wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “affiliate window”

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 “affiliate window”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 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

DevDome Affiliate Manager: Amazon Affiliate Plugin for Amazon Associates shows at wp.org #5 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its 300+ 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

Shortcodes Ultimate – Content Elements places #10 on merit, 4.9★ from 5925 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.

merit plugin signals wp.org

PrettyLinks – Affiliate Link Management, URL Shortener, Link Cloaking, Tracking & Branded Short Links 200K+ · 4.8★ (1322) wp.org #1 2

External Links – nofollow, noopener & new window 90K+ · 4.3★ (247) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #2 3

Auto Affiliate Links 2K+ · 4.1★ (39) wp.org #3 4

Books Gallery – Book Showcase, Library & Affiliate Plugin 2K+ · 4.8★ (92) wp.org #7 3 too low 5

WC Affiliate – WooCommerce Affiliate Plugin 300+ · 4.6★ (16) thin reviews wp.org #4 1 too high 6

All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720) wp.org #13 7 too low 7

Email Marketing for WooCommerce by Omnisend 40K+ · 4.9★ (169) wp.org #12 5 too low 8

URL Shortify – Simple and Easy URL Shortener 10K+ · 4.7★ (169) wp.org #17 ↑1 9 too low 9

Affiliate Super Assistent 1K+ · 4.6★ (36) wp.org #10 ↓1 1 too low 10

Shortcodes Ultimate – Content Elements 400K+ · 4.9★ (5925) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #21 11 too low 11

Product Gallery Slider, Additional Variation Images, Product Video, Product Image Zoom and Lightbox for WooCommerce – Reno Product Gallery (formerly WooGallery) 20K+ · 4.9★ (162) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #14 3 too low 12

WP Coupons and Deals – WordPress Coupon Plugin 1K+ · 4.7★ (125) wp.org #20 8 too low 13

Affiliate Sales in Google Analytics and other tools 1K+ · 4.8★ (12) thin reviews wp.org #8 5 too high 14

Subscriptions for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.5★ (180) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #16 ↓1 2 too low 15

Datafeedr WooCommerce Importer 4K+ · 4.8★ (38) wp.org #18 ↓1 3 too low 16

Affiliates for WooCommerce – Affiliate Program, Referral Tracking & Commission Payouts 300+ · 5.0★ (8) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #6 10 too high 17

PDF & Print by BestWebSoft – WordPress Posts and Pages PDF Generator Plugin 9K+ · 3.9★ (102) wp.org #19 2 too low 18 O Open in New Window Plugin 2K+ · 4.8★ (16) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #24 ↓3 6 too low 19

Datafeedr API 4K+ · 4.0★ (13) thin reviews wp.org #23 ↓1 4 too low 20

Amazing Affiliates – Toolkit for Amazon Associates with Amazon Product Blocks and Amazon PAAPI5 / Creators API integration 600+ · 5.0★ (3) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #9 ↑2 11 too high 21

DevDome Affiliate Manager: Amazon Affiliate Plugin for Amazon Associates 300+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews wp.org #5 16 too high 22

External Links Manager – Open new window in a new tab + nofollow, noreferrer 50+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews wp.org #15 ↑1 7 too high 23

MyFeeds — Affiliate Product Feed Importer & Shoppable Product Cards 10+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #22 1 too high 24

Awin – Advertiser Tracking for WooCommerce 1K+ · 3.0★ (3) thin reviews wp.org #11 ↓1 13 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.