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

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 “arrangement”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 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

Enable CORS shows at wp.org #12 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 5K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.7★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Events Shortcodes For The Events Calendar places #10 on merit, 4.9★ from 214 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 wp.org
1 Rearrange Products for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.6★ (58) wp.org #1 2 The Post Grid – Shortcode, Gutenberg Blocks and Elementor Addon for Post Grid 100K+ · 4.8★ (265) wp.org #2 ↑1 3 Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed – Easy Social Feeds Plugin 1M+ · 4.9★ (4358) wp.org #4 ↓2 1 too low 4 Weight Based Shipping for WooCommerce 50K+ · 4.6★ (83) wp.org #3 ↑1 1 too high 5 Stackable – Page Builder Gutenberg Blocks 100K+ · 4.9★ (522) wp.org #8 3 too low 6 Custom Product tabs for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.9★ (48) wp.org #5 1 too high 7 WPC Smart Wishlist for WooCommerce 100K+ · 4.8★ (34) wp.org #6 1 too high 8 Blog Filter – Post Grid Filter by Category or Tag 7K+ · 4.9★ (81) wp.org #10 ↑2 2 too low 9 Photo Gallery by Ays – Responsive Image Gallery 1K+ · 4.8★ (19) wp.org #7 2 too high 10 Events Shortcodes For The Events Calendar 10K+ · 4.9★ (214) wp.org #21 ↓2 11 too low 11 YITH WooCommerce Product Add-Ons 20K+ · 3.7★ (57) wp.org #9 2 too high 12 WP Multi Network 100+ · 4.3★ (24) wp.org #11 ↓1 1 too high 13 Bus Ticket Booking with Seat Reservation 700+ · 4.9★ (41) wp.org #18 5 too low 14 WPCafe – Restaurant Menu, Online Food Ordering & Table Booking System 5K+ · 4.6★ (113) wp.org #23 9 too low 15 Animated Live Wall Gallery 1K+ · 4.4★ (14) wp.org #13 2 too high 16 Coupzy Coupon Box for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.6★ (37) wp.org #24 8 too low 17 WRC Pricing Tables – Responsive CSS3 Pricing Tables 1K+ · 4.2★ (36) wp.org #20 ↑1 3 too low 18 Advanced Post Block – Display Your Posts Exactly How You Want 10K+ · 4.2★ (17) wp.org #22 4 too low 19 WP Counter Up – Animated Number Counter & Milestone Showcase 1K+ · 4.0★ (5) wp.org #14 ↑2 5 too high 20 Easy!Appointments 500+ · 4.4★ (5) wp.org #19 ↑1 1 too high 21 Sheet Music Libary 100+ · 4.3★ (4) wp.org #17 4 too high 22 Enable CORS 5K+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #12 ↓1 10 too high 23 Pi – Shipping method dropdown for WooCommerce 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #15 ↓1 8 too high 24 Bizzview – Quick View for WooCommerce 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #16 ↓1 8 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.