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← Rankings

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

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 “ancestors”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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

AP Family Trees shows at wp.org #10 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 30+ 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

Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) places #5 on merit, 4.9★ from 8869 reviews, but shows at wp.org #24. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 bbPress 100K+ · 3.9★ (343) wp.org #1 2 Breadcrumb NavXT 800K+ · 4.6★ (132) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 VK Blocks 100K+ · 4.8★ (6) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 RootsPersona 400+ · 4.6★ (17) wp.org #6 ↑1 2 too low 5 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #24 19 too low 6 WPSSO Schema Breadcrumbs Markup 300+ · 4.9★ (19) wp.org #9 3 too low 7 VK All in One Expansion Unit 100K+ · 4.0★ (7) wp.org #4 3 too high 8 Genealogical Tree – Family Tree & Ancestry for WordPress 600+ · 4.1★ (16) wp.org #8 9 WP Anti-Clickjack 3K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #5 4 too high 10 Purify WP Menus 200+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #11 ↓1 1 too low 11 C Custom Post Type Parents 900+ · 4.0★ (6) wp.org #7 ↓1 4 too high 12 GedShow 200+ · 4.6★ (8) wp.org #18 ↑2 6 too low 13 Folderly 40+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #13 14 Markdown for Agents and Statistics 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 2 too high 15 Hanu Malware Guard — · 4.5★ (2) wp.org #21 6 too low 16 AP Family Trees 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 ↑1 6 too high 17 GeneaCanvas GEDCOM Family Tree 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 3 too high 18 KB HTML Site Importer & Visual Editor 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 3 too high 19 AdsDestroyer – clean admin panel & white label 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↑2 3 too high 20 Kakunin Modal for Contact Form 7 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↓1 3 too high 21 Murls Discounts – Flexible Discounts for WooCommerce 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓2 2 too high 22 53mp – Add Menu Items Easier — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 23 Ruigehond embed — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 24 Hide Current Page From Menu – Advanced — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 ↓1 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.