, 2026

Back to Issues

June was a big month under the hood. A lot shipped, most of it the kind of work that does not make noise but makes the platform better every day.

Three things you will notice first. Streaks are live. Impact Score now shows on every page, replacing “Points” and “Contribution Score.” Dark Mode is here.

The homepage hero and mobile menu also got rebuilt. Both feel faster and cleaner.

We also crossed 958 folks this month. Almost at 1,000. WordCamp Europe in Kraków came and went. Four folks from here went in person. The hallway chats were the best part.

What shipped this month

Streaks are live

Streaks recognise the folks who show up week after week. Not the biggest numbers, the steadiest presence. A safety net means one bad week does not erase months of steady work. You earn the safety net by showing up first.

Impact Score shows on every page now

Before, you saw different numbers in different places. Points on one page. Contribution Score on another. Impact on the leaderboard. Now every page shows the same number. It is your Impact Score.

Dark Mode is live

Every page picks up the theme automatically. Toggle sits next to the bell. Follows your system preference by default. Tuned for night reading, not just an inverted white theme.

Homepage hero rebuild

The old hero was slow. The new one paints on the first frame. No font swap, no animated mesh, one static background. Same message, much faster.

Mobile menu, rebuilt properly

The mobile menu was broken for a while. It is a proper accordion now. Tap a parent, children appear. Every row goes somewhere. Sorry it took a few tries.

Referral credit fires on profile completion

Refer someone. When they finish their profile (verified email, bio, one outbound link), you get the credit. Applies to new signups going forward.

Featured Folks now shows Expert-badge holders only

The strip used to be a light pick. It is a real signal now. If you have not applied for Expert and you qualify, do it.

Username policy tightened

New folks need at least 7 characters in their handle. “wp” and “wpfolks” are not allowed. Existing handles are safe.

Folks Academy

The July calendar is open. No sessions on it yet. That is a chance, not a problem.

Got something to share? A wp.org contribution walkthrough. A plugin submission story. A theme review lesson. Run a session this month. First-time speakers welcome. Every session is recorded, so prep time keeps paying.

Propose a session →

See the full schedule at wpfolks.org/academy/calendar. 30 contribution tracks are open.

WPFolks right now

Featured folks this month

Nikul Valani · @nikvalani
#5 on the impact leaderboard, score 622. Active on both plugins and themes on wp.org. His name shows up on release notes more than on stages.

Kurt Von Ahnen · @kurtvonahnen
Agency owner at Mañana No Mas! from Kansas. Joined in June. Already at three community events. First American agency folk we are featuring. Hopefully not the last.

Dhrumil Kumbhani · @dhrumilkumbhani
Fast climber on the leaderboard. Now at #4, score 691. Plugin developer with a steady flow of wp.org work. Makes complex plugin architecture look easy. Watch this one.

Shivam Srivastava · @shivamsrivastava
Senior developer from Lucknow. Deep in PHP, JavaScript, React, and WooCommerce, with performance as a focus. Joined in June.

What folks shipped recently

Hand-picked highlights from folks this month. And 8 roadmap items shipped from the WPFolks team this month (see above).

New in the business directory

Five WordPress shops and agencies who joined the directory this month.

From the WordPress world

WordCamp Europe 2026 wrapped in Kraków. A packed few days at ICE Kraków Congress Centre. Nearly a quarter were first-time attendees. 49 talks and 8 workshops across Contributor Day and the main conference. Big reveal from the keynote: CERN’s home.cern site now runs on WordPress. WCEU 2027 heads to Málaga next May.

The first AI Leaders cohort graduated. Around 40 students from three universities (UIC, Louisiana Tech, and University of Louisiana at Lafayette) completed the AI Leaders Micro-Credential. Celebration in Chicago on June 23. Each graduate earned a $1,000 stipend, funded by Automattic and UIC.

Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship for WordCamp US 2026 is open. Applications opened June 19. One scholarship covers a WCUS 2026 ticket, round-trip flight, and lodging. Open to women who actively contribute to WordPress, have never attended WCUS, and can show financial need. Deadline July 10. Notification July 24.

The Mercantile swag store launched. The official swag store of the WordPress project went live on June 22. Every purchase supports the WordPress Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Coming next month

Hire Mode. An “available for work” view for folks who want to be found. Filter the directory by availability, skills, and timezone. Clients can reach out without signing up. Slipped from June, on track for July.

Envato integration. Connect your Envato account. Your themes and plugins on ThemeForest and CodeCanyon sync to your WPFolks profile. Sales and download stats update on their own. No manual entry.

LinkedIn integration. Link your LinkedIn. Your role, agency, and location fill in from the LinkedIn profile. Recommendations and endorsements flow in too. One less form to fill.

And more. A sponsor tier revamp. WordCamp US 2026 coverage. Plus a few other items still cooking.

One ask

We are at 958 folks. Only 42 more to hit 1,000. Know a WordPress developer, designer, or agency owner who should be here? Send them our way. That is how we grow.

That is it for this month. Something got you thinking? Want to argue about a call I made? DM @wpankit on X or drop a note at hello@wpfolks.org. Back next month.

— Ankit
Founder, WPFolks

June was a big month under the hood. A lot shipped, most of it the kind of work that does not make noise but makes the platform better every day.

Three things you will notice first. Streaks are live. Impact Score now shows on every page, replacing “Points” and “Contribution Score.” Dark Mode is here.

The homepage hero and mobile menu also got rebuilt. Both feel faster and cleaner.

We also crossed 958 folks this month. Almost at 1,000. WordCamp Europe in Kraków came and went. Four folks from here went in person. The hallway chats were the best part.

What shipped this month

Streaks are live

Streaks recognise the folks who show up week after week. Not the biggest numbers, the steadiest presence. A safety net means one bad week does not erase months of steady work. You earn the safety net by showing up first.

Impact Score shows on every page now

Before, you saw different numbers in different places. Points on one page. Contribution Score on another. Impact on the leaderboard. Now every page shows the same number. It is your Impact Score.

Dark Mode is live

Every page picks up the theme automatically. Toggle sits next to the bell. Follows your system preference by default. Tuned for night reading, not just an inverted white theme.

Homepage hero rebuild

The old hero was slow. The new one paints on the first frame. No font swap, no animated mesh, one static background. Same message, much faster.

Mobile menu, rebuilt properly

The mobile menu was broken for a while. It is a proper accordion now. Tap a parent, children appear. Every row goes somewhere. Sorry it took a few tries.

Referral credit fires on profile completion

Refer someone. When they finish their profile (verified email, bio, one outbound link), you get the credit. Applies to new signups going forward.

Featured Folks now shows Expert-badge holders only

The strip used to be a light pick. It is a real signal now. If you have not applied for Expert and you qualify, do it.

Username policy tightened

New folks need at least 7 characters in their handle. “wp” and “wpfolks” are not allowed. Existing handles are safe.

Folks Academy

The July calendar is open. No sessions on it yet. That is a chance, not a problem.

Got something to share? A wp.org contribution walkthrough. A plugin submission story. A theme review lesson. Run a session this month. First-time speakers welcome. Every session is recorded, so prep time keeps paying.

Propose a session →

See the full schedule at wpfolks.org/academy/calendar. 30 contribution tracks are open.

WPFolks right now

Featured folks this month

Nikul Valani · @nikvalani
#5 on the impact leaderboard, score 622. Active on both plugins and themes on wp.org. His name shows up on release notes more than on stages.

Kurt Von Ahnen · @kurtvonahnen
Agency owner at Mañana No Mas! from Kansas. Joined in June. Already at three community events. First American agency folk we are featuring. Hopefully not the last.

Dhrumil Kumbhani · @dhrumilkumbhani
Fast climber on the leaderboard. Now at #4, score 691. Plugin developer with a steady flow of wp.org work. Makes complex plugin architecture look easy. Watch this one.

Shivam Srivastava · @shivamsrivastava
Senior developer from Lucknow. Deep in PHP, JavaScript, React, and WooCommerce, with performance as a focus. Joined in June.

What folks shipped recently

Hand-picked highlights from folks this month. And 8 roadmap items shipped from the WPFolks team this month (see above).

New in the business directory

Five WordPress shops and agencies who joined the directory this month.

From the WordPress world

WordCamp Europe 2026 wrapped in Kraków. A packed few days at ICE Kraków Congress Centre. Nearly a quarter were first-time attendees. 49 talks and 8 workshops across Contributor Day and the main conference. Big reveal from the keynote: CERN’s home.cern site now runs on WordPress. WCEU 2027 heads to Málaga next May.

The first AI Leaders cohort graduated. Around 40 students from three universities (UIC, Louisiana Tech, and University of Louisiana at Lafayette) completed the AI Leaders Micro-Credential. Celebration in Chicago on June 23. Each graduate earned a $1,000 stipend, funded by Automattic and UIC.

Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship for WordCamp US 2026 is open. Applications opened June 19. One scholarship covers a WCUS 2026 ticket, round-trip flight, and lodging. Open to women who actively contribute to WordPress, have never attended WCUS, and can show financial need. Deadline July 10. Notification July 24.

The Mercantile swag store launched. The official swag store of the WordPress project went live on June 22. Every purchase supports the WordPress Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Coming next month

Hire Mode. An “available for work” view for folks who want to be found. Filter the directory by availability, skills, and timezone. Clients can reach out without signing up. Slipped from June, on track for July.

Envato integration. Connect your Envato account. Your themes and plugins on ThemeForest and CodeCanyon sync to your WPFolks profile. Sales and download stats update on their own. No manual entry.

LinkedIn integration. Link your LinkedIn. Your role, agency, and location fill in from the LinkedIn profile. Recommendations and endorsements flow in too. One less form to fill.

And more. A sponsor tier revamp. WordCamp US 2026 coverage. Plus a few other items still cooking.

One ask

We are at 958 folks. Only 42 more to hit 1,000. Know a WordPress developer, designer, or agency owner who should be here? Send them our way. That is how we grow.

That is it for this month. Something got you thinking? Want to argue about a call I made? DM @wpankit on X or drop a note at hello@wpfolks.org. Back next month.

— Ankit
Founder, WPFolks

June was a big month under the hood. A lot shipped, most of it the kind of work that does not make noise but makes the platform better every day.

Three things you will notice first. Streaks are live. Impact Score now shows on every page, replacing “Points” and “Contribution Score.” Dark Mode is here.

The homepage hero and mobile menu also got rebuilt. Both feel faster and cleaner.

We also crossed 958 folks this month. Almost at 1,000. WordCamp Europe in Kraków came and went. Four folks from here went in person. The hallway chats were the best part.

What shipped this month

Streaks are live

Streaks recognise the folks who show up week after week. Not the biggest numbers, the steadiest presence. A safety net means one bad week does not erase months of steady work. You earn the safety net by showing up first.

Impact Score shows on every page now

Before, you saw different numbers in different places. Points on one page. Contribution Score on another. Impact on the leaderboard. Now every page shows the same number. It is your Impact Score.

Dark Mode is live

Every page picks up the theme automatically. Toggle sits next to the bell. Follows your system preference by default. Tuned for night reading, not just an inverted white theme.

Homepage hero rebuild

The old hero was slow. The new one paints on the first frame. No font swap, no animated mesh, one static background. Same message, much faster.

Mobile menu, rebuilt properly

The mobile menu was broken for a while. It is a proper accordion now. Tap a parent, children appear. Every row goes somewhere. Sorry it took a few tries.

Referral credit fires on profile completion

Refer someone. When they finish their profile (verified email, bio, one outbound link), you get the credit. Applies to new signups going forward.

Featured Folks now shows Expert-badge holders only

The strip used to be a light pick. It is a real signal now. If you have not applied for Expert and you qualify, do it.

Username policy tightened

New folks need at least 7 characters in their handle. “wp” and “wpfolks” are not allowed. Existing handles are safe.

Folks Academy

The July calendar is open. No sessions on it yet. That is a chance, not a problem.

Got something to share? A wp.org contribution walkthrough. A plugin submission story. A theme review lesson. Run a session this month. First-time speakers welcome. Every session is recorded, so prep time keeps paying.

Propose a session →

See the full schedule at wpfolks.org/academy/calendar. 30 contribution tracks are open.

WPFolks right now

Featured folks this month

Nikul Valani · @nikvalani
#5 on the impact leaderboard, score 622. Active on both plugins and themes on wp.org. His name shows up on release notes more than on stages.

Kurt Von Ahnen · @kurtvonahnen
Agency owner at Mañana No Mas! from Kansas. Joined in June. Already at three community events. First American agency folk we are featuring. Hopefully not the last.

Dhrumil Kumbhani · @dhrumilkumbhani
Fast climber on the leaderboard. Now at #4, score 691. Plugin developer with a steady flow of wp.org work. Makes complex plugin architecture look easy. Watch this one.

Shivam Srivastava · @shivamsrivastava
Senior developer from Lucknow. Deep in PHP, JavaScript, React, and WooCommerce, with performance as a focus. Joined in June.

What folks shipped recently

Hand-picked highlights from folks this month. And 8 roadmap items shipped from the WPFolks team this month (see above).

New in the business directory

Five WordPress shops and agencies who joined the directory this month.

From the WordPress world

WordCamp Europe 2026 wrapped in Kraków. A packed few days at ICE Kraków Congress Centre. Nearly a quarter were first-time attendees. 49 talks and 8 workshops across Contributor Day and the main conference. Big reveal from the keynote: CERN’s home.cern site now runs on WordPress. WCEU 2027 heads to Málaga next May.

The first AI Leaders cohort graduated. Around 40 students from three universities (UIC, Louisiana Tech, and University of Louisiana at Lafayette) completed the AI Leaders Micro-Credential. Celebration in Chicago on June 23. Each graduate earned a $1,000 stipend, funded by Automattic and UIC.

Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship for WordCamp US 2026 is open. Applications opened June 19. One scholarship covers a WCUS 2026 ticket, round-trip flight, and lodging. Open to women who actively contribute to WordPress, have never attended WCUS, and can show financial need. Deadline July 10. Notification July 24.

The Mercantile swag store launched. The official swag store of the WordPress project went live on June 22. Every purchase supports the WordPress Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Coming next month

Hire Mode. An “available for work” view for folks who want to be found. Filter the directory by availability, skills, and timezone. Clients can reach out without signing up. Slipped from June, on track for July.

Envato integration. Connect your Envato account. Your themes and plugins on ThemeForest and CodeCanyon sync to your WPFolks profile. Sales and download stats update on their own. No manual entry.

LinkedIn integration. Link your LinkedIn. Your role, agency, and location fill in from the LinkedIn profile. Recommendations and endorsements flow in too. One less form to fill.

And more. A sponsor tier revamp. WordCamp US 2026 coverage. Plus a few other items still cooking.

One ask

We are at 958 folks. Only 42 more to hit 1,000. Know a WordPress developer, designer, or agency owner who should be here? Send them our way. That is how we grow.

That is it for this month. Something got you thinking? Want to argue about a call I made? DM @wpankit on X or drop a note at hello@wpfolks.org. Back next month.

— Ankit
Founder, WPFolks

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