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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “add php”

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 “add php”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20. 3 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

PHP Version shows at wp.org #5 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 17 places. Its 6K+ 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.

Buried gem

Table Field Add-on for ACF and SCF places #8 on merit, 4.9★ from 60 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Insert PHP Code Snippet 90K+ · 4.9★ (707) wp.org #1 ↑1 2 WPCode – Insert Headers and Footers + Custom Code Snippets – WordPress Code Manager 3M+ · 4.9★ (1916) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Woody Code Snippets – Insert PHP, CSS, JS, and Header/Footer Scripts 50K+ · 4.5★ (221) wp.org #2 ↓1 1 too high 4 Code Snippets 1M+ · 4.7★ (510) wp.org #4 5 FluentSnippets – High-Performance Code Snippets, Header & Footer Code, Custom CSS & PHP Code Manager 50K+ · 4.7★ (78) wp.org #6 1 too low 6 Ajax add to cart for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.7★ (78) wp.org #8 2 too low 7 AddToAny Share Buttons 300K+ · 4.7★ (1114) wp.org #15 ↑1 8 too low 8 Table Field Add-on for ACF and SCF 50K+ · 4.9★ (60) wp.org #17 9 too low 9 Native PHP Sessions 10K+ · 4.9★ (16) wp.org #11 ↓1 2 too low 10 A Add MIME Types 50K+ · 4.2★ (25) wp.org #10 ↑1 11 Easy PHP Settings 1K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #7 4 too high 12 Add Customer for WooCommerce 1K+ · 5.0★ (12) wp.org #14 2 too low 13 Custom PHP Settings 10K+ · 4.4★ (15) wp.org #16 ↓2 3 too low 14 Contact Form 7 – PayPal & Stripe Add-on 7K+ · 4.2★ (125) wp.org #24 ↓1 10 too low 15 PHP Compatibility Checker 200K+ · 2.7★ (131) wp.org #18 ↓3 3 too low 16 Add Custom Codes – Insert Header, Footer, Custom PHP Snippets, CSS, Javascript 1K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #9 7 too high 17 Re-Add Text Justify Button 20K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #12 5 too high 18 YITH WooCommerce Product Add-Ons 20K+ · 3.7★ (57) wp.org #20 ↓2 2 too low 19 Add From Server Lite 4K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #13 6 too high 20 Add as Preferred Source on Google 800+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #21 ↓1 1 too low 21 Custom Add to Cart labels for WooCommerce 5K+ · 3.9★ (14) wp.org #23 ↓2 2 too low 22 PHP Version 6K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #5 17 too high 23 A Add Password Field for Contact Form 7 3K+ · 4.6★ (5) wp.org #19 ↓2 4 too high 24 PHP Vitals 300+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↓3 2 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.