wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “admin log”
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 “admin log”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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
Admin login URL Change shows at wp.org #15 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 2K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
WP Mail SMTP by WPForms – SMTP for Reliable Email Delivery with Gmail, Outlook, Amazon SES, Brevo, Other SMTP & More places #11 on merit, 4.8★ from 5209 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #1 2 
WP Activity Log 300K+ · 4.7★ (490)
wp.org #3 1 too low 3 
Activity Log – Monitor User and Agent Changes 200K+ · 4.3★ (74)
wp.org #2 1 too high 4 
Simple History – Track, Log, and Audit WordPress Changes 300K+ · 4.9★ (491)
wp.org #6 2 too low 5 
Email Log 80K+ · 4.2★ (43)
wp.org #4 1 too high 6 
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint
wp.org #9 3 too low 7 
WP Mail Log 10K+ · 4.9★ (66)
wp.org #8 1 too low 8 
Post SMTP – Complete Email Delivery and SMTP Solution with Email Logs, Alerts, Backup SMTP & Mobile App 300K+ · 4.7★ (528)
wp.org #13 ↓1 5 too low 9 
Debug Log Manager – Conveniently Monitor and Inspect Errors 10K+ · 5.0★ (25)
wp.org #7 2 too high 10 
Log Emails 6K+ · 5.0★ (11) thin reviews
wp.org #5 5 too high 11 WP Mail SMTP by WPForms – SMTP for Reliable Email Delivery with Gmail, Outlook, Amazon SES, Brevo, Other SMTP & More 4M+ · 4.8★ (5209)
wp.org #21 ↑1 10 too low 12 E Error Log Monitor 20K+ · 4.3★ (48)
wp.org #11 ↓1 1 too high 13 
Log cleaner for Kadence Security 7K+ · 5.0★ (22) thin reviews
wp.org #10 ↑3 3 too high 14 
Admin Custom Login 10K+ · 4.6★ (388)
wp.org #22 ↓1 8 too low 15 
404 to 301 – Redirect Manager, 301 Redirection, 404 Error Logs & 404 Monitoring 100K+ · 4.7★ (321)
wp.org #23 8 too low 16 
Controlled Admin Access 10K+ · 4.8★ (45)
wp.org #16 17 
View Admin As 9K+ · 4.9★ (49)
wp.org #17 18 
Activity Log Pro – User Activity Log, Audit Log & Security Monitor 400+ · 5.0★ (15) thin reviews
wp.org #14 ↑1 4 too high 19 
Check & Log Email – Easy Email Testing & Mail logging 90K+ · 4.8★ (292) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #24 5 too low 20 
Debug Log Manager Tool 3K+ · 5.0★ (22) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #12 ↓1 8 too high 21 
Admin Notices Manager 10K+ · 4.9★ (21) thin reviews
wp.org #20 ↓1 1 too high 22 
Admin Bar Editor – Toolbar Customization with User Role based access & Custom menus 3K+ · 4.4★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #18 4 too high 23 R REST API Log 5K+ · 3.6★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↑1 4 too high 24 Admin login URL Change 2K+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #15 ↓1 9 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.