wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “advanced filter”
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 “advanced filter”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20.
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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.
Ranked above its merit
Advanced Import shows at wp.org #10 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 80K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.4★ average from 7 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Advanced Database Cleaner – Optimize & Clean Database to Speed Up Site Performance places #7 on merit, 4.9★ from 1962 reviews, but shows at wp.org #11. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) 2M+ · 4.5★ (1440)
wp.org #1 ↑2 2 
Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27820)
wp.org #2 ↓1 3 
Advanced Ads – Ad Manager & AdSense 90K+ · 4.9★ (1463)
wp.org #3 ↓1 4 
Advanced Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce 70K+ · 4.5★ (355)
wp.org #4 ↑1 5 
HUSKY – Products Filter for WooCommerce Professional. MCP is onboard 80K+ · 4.6★ (337)
wp.org #7 ↓1 2 too low 6 
ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051)
wp.org #8 2 too low 7 Advanced Database Cleaner – Optimize & Clean Database to Speed Up Site Performance 100K+ · 4.9★ (1962)
wp.org #11 ↓1 4 too low 8 
YMC Filter 4K+ · 4.8★ (34)
wp.org #5 ↓1 3 too high 9 
Category AJAX Filter – Posts, Custom Post Types & Product Filter 6K+ · 4.9★ (158)
wp.org #9 10 
Advanced IP Blocker 3K+ · 4.9★ (27)
wp.org #6 ↑1 4 too high 11 
Advanced Product Fields (Product Addons) for WooCommerce 50K+ · 4.8★ (284)
wp.org #14 3 too low 12 
Advanced AJAX Product Filters 50K+ · 4.7★ (387)
wp.org #15 3 too low 13 
Search & Filter 40K+ · 4.5★ (175)
wp.org #12 1 too high 14 
Portfolio Filter Gallery – Photo Gallery 20K+ · 4.8★ (348)
wp.org #17 ↓1 3 too low 15 
Blog Filter – Post Grid Filter by Category or Tag 7K+ · 4.9★ (81)
wp.org #13 2 too high 16 
Advanced Free Shipping for WooCommerce 40K+ · 4.8★ (122)
wp.org #16 17 
Advanced Woo Search – Product Search for WooCommerce 60K+ · 4.8★ (248)
wp.org #23 ↓1 6 too low 18 A Advanced Excerpt 80K+ · 4.3★ (101)
wp.org #21 3 too low 19 
Advanced iFrame 40K+ · 4.4★ (54)
wp.org #19 20 
Advanced Query Loop 6K+ · 4.6★ (30)
wp.org #22 2 too low 21 
Filter Gallery 3K+ · 4.6★ (22) thin reviews
wp.org #18 3 too high 22 Advanced Import 80K+ · 4.4★ (7) thin reviews
wp.org #10 ↑1 12 too high 23 
reGenerate Thumbnails Advanced 60K+ · 3.2★ (59)
wp.org #24 1 too low 24 
Advanced Popups 60K+ · 4.0★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #20 4 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.