A few months ago, I wrote about relaunching this blog after a long period of silence. That post wasn’t really about a website. It was about getting back to building things because I genuinely enjoy building them.
One of those things was Beyond FSE.
At first, it was simply the theme powering this blog. It solved my own problems, reflected the way I like to build WordPress sites, and gave me complete control through Full Site Editing. But somewhere along the way, the goal changed.
More Than Just Another Theme
Submitting a theme to the WordPress.org repository is relatively straightforward if your only objective is getting it approved. That wasn’t mine.
I wanted Beyond FSE to be something someone could actually install, customize, and enjoy using. That meant spending far more time than expected refining every detail. Patterns were redesigned. Additional style variations were introduced. Templates evolved, and countless small usability improvements found their way into the theme. Performance was measured, tested, and improved.
Many of these changes are invisible on the surface, but they make the experience better for the people who actually use the theme. It became less about checking the boxes for approval and more about creating something I’d be comfortable recommending to others.
Learning Through the Review Process
The WordPress Theme Review process is thorough, and that’s a good thing. Every piece of feedback made the theme better.
If I had been a bit more agile with my updates, Beyond FSE probably could have gone live over the summer. But honestly, I’m glad it didn’t. Taking that extra time meant going through more rounds of review, and each new review brings a different perspective, fresh details, and another pair of eyes.
Some changes improved consistency, while others improved accessibility or coding standards. I am especially grateful for the second review I received from fahimmurshed, who brought an exceptionally detailed approach to the table. I really appreciate that kind of thoroughness, as I try to conduct my own reviews in a very similar way. Although most of the points raised were small issues, they highlighted areas where there was still room for improvement. If you’re curious about what that level of detail looks like, or perhaps want to pick up a few tips for your own code, you can check out the full review ticket here.
Many of these tweaks were simply reminders that themes published on WordPress.org should meet a higher standard. They’re built for thousands of different users and environments, not just the developer who created them. By the time Beyond FSE was approved, it wasn’t just the same theme with a green checkmark. It was a significantly better project.
Giving Back
Working on the theme also reminded me how much effort goes into maintaining the WordPress ecosystem. Every approved theme has been reviewed by volunteers who invest their own time helping authors improve their work. After going through that process myself, I wanted to contribute from the other side.
I’ve recently started reviewing themes for the WordPress Theme Review Team. It’s a completely different perspective. Instead of thinking only about how to solve problems in my own code, I now spend time helping other developers improve theirs.
I might not do a massive volume of reviews, but for the ones I do take on, I try to be consistent and prioritize quality above all else. I believe in providing highly detailed feedback, much like the feedback I valued during my own review process. You can see an example of one of my recent reviews here. I sincerely hope the developers on the receiving end appreciate the thoroughness and don’t just consider me a pain in the neck.🤞
The focus isn’t simply on passing or failing a theme. It’s on encouraging good development practices, maintaining quality across the repository, and paying close attention to security. Small details often matter the most, and helping catch them before a theme reaches thousands of users is a meaningful way to contribute.
I’ve always believed that reading other people’s code is one of the best ways to grow as a developer. Every project approaches problems differently, and there is always something new to learn, whether it’s a clever solution, a different architectural decision, or a mistake to avoid. Today, with AI generating more code than ever before, I think that skill has become even more important. Understanding code, reviewing it critically, and recognizing potential issues matters just as much as writing it.
Open Source Is a Conversation
One thing I appreciate about WordPress is that contributing isn’t limited to writing code. Sometimes it’s reviewing. Sometimes it’s reporting bugs. Sometimes it’s improving documentation or helping another developer understand why a change matters.
Beyond FSE is now part of that ecosystem. It’s available for anyone who wants a lightweight Full Site Editing theme focused on performance, scoring 100/100 on Google PageSpeed Insights right out of the box, clean design, and the native block editor experience.
More importantly, it’s a reminder that open source is never really finished. There will always be another improvement to make, another issue to solve, another feature to refine. And honestly, that’s what makes it fun.
If you’d like to try Beyond FSE or simply explore how it’s built, feel free to download it from the WordPress.org Theme Directory or browse the source code on GitHub.
As for me, I’ll keep building, and now, reviewing too.