The Real Story of Astra Theme's Suspension on WordPress.org

In this video I will explain how the Astra theme was able to avoid a 6 week suspension on WordPress.org for multiple serious violations, which would have cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I will explain why the Astra Theme was suspended from the WordPress.org theme repository and how they took advantage of over a million website owners. I will also show how the theme review team ignored the seriousness of these violations. Almost everything that happened in this situation went in Astra’s favor and minimized their financial and reputational losses.

It’s a long and crazy story with a couple of convenient twists, so please watch until the end before you jump to any conclusions. If it gets too slow for you, you can increase the playback speed of the video and pause where you have to.

Blog post: https://www.ilovewp.com/blog/wordpress-news/abuse-or-luck-the-real-story-of-astra-themes-suspension-on-wordpress-org/

0:00 Introduction
1:23 About the Astra theme
1:55 Disclaimers
2:50 Announcing the suspension
3:10 Astra's wrongdoings
5:45 First reactions to the suspension
6:25 Astra's CEO's dishonest comments
8:35 The decision looks final.
9:00 Search Engine Journal article
9:19 Astra's apology letters and reactions
11:50 Meta ticket for Delisting themes
12:27 Astra is unsuspended
12:43 Reactions to the apology letters
13:08 My criticism of the theme's reinstatement
14:01 WPTavern.com article
14:22 Astra's situation on August 10th 2020
14:43 Theme Review Team's change in attitude and more public reactions
17:30 More proof of preferential treatment
18:08 Astra is back in Top 10 Popular Themes
18:45 Downplaying the seriousness of violations
19:27 Impress.org Article
20:03 Heated exchange on the topic
20:30 19 days in, still no real penalties
21:01 5 weeks in, still no real penalties
21:27 Meta ticket is committed, Astra is finally Delisted
21:44 Meta ticket is reverted and abandoned, Astra is back
22:15 I'm labeled as a troll and a new punishment concept
23:29 Astra is cleared of any penalties
24:18 Looking back at the situation
25:00 My conclusions
25:37 Cognitive dissonance of some TRT members
26:27 WordPress.org Theme Repository management
26:50 The costs of being suspended
27:15 Astra's estimated revenue and potential losses
28:18 End of Astra's suspension story
28:33 End

** References **
https://themes.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/87407#comment:3
https://wpastra.com/one-million-active-installs/
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/wordpress-suspends-astra-theme-affiliate-codes/376863/
https://wpastra.com/an-open-apology-letter/?bsf=1
https://wpastra.com/open-letter/
https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2018/09/26/new-requirement-regarding-affiliate-links/
https://wptavern.com/astra-theme-suspended-and-reinstated-themes-team-works-toward-delisting-strategy-for-guideline-violations
https://impress.org/astra-suspension-reinstatement-questions-wordpress-community/
https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/10240
https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/10243
https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/5362

** Credits **
Music by StreamBeats