ABOUT
Code in WordPress core. Plugins on 20,000+ sites. A free community for WordPress people. A camera on every build.
I’m Ankit Panchal, from Pune, India. I’ve been building on WordPress since 2013. My first contribution was a German translation fix. Since then my name has landed in the credits of 15 of the last 18 WordPress releases, from 5.4 to 7.1, and I contribute across Core, Core AI, Community, Polyglots, CLI, Photos and Test.
I maintain 8 plugins on WordPress.org. Together they have passed 930,000 downloads and run on 20,000+ active sites, led by Hide Admin Bar Based on User Roles, which has been shipping since 2018. In September 2026 I made every module of UltimaKit for WP free.
In April 2026 I founded WPFolks, a free, ad-free community platform for WordPress people. Six months in: 1,375+ folks in about 50 countries, an iPhone app, 270 roadmap items shipped by member vote, and media-partner roles at WordCamp Bengaluru and Delhi.
On AnkitMakes I film what I build, with the real numbers on screen, including the ones that drop.
One goal: help more people ship on WordPress.
THE PATH SO FAR
Thirteen years on WordPress.
2013
First contribution
A Gujarati translation fix. The first of many small ones.
2014
Started building plugins
First plugin on WordPress.org. The beginning of what eventually became eight plugins and 2M+ downloads.
2016
First WordCamp
Attended my first WordCamp in Pune. Started showing up in person to the community.
2020
First contribution to WordPress core (5.4)
Credited as a Core Contributor for WordPress 5.4. The start of 14 consecutive release contributions through 7.0.
2020
Plugin downloads cross 1 million
Page Visit Counter Analytics + other plugins crosses one million downloads. Plugin work scales to commercial.
2024
UltimaKit for WP and Like Dislike for WP ship
The plugin count reaches eight.
2025
Table lead, WordCamp Pokhara; first WordCamp talk
From attendee to contributor-day lead and speaker.
2026
WPFolks, WordCamp US, the camera
Founded WPFolks in April. Organized WordCamp US 2026 on the Website team. Shipped the WPFolks iPhone app in September, made UltimaKit free, and pushed six plugin releases in one afternoon. Started filming it all on AnkitMakes.
13+
Years on WordPress
15
Core releases credited
2M+
Plugin downloads
32+
WordCamps attended
RIGHT NOW
What I am building today.
Shipping WPFolks every week from the member-voted roadmap, with the Android app next. Testing all 8 plugins against WordPress 7.2 ahead of its December release. Covering WordCamp Bengaluru and WordCamp Delhi as WPFolks’ media partner. And filming every Wednesday for AnkitMakes, starting 28 October.
BEYOND WORK
Outside the editor.
I split my time between Pune and Ahmedabad. When I’m not coding I’m driving my Jimny, planning the next trip to Ladakh, or trying to grow vegetables. Gujarati is my first language. English is the one I write code in.
Want to work together?
Send a short note about what you are building. I read every message.