Warn authors against including AI instructions in final plugin code

[davidperezgar]

Problem

Some WordPress plugins include AI-specific instructions (e.g. prompts, meta-guidelines, or comments intended for AI tools) within the plugin package that is distributed publicly.

Additionally, many of these files are meant only for development or non-production environments, but there is currently no distinction made when validating plugins.

Including these files in production plugins can:

• Expose internal or AI-related development instructions
• Create confusion for users and reviewers
• Reduce code quality and professionalism
• Violate best practices for production-ready plugins

Proposed Improvement

Enhance Plugin Check to:

1. Detect AI-related instructions and development-only files.
2. Differentiate behavior based on whether the plugin is intended for a production environment.

Detection Scope

Plugin Check should scan for:

• AI instruction content (e.g. “AI instructions”, “ChatGPT”, “Claude rules”, prompt-style guidance).
• Development or AI-tool–specific configuration folders/files, such as:
  • .cursor/
  • .claude/
  • .github/
• Markdown files in the plugin root that are not:
  • README.md
  • readme.txt
  • LICENSE / LICENSE.md

These files are often used for internal workflows or AI tooling and should not ship with production plugins.

Environment-Based Behavior

• Non-production environment

  • Show a warning
  • Explain that AI instructions or development-only files were detected
  • Recommend removing them before production release

• Production environment

  • Raise a validation error
  • Clearly state that AI instructions or development-only files must not be included in production plugins
  • Block passing Plugin Check until resolved

Expected Behavior

• Clear, actionable messages explaining:
  • Which files triggered the issue
  • Why they are problematic in production
  • How to fix (remove, relocate, or exclude from release)

Benefits

• Enforces cleaner, production-ready plugin packages
• Prevents accidental exposure of AI or internal development instructions
• Improves overall quality and trust in the WordPress plugin ecosystem
• Aligns Plugin Check with modern AI-assisted development workflows