2019 WordPress.org Annual Survey and Contributor Survey Results

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Table of Contents

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2019 WordPress.org

Annual Survey Results

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Background and Methodology

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2019 Annual Survey Background

For many years, we’ve invited folks to tell us how they use WordPress by filling out an annual survey. This year, we added some additional questions to better understand why people continue to use WordPress as their preferred CMS.

OBJECTIVES

• In order to not reveal any information that survey respondents might consider private, we do not publish a full export of the raw data.We’d love to make this information as accessible as possible, though, so if you have a suggestion for an OS project or tool we can put the data into that allows people to play with it that still protects individual response privacy, please reach out!

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Methodology

We created an online survey and invited respondents to participate via a banner on WordPress.org and through other distribution channels. Those who qualified (based on their use of WordPress) were invited to answer questions related to the way they use WordPress. At the end of the “Main Survey,” respondents who contribute to the Open Source Community were invited to continue on to the “Contributor Survey” to share their feedback about those experiences.

Additional details:

• The survey was fielded globally toward the end of 2019 (Nov 1, 2019 to Dec 18, 2019).
• Crowdsignal was used as the survey instrument.
• An English language survey version was provided along with optional translated surveys in 5 additional languages.
• A total of 6,203 survey completes were collected, the lowest level of engagement for the annual survey.

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Languages

In 2019, the survey was available in six languages for the first time. 44% completed the survey in English while the second most popular was the Spanish language survey (17%) followed by Russian and French (13% for each).

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Survey Response

The 2019 total survey completes (6,203) is the lowest level of engagement for the annual survey. While the English language survey generated the majority of the surveys (2,667), it also had the lowest completion rate (51%) of all of the survey languages. Some factors which could be likely contributors to the lower engagement include:

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• A lengthier survey
• New questions were added to the 2019 survey, increasing the time it takes to complete the survey;
• Both the Annual survey and the Contributor survey were combined into one single survey link.
• Changes to the survey distribution channels (compared to prior years); or,
• A general decline in interest among the community members in contributing to the survey.

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Major Groups

This analysis presents the results, broken into three major groups which are defined by responses to the question: Which of the following best describes how you use WordPress?

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GROUP DEFINITIONS

• The WordPress Professionals group consists of those who: work for a company that designs/develops websites; use WordPress to build websites and/or blogs for others; design or develop themes, plugins, or other custom tools for WordPress sites; or are a designer, developer, or other web professional working with WordPress.
• This WordPress Professionals group is further divided into WordPress Company Pros (those who work for a company that designs/develops websites) and WordPress Freelancers/Hobbyists (all other professional types) subgroups.
• The WordPress User group consists of those who: own or run a blog that is built with WordPress; own or run a website that is built with WordPress; write for or contribute to a blog/website that is built with WordPress; use WordPress for school as a teacher; use WordPress for school as a student; or are learning to build websites using WordPress.
• The Others group consists of those who did not self-identify with any of the options provided for the question, “Which of the following best describes how you use WordPress?”

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Location

Survey response has shifted significantly from North America and Asia over to Europe in 2019.

SUMMARY

• Europe still shows the highest response compared to other continents. Engagement with the survey has increased significantly from representing 36%- 38% of the responses collected previously to 62% in 2019.
• While North America used to have the second highest response, it is now falling behind Asia. North America survey engagement has also significantly decreased from 33%-35% to 10% for this survey.

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Interpreting the results

Respondent Sample Sizes:

• Throughout the report, the total number of respondents included in the calculation of the results is indicated by “n=”.

Statistical Significance:

• Throughout the report, icons indicate statistically significant increases or declines in the results at the 95% confidence level.
• These differences are important to call out because it means we can be 95% confident that the rest of the population (similar to that group of data) will feel the same way. Conversely, there is a 5 percent chance that people would not feel the same way.

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n=5873

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Interpreting the results

Net Promoter Score (NPS):

• The Net Promoter Score is a loyalty metric that is calculated from the question, “How likely are you to recommend WordPress to friends, colleagues, or clients?” The score is considered to be a strong representation of product satisfaction because the more someone likes using a certain product or doing business with a particular company, the more likely they are to share their experiences with others.
• Using an 11-point rating scale, ranging from 0 (“not at all likely”) to 10 (“extremely likely”), respondents are classified into one of three groups:

1. Promoters = respondents giving a 9 - 10 rating

2. Passives = respondents giving a 7 - 8 rating

3. Detractors = respondents giving a 0 - 6 rating

• The proportion of “Detractors” is then subtracted from the proportion of “Promoters” to create the “Net Promoter Score.”

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Executive Summary

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Executive Summary

WordPress remains the platform of choice for future projects among those surveyed. Overwhelmingly, the reasons cited for this are that WordPress is the CMS people already know, and that the community supporting it is valuable. Professionals and users report similar levels of frustration with updates and Gutenberg. Both groups also love the ease of use they find in WordPress.

The number of professionals who report providing a heavily customized experience to clients has increased substantially, while at the same time the amount of time reported on creating those sites has decreased.

Regardless of frustrations felt with various features, this seems to indicate that ease of use has been on the rise.

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Why WordPress is Used

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Summary of Findings

NPS is currently at an all-time high and WordPress the preferred platform for the vast majority of respondents’ next website projects. Respondents most often say they choose WordPress because it’s what they know best. Others enjoy its open source community and say WordPress has the features they need.

However, competition is becoming a threat as more respondents disagree that WordPress is as good as or better than its competitors. Professionals hold WordPress in higher regard compared to competitors than Users.

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NPS results over time

NPS is currently at an all-time high with a score of 54 (compared to 50 and 52 previously). More than one-quarter (26%) of survey respondents are “Passive.” The NPS theory classifies “Passives” as a group of people who are are satisfied but not happy enough to be considered promoters. While they are vulnerable to switching to competitive products, they can also be converted to “Promoters” if they are given what they need.

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Question text: "NPS: How likely are you to recommend WordPress to friends, colleagues, or clients?"

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n=14,910

n=15,727

n=5873

NPS Score

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Platform Choice for Future Website Project

WordPress (82%) is overwhelmingly the preferred platform for the next website project.

New question for 2019.

Question text: "For your next website project, which platform would you choose to use?"

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n=6326

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Why WordPress is Used Among All Respondents

Nearly six-in-ten (59%) of survey respondents choose WordPress because it’s what they know best. Half (50%) say they enjoy its open source community. Nearly half (48%) say WordPress has the features they need.

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New question for 2019.

Question text: "Which of the following describes why you use WordPress instead of other technological tools/platforms?"

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

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Why WordPress is Used Among the Professional Respondent Group

Two-thirds (66%) of Professionals say they use WordPress because it’s what they know best. Fifty-seven percent (57%) also like the WordPress open source community.

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New question for 2019.

Question text: "Which of the following describes why you use WordPress instead of other technological tools/platforms?"

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

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Why WordPress is Used Among the User Group

Nearly half (48%) of Users say they use WordPress because it’s what they know best. Forty-five percent (45%) use WordPress because it has the features they need.

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New question for 2019.

Question text: "Which of the following describes why you use WordPress instead of other technological tools/platforms?"

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

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n=2180

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Why WordPress is Used Among the Other Respondent Group

One-third (33%) of Users say they use WordPress because it’s what they know best. However, 30% don’t know why they use WordPress instead of other technological tools/platforms.

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New question for 2019.

Question text: "Which of the following describes why you use WordPress instead of other technological tools/platforms?"

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

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n=89

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WordPress vs. Competitors Over Time

Significantly fewer respondents feel WordPress is as good as or better than its competitors (76%) compared to 2016 and 2017 (82% and 83%, respectively). Disagreement with this statement is significantly higher this year (up to 7% from 5% previously). Significantly more respondents opted not to answer the question in 2019 (17%) compared to 2016 (13%) and 2017 (12%).

Question text: "WordPress is as good as, or better than, its main competitors."

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n=15,052

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n=15,803

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n=6025

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WordPress vs. Competitors by 2019 Customer Groups

Significantly more Professionals (80%) feel WordPress is as good as or better than its competitors compared to Users (71%) and Other respondents (48%). Disagreement with this statement is low across all groups (6%-8%). However, significantly more Users (23%) and Other respondents (44%) than Professionals (13%) said they did not want to provide their opinion.

Question text: "WordPress is as good as, or better than, its main competitors."

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WordPress vs. Competitors Over Time Among the Professional Respondent Group

The proportion of Professionals (80%) who feel WordPress is as good as or better than its competitors has significantly declined compared to earlier perceptions (86%-87%). Disagreement with this statement shows a significant increase (from 4%-5% to 7%) and significantly more Professionals did not want to provide their opinion (13%, up from 9% previously) .

Question text: "WordPress is as good as, or better than, its main competitors."

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n=8672

n=9059

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WordPress vs. Competitors Over Time Among the User Respondent Group

Agreement with the statement “WordPress is as good as, or better than, its main competitors” is at an all-time low this year among Users (from 80%-81% in previous years dropping significantly to 71% in 2019). A significantly higher proportion of Users do not want to answer this question (23% vs. 14%-15% previously).

Question text: "WordPress is as good as, or better than, its main competitors."

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WordPress vs. Competitors Over Time Among the Other Respondent Group

The proportion of Other respondents who feel WordPress is as good as or better than its competitors (48%) shows a significant decline from earlier perceptions (60%-62% previously). Significantly more of those within the Other respondent group in 2019 (44%) prefered not to share their opinion than in 2016 (30%) and 2017 (29%).

Question text: "WordPress is as good as, or better than, its main competitors."

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How WordPress is Used

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Summary of Findings

Three-quarters of WordPress Professionals are using it as a CMS. Usage as a blogging platform is at an all-time low among both Professionals and Users. Users also utilize WordPress to learn how to build websites.

Nearly one-half of Professionals have built fewer than a hundred currently active WordPress sites. The same proportion say it takes 20-60 hours to launch their typical WordPress project. They also say they are spending more and more of their time on WordPress projects.

The majority of Users say a lot of custom work has been done to their WordPress installation.

Slightly more than half of Professionals are still using the Classic editor. While 39% of those using the new editor know there are new blocks for Gutenberg, 17% are unsure whether they have them. 44% of Users have adopted Gutenberg as their editor. However, 20% are not sure which editor they use.

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How Professionals use WordPress

Just over three-quarters (76%) of Professionals use WordPress as a CMS, significantly more than in 2016 (73%). Professionals (3%) using WordPress as a blogging platform is at an all-time low and significantly lower than 2016 (5%).

Question text: "When making websites, how does your company or organization use WordPress?" (Changed from 2015: “How does your company or organization use WordPress when developing websites?”)

*Both the survey question and the provided question response options were changed from 2015 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

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n=25,516

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How the Company Pros Subgroup uses WordPress

The vast majority of Company Pros (79%) use WordPress as a CMS, significantly more than in 2016 (75%) and 2015 (71%). Company Pros (2%) using WordPress as a blogging platform is at a significant all-time low compared to prior surveys (4%-8% previously).

Question text: "When making websites, how does your company or organization use WordPress?" (Changed from 2015: “How does your company or organization use WordPress when developing websites?”)

*Both the survey question and the provided question response options were changed from 2015 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

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How the Pro Freelancers/Hobbyists Subgroup uses WordPress

Nearly three-quarters (74%) of Pro Freelancers/Hobbyists use WordPress as a CMS, significantly more than in 2015 (71%). The respondents within this subgroup are using WordPress as a blogging platform (3%) significantly less frequently than in the past, previously 4%-6%.

Question text: "When making websites, how does your company or organization use WordPress?" (Changed from 2015: “How does your company or organization use WordPress when developing websites?”)

*Both the survey question and the provided question response options were changed from 2015 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

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How Users are using WordPress

Fewer Users (49%) are utilizing WordPress as a personal blog when compared to 2015-2017 (63% for all three earlier years). 29% of Users also say they are using WordPress to learn how to build websites (a new response option offered in this year’s survey).

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Question text: "Which of the following best describes how you use WordPress?"

*The provided question response options were changed in 2019 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

Multiple responses were allowed in 2019 so results will not add to 100%.

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How the Company Pros Subgroup work with WordPress

Significantly more Company Pros (85%) make websites for others compared to the previous two surveys (76%-79%). Meanwhile, Company Pros who develop customized themes, host websites for others, and develop or distribute plugins have significantly declined from all three prior surveys.

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Question text: "How does your company or organization work with WordPress?" (Changed from 2015: “How does your company or organization work with WordPress?”)

*The provided question response options were changed from 2015 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

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How the Pro Freelancers/Hobbyists Subgroup work with WordPress

Fewer Pro Freelancers/Hobbyists are developing customized themes, hosting websites for others, and developing or distributing plugins compared to the prior surveys. Declining significantly from prior surveys are those who contribute to bug reports and/or patches to WordPress core (down to 5% from 7% previously).

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Question text: "How do you work with WordPress?" (Changed from 2015: “In which of the following ways do you work with WordPress?”)

*Both the survey question and the provided question response options were changed from 2015 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

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Number of WordPress Sites Professionals Built

Just under one-half (48%) of Professionals say their company/organization built fewer than a hundred currently active WordPress sites. The proportion of those who say they have built just a few (23%) shows a notable decline from earlier surveys (30%-33% previously). 3% of Professionals also say they are not sure how many active WordPress sites they have built (a new response option offered in the 2019 survey).

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Question text: "Roughly how many currently active WordPress sites has your company or organization built?"

*The provided question response options were changed in 2019 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

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Number of WordPress Sites the Company Pros Subgroup Built

About two-in-five (41%) of the Company Pros subgroup say their company/organization built fewer than a hundred currently active WordPress sites. More than one-quarter (26%) say they built hundreds of sites. 4% of this subgroup also say they are not sure how many active WordPress sites they have built (a new response option offered in the 2019 survey).

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Question text: "Roughly how many currently active WordPress sites has your company or organization built?"

*The provided question response options were changed in 2019 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

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Number of WordPress Sites the Pro Freelancers/Hobbyists Subgroup Built

More than one-half (52%) of the Pro Freelancers/Hobbyists subgroup say their company/organization built fewer than a hundred currently active WordPress sites. One-quarter (25%) say they built just a few of sites. 2% of this subgroup are not sure (a new response option offered in the 2019 survey).

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Question text: "Roughly how many currently active WordPress sites has your company or organization built?"

*The provided question response options were changed in 2019 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

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WordPress Site Customization Among the WordPress Company Pros Subgroup

The majority of WordPress Company Pros (78%) say a lot of custom work has been done to their average WordPress site. Another 4% say everything on the site has been customized. Conversely, only 4% say the site is pretty much the same as the original download.

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Question text: "How much is your average WordPress site customized from the original WordPress installation?”

*The provided question response options were changed in 2019 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

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WordPress Site Customization Among the Pro Freelancers/ Hobbyists Subgroup

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The majority of the Pro Freelancers/Hobbyists Subgroup (62%) say a lot of custom work has been done to their average WordPress site. Another 4% say everything on the site has been customized. As with the other Pro subgroup, only 4% say the site is pretty much the same as the original download.

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Question text: "How much is your average WordPress site customized from the original WordPress installation?”

*The provided question response options were changed in 2019 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

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WordPress Site Customization Among the User Group

More than three-quarters (78%) of Users say a lot of custom work has been done to their WordPress installation. Like the Professional groups, 4% say everything on the site has been customized. Only 14% say there is a different theme and some plugins have been added and 4% say the site is pretty much the same as the original download.

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Question text: "How much is your average WordPress site customized from the original WordPress installation?”

*The provided question response options were changed in 2019 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

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n=4997

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Hours of Work Required to Launch WordPress Projects Among Professionals

Nearly half (49%) of the Professionals say it takes 20-60 hours to launch their typical WordPress project. The proportion of Professionals who say it takes more than 200 hours to launch has significantly declined (from 6% in 2016 and 2017 to 4% currently).

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Question text: "How many hours of work does your typical WordPress project take to launch?” (WordPress Freelancers/Hobbyists) & “How many person-hours (of your company's work) does the typical site take to launch?” (WordPress Company Pros) - Changed from 2015: “How many hours of your work does the typical site take to complete?”

*Both the survey question and the provided question response options were changed from 2015 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

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Work Time Spent on WordPress Projects among Professionals

Professionals are spending more and more time on WordPress projects as half (51%) report spending 70% or more of their time in 2019. This is significantly higher than levels reported in previous years, ranging from 38% to 46%.

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Question text: "Roughly what percentage of your work time is spent on WordPress projects?” (WordPress Freelancers/Hobbyists) & “Roughly what percentage of your company or organization’s output is based around WordPress (as opposed to other platforms or software)?” (WordPress Company Pros) - Changed from 2015: “How many hours of your work does the typical site take to complete?”

*Both the survey question and the provided question response options were changed from 2015 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

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Editor Use Among the Professional Group

Slightly more than half of Professionals are still using the Classic editor. While 39% of those using the new editor know they have new blocks for the Gutenberg, 17% are unsure whether they have them.

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Question text: “Which WordPress editor do you currently use?” and “Have you or your team built blocks for the new editor?”

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Editor Use Among the User Group

36% of Users have adopted Gutenberg as their editor. However, 20% are not sure which editor they use.

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Question text: "Which WordPress editor do you currently use?"

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Who Uses WordPress

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WordPress Use

Survey respondents most often use WordPress on a freelance/independent basis (29%).

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Question text: "Which of the following best describes how you use WordPress?"

Note: New response options are included in the 2019 survey options so the results cannot be compared to previous findings.

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Respondent WordPress Tenure

Three-quarters (75%) of the survey respondents have been using WordPress for 3 years or more.

New question for 2019.

Question text: "How long have you been using WordPress?"

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Professional Work

Professionals are most commonly self-employed (44%). One-third (33%) work for a company or organization.

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Question text: "Do you work for a company, or on your own?"

*The provided question response options were changed in 2019 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

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Primary Industry Among Professionals

Most commonly, Professionals indicate they are in the “Professional Services” industry (45%).

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New question for 2019.

Question text: "Which of the following best describes the industry of your company or organization?” (WordPress Freelancers/Hobbyists) & “Which of the following best describes the industry of your company or organization?” (WordPress Company Pros)

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Clients of Professionals

Consistent with years prior, the clients of Professional respondents are most commonly small businesses (87%) and individuals (36%).

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Question text: "How would you describe the business of your typical client?” (WordPress Freelancers/Hobbyists) & “How would you describe the business of your typical client/customer?” (WordPress Company Pros) - Changed from 2015: “How would you describe the business of your typical client(s)?”

*The provided question response options were changed in 2019 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

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Primary Website Purpose Among Users

The website of Professionals is primarily intended to share information (22%).

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New question for 2019.

Question text: "What is the primary purpose of your WordPress site?"

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User Website Installation

Question text: "Who installed your WordPress website?"

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

The proportion of Users who installed their WordPress site themselves is significantly higher in 2019 compared to 2016 (76% vs. 73%). Significantly fewer (10%) report their hosting provider did the install compared to all previous surveys (13%-15%).

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Specialized Services Among Professionals

Web development (79%) is the most common type of services Professionals specialize in, followed closely by website management (61%).

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New question for 2019.

Question text: "What types of services does your company or organization specialize in?"

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

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Respondent Technical Expertise

Half of the survey respondents (50%) are highly technical and able to “produce new or original work using technology.”

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New question for 2019.

Question text: "Which of the following describes your level of technical expertise?"

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

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Comfort Level Writing HTML/CSS Code

Company Pros feel significantly more comfortable with writing HTML/CSS code than Pro Freelancers/Hobbyists with three-quarters (74%) of Company Pros saying they are “very comfortable.” A significantly higher proportion of Pro Freelancers/Hobbyists (10%) are “not very comfortable” with the technology compared to Company Pros (5%).

Question text: "How would you rate your comfort level with each of the following?"

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Comfort Level Writing JavaScript Code

A significantly higher proportion of Pro Freelancers/Hobbyists (45%) feel uncomfortable with writing HTML/CSS code compared to Company Pros (28%). Company Pros (72%) feel significantly more comfortable with the technology than Pro Freelancers/Hobbyists (55%).

Question text: "How would you rate your comfort level with each of the following?"

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Comfort Level Writing PHP Code

Half (50%) of the Company Pros feel “very comfortable” with writing PHP code, significantly higher than Pro Freelancers/ Hobbyists (34%). A significantly higher proportion of Pro Freelancers/Hobbyists (34%) feel uncomfortable with the technology compared to Company Pros (21%).

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Question text: "How would you rate your comfort level with each of the following?"

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Comfort Level Configuring Plugins/Themes

65% of both professional subgroups indicate they feel “very comfortable” with configuring plugins/themes.

Question text: "How would you rate your comfort level with each of the following?"

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Comfort Level Working with REACT

Half (50%) of the Pro Freelancers/ Hobbyists feel “not at all comfortable” with working with REACT, significantly higher than results among Company Pros (41%). A significantly higher proportion of Company Pros (29%) feel comfortable with the technology compared to Pro Freelancers/Hobbyists (23%).

Question text: "How would you rate your comfort level with each of the following?"

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Comfort Level Working with the WordPress REST APIs

A significantly higher proportion of Company Pros (20%) feel “very comfortable” with WordPress REST APIs compared to Pro Freelancers/Hobbyists (13%). Three-in-ten (30%) of Pro Freelancers/Hobbyists feel “not at all comfortable” with the technology, significantly higher than Company Pros (22%).

Question text: "How would you rate your comfort level with each of the following?"

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Respondent Job Level/Role

Most respondents work are a “Web/software/IT developer” (29%) or a “Owner/President/CEO/EVP/SVP/Partner/VP” (26%).

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New question for 2019.

Question text: "Which of the following best describes your job level or role?"

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Where Respondents First Learned About WordPress

More than one-quarter (26%) leaned about WordPress via an internet search while 19% used it at work.

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New question for 2019.

Question text: "How did you first learn about WordPress?"

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Experience With WordPress

Four activities show significant increases from 2015: attending a WordPress meetup (21% to 29%); attending a WordCamp (18% to 27%); submitting a WordPress bug report (21% to 25%); and contributing to WordPress documentation (9% to 13%).

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Question text: "Which of the following have you done with WordPress?"

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

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Top 3 Essential Plugins

Yoast SEO (14%), Contact Form7 (13%), and Classic Editor (10%) are perceived to be the top 3 most essential plugins when building a WordPress website.

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New question for 2019.

Question text: "Listed below are the top 20 most popular plugins (as of September 2019). Please select 3 plugins you think are essential when building WordPress sites."

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

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Feelings About Auto-Updates

Awareness of auto-updates has increased from 2015 and nervousness about them is relatively unchanged from four years ago. However, positive sentiment about auto-updates is on the decline from levels reported in 2015. Most notably, “I would like to see auto updates for major versions of WordPress” shows a significant 9-point decrease from 2015 (from 24% to 15% currently).

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Question text: "WordPress now updates minor & security releases automatically for you. Check all that apply:"

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

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Other Tools Used by Respondents

One-quarter (25%) of survey respondents use Twitter regularly for their online publishing needs.

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New question for 2019.

Question text: "Aside from WordPress, which of these other tools do you regularly use for your online publishing needs?"

67

n=8877

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Confidential

Respondent Gender Identity

Gender identity within the WordPress community is relatively unchanged from prior surveys. The vast majority currently identify as male (79%).

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Question text: "Do you identify as...? You can select more than one. (2019)" / “What is your gender?” (2016)

*in 2016 & 2017, this question was structured so respondents can answer with a free-form response by filling out a text field. In 2019, respondents were provided with fixed options as well as an option to self-describe. We listed the five most common responses, aggregated when applicable. We aggregated responses as best we could. Responses meant to obscure respondents’ gender entirely are aggregated in “prefer not to answer.”

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

68

n=14,567

n=5965

n=13,825

Confidential

Respondent Age

The age among respondents has declined significantly within the the 29 and under age groups while results show significant increases in the 30-49 age groups from prior surveys.

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Question text: "What is your age?"

69

n=15,636

n=5988

n=14,944

Confidential

Respondent Location

In 2019, the proportion of respondents within Europe and South America have increased significantly compared to all three previous surveys. Representation among North America and Asia has declined significantly from previous years. The availability of the 2019 surveys in 5 additional languages has likely impacted this shift in location representation.

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Question text: "Where are you located?"

70

10%

North

America

9%

South

America

4%

Oceana

12%

Asia

62%

Europe

3%

Africa

Confidential

WordPress Access Device

Compared to 2016 and 2017, significantly fewer survey respondents access WordPress via a web browser (46%) or app (16%) on their mobile device. Even fewer (1%) say they access WordPress via a desktop app.

Question text: "Which devices do you access WordPress on?"

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

71

n=15,543

​

n=5951

n=14,758

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Confidential

Make a Living from WordPress

Significantly more 2019 respondents (34%) say they make a living from WordPress than in 2016 and 2017 (32% for both years). However, this proportion still remains significantly below the level reported in 2015 (38%).

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Question text: "Can you (truthfully!) say ‘I make my living from WordPress’?"

72

n=42,236

n=14,906

n=15,616

n=5962

Confidential

2019 WordPress.org Contributor Survey Results

73

Confidential

Executive Summary

74

Confidential

Executive Summary

The WordPress open source project is a collection of global contributors, the majority of whom contribute as self-sponsored volunteers. Overall, the majority of contributors remain happy with their contributor experience.

Since 2015, there is a notable increase in the number of contributors who feel consistently recognized for their contributions. Recognition from peers is still reported to be more important to contributors than recognition from other teams or project leadership.

Most contributions are made whenever people have time, which is consistent with responses from 2015. The majority of contributors still average 0-2 hours in a given week, but many teams have seen increases in contributors who are able to offer substantially more time (15+).

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75

Confidential

WordPress Community Satisfaction and Recognition

76

Confidential

Summary of Findings

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Contributors show a slight decline from happiness reported in 2015. Contributors continue to feel recognized for their contributions (with most wanting to receive it from other contributors on their team or on their WordPress.org profile).

Contributors are feeling more welcome overall than in the past and putting more efforts in this area may help to prevent declines in positive sentiment. However, more than one quarter of the Contributors say they have been treated differently or have seen someone being treated differently. This is often going unreported.

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77

Confidential

Open Source WordPress Project Contributor Experience

The proportion of Contributors who are happy with their experience contributing to the open source project shows a slight 2-point decrease from 2015 (from 85% to 83%).

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Question text: "Overall, how happy are you with your experience as a contributor?” / “How happy are you overall with your experience as a contributor? (2015)"

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

78

n=368

n=234

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*

Confidential

How Welcome Contributors Feel as Participants in the WordPress Project

The 2019 positive response (89%) shows a slight 3-point increase in feeling welcome to the WordPress project compared to 2015 (86%). However, the top box (“Very welcome”) response shows a significant decrease (from 64% to 47% in 2019). A focus on making Contributors feel welcome may help to prevent further declines in positive sentiment.

Question text: "How welcome do you feel as a participant in the WordPress project?"

79

n=354

n=232

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Confidential

Why contributors feel unwelcome as a participant in the project

Question text: "Please tell us why you feel unwelcome as a participant in the WordPress project."

Note: This question was asked in an open-ended format which allowed for free-form text entry.

“Honestly, I've just removed my country's flag from my username and that improved how some other users treated me. When some people realize you're from a 3rd world country, they just think you don't know what you are talking about.”

80

“Maybe because I'm part of a project that's not 100% GPL compliant.”

“Unfortunately, people in general have a kind of preconception about Wordpress. The community team is make a great job, but… Automattic needs to support Wordpress as Automattic the company. When we work with Wordpress, many people see our project as amateurs… Google is behind Angular, Facebook is behind React, but who will I trust in the Wordpress community? … another complaint that I have… is the slowness. As the application starts grow, the database starts to became slow… Wordpress is a great tool [and] we can develop almost everything. But for clients, [it] is difficult to trust. ...if Wordpress resolves some problems (like the DB slowness), [they] will see Wordpress with more confidence.”

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“Because despite my many translations, I was openly criticized and people could not explain the mistakes despite my Queries/Slacks.”

“People outside of the WordPress Core Devs and Automattic, are mostly ignored and dismissed. With Automattic taking over so many businesses and pushing ads into various plugins, WordPress feels more like an Automattic product now than the Open Source community that it did a few years ago.”

“The community; it’s often too closed off and it’s quite difficult to make contact with other members at events.”

Confidential

Feeling Recognized for Contributions

The 2019 results show stronger positive feelings among Contributors about being recognized (and valued) for their contributions. While positive feelings remain consistent with 2015 (63% vs. 64% currently), the top box (“Absolutely”) response shows a significant increase (from 20% to 35% in 2019).

Question text: “Overall, do you feel your contributions are recognized (and valued)?” / “Do you feel your contributions are recognized (and valued) overall? (2015)"

81

n=326

n=225

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Confidential

Preferred Contribution Recognition Source

Similar to 2019, Contributors prefer to receive recognition from other contributors on their team (49%) or on the WordPress.org profile (46%).

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Question text: "Where do you expect the recognition for your contributions to come from? Check all that apply.” / “When we talk about recognition for your contributions, where do you expect that recognition to come from? (2015)"

82

n=291

n=209

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Confidential

Times When Others Were Treated Differently

Question text: "As applicable, tell us about a time when you observed someone else being treated differently." (2019) / "Have you ever observed anyone else being treated differently?" (2015)

Note: This question was asked in an open-ended format which allowed for free-form text entry.

83

“I've witnessed multiple CoC violations primarily against under represented groups. Being a meetup and WordCamp organizer and seeing myself as a (male) feminist, I probably recognize more of these. Most incidents were handled in an appropriate way.”

“It’s not something that always happen, but it's not unusual with woman in lead roles in our local community to suffer gaslighting from other lead members.”

“I have seen evidence of mild harassment of women in Slack (the woman in question asked for help - I was not around at the time. I believe the perpetrator was eventually blocked.”

“I’ve definitely seen [female contributor] getting more sh*t from people than other (white male) lead developers. Definitely seen sexist or racist comments posted in Slack/IRC/industry news sites. They pretty much always get shot down in project spaces which is great.”

“I've seen [female contributor] get some sexism and misogynistic bullsh*t with sniping about diversity and that sort of thing - I've really noticed the lack of transparent leadership there. The wringing of hands and ‘guys you can't do that’ is much different than taking action.”

“There’s still quite a lot of mansplaining.”

“Women being objectified and referred to as ‘hottie’ and ‘babe’.”

“Mostly gender discrimination.”

“Mainly women and how they are treated in comment threads and online.”

Confidential

Times When Others Were Treated Differently (continued)

Question text: "As applicable, tell us about a time when you observed someone else being treated differently." (2019) / "Have you ever observed anyone else being treated differently?" (2015)

Note: This question was asked in an open-ended format which allowed for free-form text entry.

84

“I’ve noticed times where community members are spoken to differently - perhaps not given the benefit of the doubt in the same way - due to what I presume is demographic bias.”

“Socio-economic status in others.”

“I observed people observing themselves as being treated differently with no cause.”

“I have seen harassment in various ways. And I feel ashamed for those moments I didn't intervene.”

“I have seen minorities in our community being treated differently.”

“Lack of empathy with regards to people with disabilities when it came to using new stuff like Gutenberg, and unwillingness to listen and adapt processes. The technical debt keeps piling up because of this. And the feeling to be left out big time.”

“I have often noticed that the WordPress questions for newbies are handled in a ridiculous manner. No one really helps you.”

“More so in a way that catered to the person’s religious beliefs need regarding holidays.”

“On more than one occasion, I have seen [contributor] being treated differently. Not in a positive way. People were condescending of his input and disrespectful of the time he had spent on issues.”

“WP is better than many but it still has toxic elements.”

Confidential

Times When Others Were Treated Differently (continued)

Question text: "As applicable, tell us about a time when you observed someone else being treated differently." (2019) / "Have you ever observed anyone else being treated differently?" (2015)

Note: This question was asked in an open-ended format which allowed for free-form text entry.

85

“I've seen several cases where due to the language barrier users have been ignored or overlooked as they are unable to convey their question properly.”

“In WordCamps held in [non-English-language-speaking country], those who only speak English tend to be avoided by participants who don't speak English, which I guess should be no surprise...”

“Some people don't pay attention to those who don't speak/write in fluent english.”

“The entire non-english community is being ignored by no multilingual support in WordPress.”

Confidential

Witnessed or Experienced Being Treated Differently

Nearly three in ten Contributors (29%) say they have been treated differently or seen someone being treated differently. Among those Contributors, only half (52%) reported the incident.

Question text: "Have you ever been treated differently or seen anyone being treated differently?” / “If you have ever been treated differently or seen anyone being treated differently, did you report it? If so, where/to whom? (If not, why not?) (2015)"

And “Did you report it?”

86

n=309

52%

Reported the Incident

Confidential

How the Incident Was Reported

Question text: "Where/to whom did you report the incident?"

Note: This question was asked in an open-ended format which allowed for free-form text entry.

87

“A. Around the time I started participating, I felt that the comments made by a man at an after-party about a particular woman, who wasn't in the room, were inappropriately sexual. Partly because I was new on the scene, I didn't report this incident to anyone; B. I saw several posts on [the local community’s] Slack channel that I found unacceptable, not least because they were made by editors. I didn't report them, partly because I didn't know where I was supposed to report them to. I still view [the local community’s Slack instance] as something parochial and scary; C. Some things happened to me at WordCamp [City], where I served as a staff member, that I found unacceptable. I notified the committee chair on that day.”

“To the meetup organizer.”

“My documents.”

“My hierarchy.”

“To the organizers.”

“To the organizing team lead”

“To the social media publisher.”

“To the nearest responsible person.”

“To an acquaintance.”

“To the organizing team of the WordCamp/meetup.”

Confidential

Why the Incident Was Not Reported

Question text: "Why didn’t you report the incident?"

Note: This question was asked in an open-ended format which allowed for free-form text entry.

“I didn't know where I could did that.”

“I didn't think I had to report what I saw.”

“I didn't know who to report it to.”

“Who am I supposed to report to?”

“I didn't know how to do it and, honestly, that would not make any difference. If it is a newcomer treating people differently we should give them a second chance and when it comes from a veteran and super important person, nobody will do anything about it. That is for sure.”

“I have been in the WP community for a long time. I still do not know who to report anything like this to. I honestly don't think there is any responsible person for that kind of thing to give accountability for actions.”

“It wasn’t going to achieve anything practical.”

“I felt that reporting it wouldn't improve anything.”

“Through fear of retaliation.”

“I already get very little recognition. Reducing it even further would not be good.”

“The person who suffered asked me to not do it.”

88

Confidential

Why the Incident Was Not Reported (continued)

Question text: "Why didn’t you report the incident?"

Note: This question was asked in an open-ended format which allowed for free-form text entry.

“The person concerned got by all alone like a pro.”

“Because that was my problem.”

“I spoke directly with the individual.”

“I didn't the whole story. So I don't want to get involved.”

“I was only becoming aware of it when someone else had already reported the incident.”

“While the user was initially ignored or disregarded due to the language barrier other members of the community stepped in to assist in translating their question and resolve the issue. So while they were initially overlooked and dismissed, I felt the community/team stepped in and made things right so there was no need to report the incident.”

“Just because of ‘don’t care’ mentality.”

“It does not matter that much. People are different from each other and treat each other differently. That is just inherent to life and nothing bad. It’s important to be friendly, kind and considerate but it is impossible to be neutral about everything or treat everyone the same. Generally speaking, I try to adhere to the Golden Rule and try to [be] friendly and polite and that has served me much better than thinking all the time of discrimination, difference and privilege.”

“The question was ‘Have you ever been treated differently or seen anyone being treated differently?’ Being treated differently does not have to be negative. Matt Mullenweg is treated differently than most other people in the WordPress community. I do not need to report that.”

89

Confidential

WordPress Community Contribution Habits

90

Confidential

Summary of Findings

Contributors most commonly work on the open source project randomly. They also work on the weekends and at home. A lack of time is often a barrier for their involvement.

Many of the respondents were part of a meetup organizing team. They also speak at local meetups and attend local meetings.

Meetup attendance frequency is varied across Contributors. Most attended their local WordCamp and an even larger amount attended at least one WordCamp over the past year. One-quarter of the Contributors attended WordCamp Europe.

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91

Confidential

Involvement Barriers

Contributors indicate that a “lack of time” (62%) is the most common barrier for them to be as involved as they would like to be. The second most common barrier is the “need to earn money” (47%).

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Question text: "Which of the following would you say are barriers for you to be as involved as you would like to be? Check all that apply."

92

n=297

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Confidential

When Contributing Work is Done

Contributors most often work on the open source project “Randomly when I feel like it” (46%). “Weekends” (33%) and “At home” (32%) are the next most common responses.

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Question text: "When do you normally do your contributing work?"

93

n=345

n=233

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Confidential

WordPress Community Involvement

Aside from participating online, 64% of Contributors say they were part of the meetup organizing team. Speaking at a local meetup (54%) and attending a local meeting (51%) are also common activities among Contributors.

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Question text: "Aside from online, how else were you involved in your local WordPress community over the past year?"

*The provided question response options were changed in 2019 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

94

n=303

n=208

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*

Confidential

Number of Meetup Events Attended Over the Past Year

While 21% of Contributors say they did not attend any meetup events over the past year, another 21% attended 12 or more.

Question text: "Over the past year, how many meetup events did you attend?"

95

n=302

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Confidential

Number of WordCamps Attended Over the Past Year

71% of Contributors attended at least one WordCamp over the past year.

Question text: “Over the past year, how many WordCamps did you attend?"

96

n=302

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Confidential

Which WordCamps Were Attended Over the Past Year

Most (67%) Contributors say they attended their local WordCamp over the past year. One-quarter (25%) of the Contributors attended WordCamp Europe.

Question text: “Which of the following WordCamps did you attend over the past year?” / “Did you attend any of these WordCamps over the past year? (2015)"

*The provided question response options were changed in 2019 and the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance. Unlike 2015, respondents who said they did not attend an event in the previous question were not asked this question in 2019.

97

n=267

n=210

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*

Confidential

WordPress Community Contribution Dedication

98

Confidential

Summary of Findings

Hours Contributors are spending on the Community Team show an increase from levels reported in 2015 with 16% spending more than 15 hours. More Contributors are also spending more time on Free Plugins in the Directory than previously.

Respondents are also contributing more time to the Support Team, Meta Team, and Core Team compared to 2015. While overall, Contributors don’t spend a lot of their time Speaking at WP Events, this is trending upward.

99

Confidential

Time Spent^* Contributing to the Community Team

Hours spent per week on the Community Team show an increase from levels reported previously. Those who say they spent 0-2 hours (26%) has significantly declined from 2015 (39%). A notable increase occurs among those who say they spent more than 15 hours (from 9% to 16% currently).

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

100

n=232

n=107

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Confidential

Time Spent^* Contributing to the Free Plugins in the Directory

Slightly more Contributors (15%) say they spent more than 15 hours on Free Plugins in the Directory than in 2015 (11%). “A little here and there” response shows a non-significant 8-point decline from 2015 (from 21% to 13% currently).

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

101

n=151

n=110

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Confidential

Time Spent^* Contributing to the Support Team

The proportion of Contributors who spend 15 or more hours with the Support Team shows a slight 5-point increase, from 9% in 2015 to 14% currently.

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

102

n=146

n=80

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Confidential

Time Spent^* Contributing to the Meta Team

Respondents are also contributing more time to the Meta Team in 2019 compared to 2015. Those who say they spend “a little here and there” (12%) has significantly declined from 2015 (29%).

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

103

n=98

n=62

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Confidential

Time Spent^* Contributing to the Core Team

A significantly higher proportion of Contributors report spending 0-2 hours (43%) on the Core Team than in 2015 (29%). In addition, significantly more Contributors say they spent more than 15 hours on the team than in 2015 (from 4% to 13% in 2019).

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

104

n=137

n=114

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Confidential

Time Spent^* Contributing to the Flow Team

Contributors are spending more time contributing to the Flow Team than reported in the past. Those who say they spend only 0-2 hours has significantly declined from 2015 (from 89% down to 49%).

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

105

n=88

n=45

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Confidential

Time Spent^* Contributing to the Marketing Team

Contributors are spending more time contributing to the Marketing Team than in 2015. Those who say they spend only 0-2 hours (55%) has significantly declined from 2015 (84%).

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

106

n=106

n=43

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Confidential

Time Spent^* Contributing to the Docs Team

Slightly more Contributors (11%) say they spent more than 15 hours contributing to the Docs Team than in 2015 (6%). “A little here and there” response shows a non-significant 10-point decline from 2015 (from 30% to 20% currently).

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

107

n=125

n=73

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Confidential

Time Spent^* Contributing to the Accessibility Team

Overall, the estimated hours spent per week on the Accessibility Team has increased since 2015. A significantly higher proportion of Contributors report spending 10 hours or more on the team compared to the previous survey, increasing from 2% to 17% currently.

Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

108

n=121

n=68

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Confidential

Time Spent^* Contributing to the Mobile Team

Contributors are spending more time contributing to the Mobile Team than in 2015. Those who say they spend only 0-2 hours has significantly declined from 2015 (from 82% to 54% currently).

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

109

n=89

n=44

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Confidential

Time Spent^* Contributing to the Design Team

The time spent contributing to the Design Team has increased since 2015. A significantly higher proportion of Contributors report spending 5 hours or more on the team compared to the previous survey, increasing from 8% to 22% currently. Significantly fewer Contributors say they spent 0-2 hours (46%) contributing to the Team than in 2015 (64%).

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

110

n=109

n=53

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Confidential

Time Spent^* Contributing to the Plugin Review Team

Contributors who say they spend only 0-2 hours (49%) on the Plugin Review Team have significantly declined from 2015 (86%). Significantly more report spending 2-5 hours (19%) compared to 2015 (0%).

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

111

n=96

n=42

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Confidential

Time Spent^* Contributing to the Polyglots Team

Significantly more Contributors (7%) report spending 10-15 hours on the Polyglots Team, compared to 2015 (0%).

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

112

n=201

n=90

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Confidential

Time Spent^* Contributing to the Theme Review Team

A significant increase occurs among those who contribute 7-10 hours to the Theme Review Team, from 0% in 2015 to 8% currently.

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

113

n=103

n=72

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Confidential

Time Spent^* Contributing to the Training Team

Contributors who say they spend only 0-2 hours (52%) on the Training Team have significantly declined from 2015 (84%). Significantly more report spending more than 15 hours (13%) compared to 2015 (2%).

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

114

n=95

n=45

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Confidential

Time Spent^* on BuddyPress

A significant increase occurs among those contributing 7-10 hours (7%) on BuddyPress compared to 2015 (0%). “A little here and there” response shows a significant 15-point decline from 2015 (from 22% to 7% currently).

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

115

n=81

n=54

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Time Spent^* Contributing to the Video TV Team

Overall, the estimated hours spent per week on the Video TV Team has increased since 2015. A significantly lower proportion of Contributors report spending 0-2 hours on the team compared to the previous survey, increasing from 68% to 50% currently.

Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

116

n=94

n=56

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Time Spent^* on bbPress

Contributors are spending more time on bbPress than in 2015. Slightly fewer Contributors (62%) say they only spend 0-2 hours than in 2015 (78%). Those spending more than 5 hours has significantly increased compared to 2015, from 4% to 22% currently.

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

117

n=77

n=45

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Time Spent^* on GlotPress

Slightly fewer Contributors (52%) say they spend 0-2 hours on GlotPress than in 2015 (63%). Those spending more than 5 hours has increased significantly compared to 2015, from 15% to 27% currently.

Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

118

n=99

n=57

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Time Spent^* Contributing to the Free Themes in the Directory

Hours spent per week on Free Themes in the Directory show an increase from levels reported previously. Those who say they spent 0-2 hours (43%) has significantly declined from 2015 (66%). A significant increase occurs among those who say they spend 7-10 hours (from 0% to 8% currently).

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

119

n=113

n=62

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Time Spent^* Speaking at WP Events

“A little here and there” response for time spent Speaking at WP Events shows a significant 16-point decline from 2015 (from 34% to 18% currently). A slight increase occurs among those contributing 0-2 hours (41%) in 2019 compared to 2015 (34%).

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Question text: "Over the past year, please estimate how many hours per week you contributed in each of these teams/areas...If you did not contribute to a team/area, please select “N/A”. / "How many hours did you spend (on average) per week contributing over the past year? You don't have to mark every line, you can just focus on the teams/areas where you contributed over the past year." (2015)

*Use caution when comparing results to 2015 as the question wording changed slightly.

120

n=190

n=100

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WordPress Community Contributors

121

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Open Source WordPress Project Contribution among Respondents

Of the respondents who took the main survey, 14% say they contribute to the open source WordPress project. 6% opted to participate in the Contributor survey. Participation in the 2019 Contributor survey increased by 57% from the last fielding of the survey in 2015.

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Question text: "Do you contribute to the open source WordPress project?" / “Would you be interested in participating?”

122

14%

Do Not Contribute Currently, But Have in the Past

14%

Contribute

6%

Participated in 2019 Survey

72%

Do Not Contribute

n=5,952

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Making a Living from WordPress

60% of Contributors say they make a living from WordPress.

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Question text: "Can you (truthfully!) say ‘I make my living from WordPress’?"

123

n=369

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Contributor Location

Question text: "Where are you located?"

Locations among Contributors have shifted significantly across the globe. Europe’s engagement with the survey has increased significantly from representing 37% of the responses collected in 2015 46% in 2019. North America has significantly decreased from 46% to 6% for this survey.

124

6%

North

America

9%

South

America

2%

Oceana

31%

Asia

46%

Europe

6%

Africa

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WordPress Access Device Among Contributors

The vast majority (94%) of Contributors access WordPress on a web browser on a desktop or laptop computer. 58% say they access WordPress through a web browser on their mobile device.

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Question text: "Which devices do you access WordPress on?"

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

125

n=368

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Respondent Ethnicity

Nearly half (47%) of the Contributors say they are White/Caucasian while 16% prefer not to answer this survey question.

Question text: “How would you describe your race/ethnicity? We want to provide you with the freedom to identify your backgrounds so if you are descended from multiple racial/ethnic groups, you can list as many as you choose.” /”How would you describe your race/ethnicity? If you are descended from multiple racial/ethnic groups, you can list as many as you choose. This isn't a radio button question specifically to allow people more freedom in identifying their backgrounds." (2015)

Note: This question was asked in an open-ended format which allowed for free-form text entry. Results will not add to 100%.

126

n=346

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Contributor Gender Identity

The vast majority (80%) within the Contributing community identify as Male.

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Question text: "Do you identify as...? You can select more than one. (2019)"

In 2019, respondents were provided with fixed options as well as an option to self-describe. We listed the five most common responses, aggregated when applicable. We aggregated responses as best we could. Responses meant to obscure respondents’ gender entirely are aggregated in “prefer not to answer.”

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

127

n=365

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Sexual Orientation

Nearly three-quarters (74%) of contributors say they are heterosexual/straight and 12% prefer not to share their sexual orientation.

Question text: "What is your sexual orientation?"

Note: This question was asked in an open-ended format which allowed for free-form text entry. Results will not add to 100%.

128

n=347

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Age Among Contributors

39% of Contributors are 30-39 years of age while nearly one-quarter (24%) are aged 40-49. Less than one-quarter (23%) are under the age of 30.

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Question text: "What is your age?"

129

n=371

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Computer Access Age Among Contributors

The majority (63%) of contributors were 11-25 years old when they first had access to a computer at home.

Question text: "At what age did you first have access to a computer at home?"

*Question response options were added in 2019. Since the 2015 survey allowed for free-form entry, the differences between these results cannot be compared for statistical significance.

130

n=327

n=214

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*

Confidential

Socioeconomic Status While Growing Up

2019 sees an increase of Contributors who were “very financially comfortable” growing up, from 6% to 12% currently.

Question text: "How would you describe your family's socioeconomic status when you were growing up?"

*Use caution in comparing the results as a slight change was made to one of the question options from the 2015 survey.

131

n=313

n=222

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*

Confidential

Current Socioeconomic Status

An increase of Contributors who are “very financially comfortable” occurs from 7% in 2015 to 11% in 2019. A decline in response has occurred for “I am financially comfortable but I wouldn’t call myself ‘rich’,” from 56% down to 48% currently.

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Question text: “How would you describe your current socioeconomic status?"

*Use caution in comparing the results as a slight change was made to one of the question options from the 2015 survey.

132

n=313

n=223

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*

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Employment Situation Among Contributors

Custom WordPress development work has declined from 59% in 2015 down to 25% among Contributors in 2019. Those who set up/manage WordPress sites as part of their job has also decreased from 2015 (55% to 42%). Full-time work has also declined among Contributors, from 65% 2015 to 60% in 2019.

Question text: “What is your current employment situation? Check all that apply."

*Use caution in comparing the results as a slight change was made to one of the question options from the 2015 survey.

Multiple responses were allowed so results will not add to 100%.

133

n=317

n=224

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*

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Family Structure or Living Situation

The proportion of Contributors living as a single caregiver for children or adult family members has significantly increased from 3% in 2015 to 7% currently.

Question text: "What is your current family structure/living situation?"

134

n=302

n=210

​

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Role of Religion

Religion's role among Contributors has remained relatively consistent between 2015 and 2019. A slight increase among those who prefer not to answer occurs, from 9% to 11% currently.

Question text: “Is religion a part of your life?"

135

n=303

n=206

​

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Political Views

Liberal and conservative views show significant changes compared to 2015: Significantly fewer Contributors consider themselves to be “very liberal” currently (27% down to 18%) and significantly more consider themselves to be “very conservative” (3% up to 8%).

Question text: "How would you describe your political views?"

136

n=264

n=186

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Military Status

Contributors currently on active duty show a significant increase in 2019, from 1% to 5% presently. Similarly, a significant decrease has occurred among those who have never served in the military (from 86% down to 75% in 2019). Of note, significantly more Contributors prefer not to answer this question, compared to 2015 (6% up to 12%).

Question text: "What is your military status?"

137

n=287

n=195

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Appendices

138

Confidential

Appendix A:

Background and Methodology

139

Confidential

English Language Survey

The English language survey version had the lowest completion rate of 51% and generated a total of 2,667 surveys.

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140

Confidential

Spanish Language Survey

The Spanish language survey version had the highest completion rate of 70% and generated a total of 1,015 surveys.

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141

Confidential

Russian Language Survey

The Russian language survey version had a completion rate of 59% and generated a total of 798 surveys.

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142

Confidential

French Language Survey

The French language survey version had a completion rate of 64% and generated a total of 759 surveys.

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143

Confidential

German Language Survey

The German language survey version had a completion rate of 66% and generated a total of 564 surveys.

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144

Confidential

Japanese Language Survey

The Japanese language survey version had a completion rate of 68% and generated a total of 400 surveys.

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145

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Location by respondent type

146

Company Pros Subgroup

Pro Freelancers/Hobbyists Subgroup

Users

Confidential

Age by respondent location

147

2019 results

Confidential

WordPress experience by respondent location

148

2019 results

Confidential

Respondent Location by Platform

Question text: "Where are you located?"

149

Confidential

Respondent Location by Source Type

Question text: "Where are you located?"

150

Confidential

Respondent Location by Agent

Question text: "Where are you located?"

151

Confidential

Appendix B:

Why WordPress is Used

152

Confidential

Professional Platform Choice for Future Website Project

WordPress (82%) is overwhelmingly the preferred platform for the next website project.

New question for 2019.

Question text: "For your next website project, which platform would you choose to use?"

153

n=3908

​

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User Platform Choice for Future Website Project

WordPress (82%) is overwhelmingly the preferred platform for the next website project.

New question for 2019.

Question text: "For your next website project, which platform would you choose to use?"

154

n=2316

​

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Appendix C:

Who Uses WordPress

155

Confidential

NPS results by respondent type

Overall, NPS is at an all-time high with a score of 54. The NPS score is significantly higher within the Professional group (58) compared to Users (49) and Others (8). All three customer groups show opportunities among their Passive respondents who may be converted to “Promoters” if they are given what they need.

Question text: "NPS: How likely are you to recommend WordPress to friends, colleagues, or clients?”

156

NPS Score: 54

n=5873

NPS Score: 58

NPS Score: 49

n=3767

n=2030

n=76

Professionals

Users

Others

NPS Score: 8

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2019 NPS results among WordPress Professionals

The current NPS Score among Professionals (58) remains consistent with the 2016 (57) and 2017 (59) scores. One-quarter (26%) are “Passive” Professionals and ideal targets to convert to Promoters.

Question text: "NPS: How likely are you to recommend WordPress to friends, colleagues, or clients?”

157

NPS Score: 58

n=3767

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2019 NPS results among WordPress Users

The current NPS Score among Users (49) is higher compared to 2016 (47) but remains below the Score of 51 achieved in 2017. More than one-quarter (27%) are “Passive” Users and ideal targets to convert to Promoters.

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Question text: "NPS: How likely are you to recommend WordPress to friends, colleagues, or clients?”

158

NPS Score: 49

n=2030

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2019 NPS results among Others

The current NPS Score among Others (8) is higher compared to both 2016 (1) and 2017 (5). Nearly one-quarter (24%) are “Passive” and ideal targets to convert to Promoters.

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​

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Question text: "NPS: How likely are you to recommend WordPress to friends, colleagues, or clients?”

159

n=76

NPS Score: 8

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Appendix D:

Additional WordPress Community Contributor Data

160

Confidential

Contributor Location by Platform

Question text: "Where are you located?"

Use caution when interpreting the differences in proportions, as many of these results have low respondent counts.

161

Confidential

Contributor Location by Source Type

Question text: "Where are you located?"

Use caution when interpreting the differences in proportions, as many of these results have low respondent counts.

162