Preparation

The starting point of your transformation

Select your master ZIP — a DEV version of your plugin containing the [PRO] logic tags. Before uploading, make sure the correct project is selected in the ACTIVE PROJECT dropdown: JubelBuild uses the active dataset (plugin name, slug, author, Freemius ID) as the source for the whole build. New project? Open ⚙️ Project Manager to create one or generate a DEV from template.

Technical analysis

After selection, JubelBuild performs a deep scan of the file headers and identifies:

• The current version number in the main PHP file.
• The internal plugin slug, based on the folder structure.
• The integrity of the ZIP archive, for a stable transformation.

This phase ensures that every subsequent step is based on verified metadata of your source code.

DEV identification

JubelBuild accepts DEV versions only. A DEV plugin must meet all of these:

• Plugin Name contains "DEV" — e.g. Plugin Name: MyPlugin DEV.
• Text Domain ends with -dev — e.g. Text Domain: myplugin-dev.
• Folder inside the ZIP uses the slug with a -dev suffix — e.g. myplugin-dev/.

ZIP naming convention — all archives JubelBuild produces follow this scheme (hyphens instead of dots so the .zip extension is always recognised):

DEV:  {slug}-dev-{major}-{minor}-{patch}.zip    e.g. whoismember-dev-1-4-6.zip
PRO:  {slug}-pro-{major}-{minor}-{patch}.zip    e.g. whoismember-pro-1-4-6.zip
FREE: {slug}-free-{major}-{minor}-{patch}.zip   e.g. whoismember-free-1-4-6.zip

Convert to DEV & download

Have an existing PRO or FREE ZIP that isn't in DEV format yet? JubelBuild can convert it automatically (the button appears when a valid Developer Key session is active). On conversion it:

• Reads the plugin header and strips any -pro / -free suffix from the slug.
• Adds " DEV" to the Plugin Name and sets the Text Domain to {slug}-dev.
• Renames the main PHP file to {slug}.php and the folder to {slug}-dev/.
• Produces a new {slug}-dev-{version}.zip with a download link.

The slug is always derived from the ZIP's Text Domain header (not the active dataset) — so converting addons that don't match the active project still works correctly. You can also create a DEV manually: edit the header (add " DEV", change the text domain to -dev), rename the folder to {slug}-dev/, repack and upload.