wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “auto menu”
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 “auto menu”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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
Auto Update Post Date shows at wp.org #11 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 2K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
LocoAI – Auto Translate for Loco Translate places #9 on merit, 4.9★ from 642 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.
Admin Menu Editor 300K+ · 4.6★ (312)
wp.org #1 2 
Max Mega Menu 300K+ · 4.8★ (882)
wp.org #2 ↑1 3 
Nav Menu Roles 70K+ · 4.9★ (219)
wp.org #3 ↑3 4 
WP Mobile Menu – The Mobile-Friendly Responsive Menu 70K+ · 4.7★ (256)
wp.org #4 ↓2 5 
Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397)
wp.org #5 6 
WP2Social Auto Publish 9K+ · 4.8★ (640)
wp.org #7 1 too low 7 
WP Responsive Menu 30K+ · 4.3★ (100)
wp.org #6 ↓2 1 too high 8 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #13 ↑2 5 too low 9 LocoAI – Auto Translate for Loco Translate 70K+ · 4.9★ (642)
wp.org #20 ↓11 11 too low 10 
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #18 ↑5 8 too low 11 
WP Twitter Auto Publish 3K+ · 4.9★ (206)
wp.org #19 ↑2 8 too low 12 
Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408)
wp.org #23 11 too low 13 W WP Auto Updater 7K+ · 4.6★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #8 5 too high 14 
Auto Submenu 2K+ · 4.0★ (25)
wp.org #10 ↑1 4 too high 15 
Social Media Auto Publish 5K+ · 4.7★ (345) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #21 ↓2 6 too low 16 
Food Menu – Restaurant Menu & Online Ordering for WooCommerce 2K+ · 5.0★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #16 ↑1 17 
Auto Affiliate Links 2K+ · 4.1★ (39)
wp.org #14 ↓1 3 too high 18 
Auto Alt Text 4K+ · 5.0★ (8) thin reviews
wp.org #9 ↑1 9 too high 19 
Fullscreen Menu 1K+ · 4.7★ (14) thin reviews
wp.org #15 ↑1 4 too high 20 
Auto Hide Admin Bar 3K+ · 4.8★ (32)
wp.org #24 4 too low 21 
Automatically Hierarchic Categories in Menu 2K+ · 4.6★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #17 ↑1 4 too high 22 
Menu Visibility Control 700+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #12 ↑2 10 too high 23 Auto Update Post Date 2K+ · 5.0★ (2) not PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #11 ↑1 12 too high 24 
auto-post.io 200+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #22 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.