What's included in item support

The item support period

A supported item includes item support for 6 months from the purchase date. During those 6 months, the author is expected to be available to provide the item support services we’ve set out on this page. Response times by authors can vary depending on the volume of inquiries, the nature of the request, and whether questions have already been answered or support has already been provided (see ‘fair-use’ later on).

If you’re about to purchase the item, you’ll have the option to purchase extended item support, increasing the item support period up to a maximum of 12 months from the date of purchase.

Answering questions about how to use the item

During the item support period, the author is expected to be available to answer your general questions about the item and how to use it. For example, how do I get my homepage to look like the one in the preview? The response to this type of question can come in various formats including directing you to an already documented response (e.g. in the comments or FAQs).

Answering technical questions about the item (and included third party assets)

During the item support period the author is expected to be available to:

  • Answer your specific questions about the features and functionality of the item
  • Provide some guidance on the way the item is designed
  • Help you with issues related to using the item and getting the most value out of its functionality.
  • Answer questions about third party assets or functionality (e.g. plug-ins) bundled with the item, such as how they work and other technical questions.

Help with defects in the item or included third party assets

During the item support period, you can report and discuss bugs and minor item defects with the author, and authors are expected to be available to assist you with reported bugs. If appropriate, authors may issue bug fixes directly to you as part of item support. (If an author decides to address a bug fix through a general version update, that update will be available to all buyers.)

A supported item may include third party functionality or items from other authors such as plugins, image sliders or contact forms. During the item support period, the author is expected to be available to assist with questions about third party assets, and to either help you to address particular issues with the third party asset or direct you to where you can find the solution.

Item updates to ensure ongoing compatibility and to resolve security vulnerabilities

If a supported item includes a third party asset (e.g., a plugin), or is intended to work with third party software or platforms (e.g. a CMS), authors are expected to ensure the item remains compatible if the software or platform version is updated. This includes if the third party asset has a security update. Item updates of this type will generally be delivered as version updates available to all buyers. Choosing a supported item (or upgrading to extended support) ensures you’re getting an item that’s backed by the author, and enables our authors to maintain their items in these ways.