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

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 “algolia”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 16 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

Jane Menu shows at wp.org #6 but places #13 on merit, a gap of 7 places. Its 200+ installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

YARPP – Yet Another Related Posts Plugin places #4 on merit, 4.8★ from 1165 reviews, but shows at wp.org #20. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27821) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 WP Search with Algolia 7K+ · 4.5★ (24) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 Simply Static – The Static Site Generator 30K+ · 4.5★ (195) wp.org #3 4 YARPP – Yet Another Related Posts Plugin 100K+ · 4.8★ (1165) wp.org #20 ↓2 16 too low 5 Search with Typesense 700+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #14 ↓1 9 too low 6 SwiftSearch for Typesense 10+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #7 ↓2 1 too low 7 Popular Brand Icons – Simple Icons 3K+ · 4.7★ (10) wp.org #15 8 too low 8 AI Search for WooCommerce — Semantic & Live Search 80+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #17 ↓1 9 too low 9 Seekmodo Search — · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #23 ↓2 14 too low 10 SwiftSearch for Algolia — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #4 ↑2 6 too high 11 I Index on Algolia 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #5 ↓1 6 too high 12 Sieve – Faceted Filter for WooCommerce — · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #9 ↓1 3 too high 13 Jane Menu 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 7 too high 14 Lost Search Result Tracker 10+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #18 ↓1 4 too low 15 W WLC Search Integration with Algolia — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 ↓1 7 too high 16 JonnyAD SEO – Meta Tags, Schema & Sitemaps — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 6 too high 17 Karma Docs – Documentation & Knowledge Base — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 6 too high 18 Neuroon Search — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 ↓2 6 too high 19 Search Support For WPML with Algolia 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 ↓1 6 too high 20 Search with Algolia Instantsearch Blocks 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↓2 4 too high 21 Hubu Panel — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 22 S Search with Algolia Headless extention — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↓3 23 Semple Sites Deploy — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 4 too high 24 S Search with Algolia Bogo extension — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓4

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.