YAML

YAML is a human-readable format used to store configuration data and settings. Its name is a recursive acronym for “YAML Ain’t Markup Language,” poking fun at the fact that, unlike HTML, it’s not meant to structure documents.

What YAML Looks Like

site_name: My WordPress Site
theme: twentytwentyfive
plugins:
  - woocommerce
  - jetpack

Notice how clean and readable this is, using indentation instead of brackets or heavy punctuation. That readability is exactly why YAML is popular for configuration files.

Where It Shows Up Around WordPress

You’re more likely to encounter YAML in developer tooling around WordPress than in WordPress itself — things like deployment scripts, automated testing configurations, or hosting environment settings often use it.

As a typical site owner, you likely won’t need to write any YAML yourself, though you might see it mentioned in technical documentation for certain hosting or development tools.