Zipping issues
- Wrong archive structure. Please, refer to the rules and conditions of structuring a product archive.
Aesthetic issues:
- Issues caused by the readability of design elements. Some elements of your site’s design are difficult to read or feature poor contrast to other elements. Make sure that all blocks of your website make clever use of contrast, are easy to read, and feature smartly organized color schemes. You can learn more about web design contrasts and readability here.
- Typographic inconsistency. The theme’s typography should be polished. Make sure that content hierarchy is applied clearly on all pages and in all blocks of the design. To get a better understanding about the typographic hierarchy, follow this link.
- Wrong visual hierarchy. Make sure that the theme utilizes the common, logical principles to highlight essential design blocks and group the most significant elements. To get a clearer understanding of the key visual hierarchy principles and their proper use, read this.
- Inconsistent use of tabs and spaces. Make sure that your work is formatted properly. Double check that there is clear logic in the way your design’s elements are organized into tabs and the way spaces are used. Refer to the the detailed article to get a better understanding of the issue
- Color scheme. The chosen color scheme should be polished. You can find more information in the following article.
- Font choices. The choice of typography is of significant importance in the creation of a visual hierarchy of web designs. Make sure that the chosen fonts fit your work logically.
Product Quality and Functionality Issues
- Documentation. Documentation is either missing or needs further improvement. Provide users with detailed and easy-to-follow documentation, making it easier for the end user to work with your theme.
- Titles of groups and layers in PSD files. In PSD files, all layers and groups should be properly named and organized in a logical order. Keep the end users in mind when working on the creation of PSD files.
- All groups should be collapsed. Before saving PSD files, make sure that all groups of layers are collapsed.
- Replacing images with placeholders. Replace all commercial images with placeholders, except for the cases where your license allows you to apply images to the end product.
- Blog publications display. Test all blog publications and post formats with Theme Unit Test
- Widget stylization. Double-check that all standard WordPress widgets are styled properly, and seamlessly perform in all widget areas and on all devices.
- Mobile friendliness. Make sure that all design elements are stylized to be properly displayed on mobile devices. Child theme issues. Child theme doesn’t install or causes issues in the work of the parent theme.
- If you have a shopping cart issue when downloading a WooСommerce theme (the products are not added at all or only one product is added and disappears as the page is reloaded) here is the fix:
“- SameSite=Noneallow-same-origin: If this token is not used, the resource is treated as being from a special origin that always fails the same-origin policy (potentially preventing access to data storage/cookies and some JavaScript APIs).
CSS Guidelines
Use of inline CSS style is prohibited.
CSS file is poorly documented. Divide a CSS file into logical blocks, title them, and add a table of contents.
CSS specificity. You need to enhance CSS specificity and avoid “!important”.
Make sure the CSS file is well documented with a proper table of contents.
The source files CSS and JS should be included in the product archive. The end-users should have the opportunity to customize the code of the template, so the code could be readable and editable.
Code Standards
Minification and obfuscation can be applied to the product demo, but in the product archive the source files are required. The end-users should be given an opportunity to edit the code in accordance with their needs.
Use local files for jQuery instead of CDN.
The template should be built with valid HTML. Follow this link to check Markup Validation Service – https://validator.w3.org/
JavaScript should be used at the bottom of the page.
Make sure that the code is properly formatted and is easy to read.
The code should be correctly indented and that it’s consistent with the use of spaces or tabs for indentation of the code. We do not give preference to any, but we need the author to pick one and use it for all the code.
Scripts and styles should not be hardcoded anywhere in your theme.
Please make sure your theme doesn’t raise any errors or warnings in the console.
The localization file should be in English.
Translate all strings within the PHP variable and escape where needed.
The template’s functionality can be established within the template’s source files or can be applied as plugins. Both cases are acceptable, but should be described in the product documentation.
Best coding practices:
https://devdocs.prestashop.com/1.7/development/coding-standards/
https://github.com/opencart/opencart/wiki/Coding-standards
https://devdocs.magento.com/guides/v2.3/coding-standards/bk-coding-standards.html
https://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Coding_Standards
https://shopify.dev/tutorials/review-theme-store-requirements
Live Demo
Using HTTPS (SSL) for the product Live Demo is strongly recommended.
Please add a good Demo Importer (One Click Demo Import or All-in-One WP Migration), that will guarantee a complete design coincidence with your Demo (all blocks, sliders, menus, shortcodes etc.). And pay attention that the template must look exactly the same as the demo theme.
Please make sure that Contact form is working and include necessary scripts/files to send out emails. Otherwise, the product’s demo is misleading and customers can request a refund due to the lack of functionality.
Do not use ‘target=”_blank”‘ links in your Live Demo (Shopify Splash Page is an exception).
The usage of third-party plugins, modules and extensions is welcomed, but it should be included to the product archive and described in the documentation.
If the author includes the third-party software to the product, the author is supposed to guarantee the compatibility of the product and third-party software.
If the author has no appropriate license to use the third-party software and yet includes it to the product archive, the author will be responsible for copyright infringement in case of escalations.
General Requirements
PSD version of the product is not mandatory for website, CMS and E-Commerce products.
Follow this link to check Product Archive Requirements
Please make sure to declare cross-browser compatibility in the product description and documentation.
The template layout must be responsive and consistent with any screen resolution.
Related articles:
10 Things to Note for Developing Responsive Websites
https://www.templatemonster.com/blog/developing-responsive-websites/
Responsive Website Coding: Cheat Sheet
https://www.templatemonster.com/blog/coding-responsive-layout-tips-tricks/
Please use the latest version of the software (engine, plugins, modules etc.,) and update your product regularly to keep it fit current versions. Otherwise, the template can be declined or removed from sale as an outdated product.
Before the product is checked by us it will also be checked
- for the presence of a virus in the archive;
- if the live preview url is available;
- if the live preview url contains malicious content or threats.
The authors may receive such error texts:
- The product archive contains viruses, please check your zip files.
- The live demo is not working, please fix it.
- Check your live demo for malicious content and threats.
Expert Tips on How to Write Product Documentation – Do’s and Don’ts Unveiled
Product documentation plays a vital role for end-users and web developers alike. The more professionally and comprehensively it’s created, the more value it brings to your customers and the fewer requests your customer support team will handle.
Explicit product documentation is a must-have element of digital assets sold in platforms like TemplateMonster digital marketplace. The availability of well-written documentation for website templates is one of the significant factors determining the number of sales your product generates and the revenue an author will make as a result. So, how to write product documentation? What essential elements should be included, and what should be avoided? Let’s discuss.
What Is Product Documentation?
Product documentation refers to technical writing. This type of technical documentation offers comprehensive information about a product or technical software it comes with. The primary purpose of online documentation is to provide maximum value to the user who downloaded a digital product.
Online documentation for website templates, plugins, and software commonly includes such elements as:
- Product specifications;
- Installation and setup instructions;
- Troubleshooting tips;
- FAQs with answers to the most frequently asked questions asked by users who purchased a specific product or a similar item.
Professionally written documentation benefits both parties – the development team that worked on it and the users who downloaded it with digital products. While checking out the documentation folder, people better understand the specific item, its functionality, and the benefits it brings to themselves and their projects. Using online documentation, consumers get actionable tips and instructions on using every product feature for their needs.
Product Documentation Must-Haves
Product documentation lets you foresee questions and issues first-time buyers may have with your products. If you are wondering “How to write product documentation?” and what vital elements it should include, consider the following documentation tips to achieve the best results.
Mind equipping your product documentation with the following elements:
- Installation Instructions. Clear steps to install the product, preferably in video format, for better understanding.
- Server Requirements. Server requirements are clearly outlined to ensure a smooth web template installation and usage.
- Plugin Information. Provide information about available plug-ins and how they can be integrated with your product.
- Modification Guidelines. Provide basic instructions for modifying a web template, accompanied by screenshots for clarity. Remember to cover necessary configurations, such as contact form settings.
- Regular Updates. Update your instructions and documentation to reflect changes or improvements. It is worth emphasizing that the dates must also be updated.
- Complete information. Make sure all necessary information is provided, such as the need for paid plugins, fonts, or activation keys.
Things to Exclude from Product Documentation
Following a list of must-haves, let’s consider what things product documentation should never feature.
- Personal Links. Avoid adding links to personal websites, other marketplaces, or sites in your documentation.
- One documentation for all products. Avoid using one documentation for all digital products. Each product must have its unique documentation.
- Online/video documentation format only. Authors may prefer online/video documentation, but textual guides with images should also be available. Remember to format your text documentation in HTML, avoiding PDF, TXT, or XML formats.
Bottom Line
Mastering technical writing for product documentation is not as difficult as it may seem. With the right tips, you can create helpful, compelling online documentation that benefits both you as a product developer and your customers.
Consider the recommendations outlined above if you are an author selling digital products in the TemplateMonster digital marketplace. If your documentation lacks some essentials or includes unnecessary elements, do not hesitate to apply the needed changes as soon as possible. It will bring a lot of value to your clients!