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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “async background worker”

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 “async background worker”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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

PageScan – Bulk Performance Testing with Google PageSpeed Insights shows at wp.org #8 but places #13 on merit, a gap of 5 places. Its — 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

Modular DS: Monitor, update, and backup multiple websites places #6 on merit, 5.0★ from 133 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 ShortPixel Image Optimizer – Optimize Images, Convert WebP & AVIF 300K+ · 4.5★ (830) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 ActiveLayer Anti-Spam: Spam Protection for Forms & Comments 10K+ · 4.9★ (10) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 10Web Booster – Website speed optimization, Cache & Page Speed optimizer 60K+ · 4.6★ (405) wp.org #4 ↑1 1 too low 4 Easy Optimizer – PageSpeed, Cache & Core Web Vitals (Unused CSS, Delay JS, Lazy Load) 1K+ · 4.6★ (18) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 Site Reviews 60K+ · 4.9★ (376) wp.org #11 6 too low 6 Modular DS: Monitor, update, and backup multiple websites 40K+ · 5.0★ (133) wp.org #17 11 too low 7 Simply Static – The Static Site Generator 30K+ · 4.5★ (195) wp.org #16 9 too low 8 CapiFlow – Conversions API (CAPI) Tracking for WooCommerce 30+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #5 ↓1 3 too high 9 UltraCache – Cache and Speed Optimization 10+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #7 ↑1 2 too high 10 ووسلام – همگام سازی ووکامرس و باسلام 6K+ · 4.3★ (4) wp.org #6 4 too high 11 EZY.ai – AEO & AI SEO for ChatGPT, Claude & Gemini 100+ · 3.0★ (4) wp.org #10 1 too high 12 Flash Cache 20+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #9 ↓2 3 too high 13 PageScan – Bulk Performance Testing with Google PageSpeed Insights — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 ↑1 5 too high 14 Australcode Uniform Images – Product Image Resize Without Cropping for WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 2 too high 15 Nexora Media – Image Optimization — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 2 too high 16 Ask My Content – AI Search Chatbot 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 2 too high 17 Xenon Comment Review Agent — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 2 too low 18 Emerge Campaigns — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 3 too high 19 Aura Historia Partner Connect — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↓2 1 too low 20 Dynamic Functionalities 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓1 1 too low 21 VisitorType — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓1 2 too low 22 CloudScale Cyber & DevTools 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 4 too high 23 Smart Waitlist for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓1 1 too low 24 Sezzle Woocommerce Payment 1K+ · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↓1 2 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.