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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “abstracts”

wp.org orders by popularity, so a plugin a host bundled onto millions of sites, or a big-brand one that's slow and mediocre, can sit at the top. Our ranking is built to answer a different question: which of these is actually worth installing. How this works →

For “abstracts”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 5 of the top 20. 2 plugins are pushed down for signals wp.org ignores: errors, a host-installed base, or removal risk.

wp.org search ranks on

Install count (uncapped), the raw star average, freshness, and support. Popularity dominates, so the biggest install base usually wins regardless of how it got there.

We add

A cap on the install boost, volume-weighted ratings, and signals wp.org can't see: whether it throws errors on current PHP, whether the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

EV Puzzles shows at wp.org #18 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 5 places. Its 10+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

merit plugin wp.org
1 WP Abstracts 300+ · 4.8★ (36) wp.org #1 2 Colibri Page Builder 80K+ · 4.4★ (80) wp.org #2 3 I Insert Pages 30K+ · 4.8★ (71) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Gift Cards (Gift Vouchers and Packages) (WooCommerce Supported) 1K+ · 4.7★ (115) wp.org #7 3 too low 5 WP ImageViewer 700+ · 4.9★ (10) wp.org #3 2 too high 6 Head Meta Data 10K+ · 4.8★ (19) wp.org #5 ↑1 1 too high 7 Product Generator for WooCommerce 300+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #6 ↓1 1 too high 8 Version Info – Server Health Monitor, PHP & MySQL Version Display, Environment Indicators 10K+ · 5.0★ (15) wp.org #13 5 too low 9 CP Related Posts 100+ · 3.4★ (10) wp.org #8 1 too high 10 Forms Bridge – Infinite integrations 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #9 1 too high 11 PixMagix – WordPress Image Editor 200+ · 4.5★ (4) wp.org #11 12 All QR Pay for WooCommerce 90+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 2 too high 13 Scholar Publications Fetcher 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 1 too low 14 Abstract One CRM Form Integration — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 2 too high 15 SimplyConf 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 1 too low 16 Posts Bridge – Remote CMS 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 1 too high 17 Abstract Box — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↑1 3 too low 18 Citrus 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↑1 4 too low 19 D DOI Creator 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓5 4 too low 20 Bitcoin News 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 ↑1 1 too high 21 GunTab Payment Gateway 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 4 too high 22 HI Theme Toolkit — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24 2 too low 23 EV Puzzles 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 ↑1 5 too high 24 [凹凸曼]微信分享有图-WeChat Page Sharing 100+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #21 ↑1 3 too high

Merit ranking caps the install boost at 1M (wp.org leaves it uncapped), replaces the raw star average with a volume-weighted Bayesian score and a Wilson lower bound, and keeps wp.org's own freshness and compatibility decays. Method from the plugin-directory source; see Meta Trac #8298. Positions are tracked daily from the first visit to a keyword, so the small arrows show movement since tracking began.