wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “auto widget”
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 widget”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 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
Auto Affiliate Links shows at wp.org #10 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 2K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.1★ average from 39 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397)
wp.org #1 2 
Rich Showcase for Google Reviews 100K+ · 4.9★ (1623)
wp.org #2 3 
Widget Options – Advanced Conditional Visibility for Gutenberg Blocks & Classic Widgets 100K+ · 4.9★ (1516)
wp.org #3 4 
Black Studio TinyMCE Widget 200K+ · 4.8★ (191)
wp.org #4 5 
Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962)
wp.org #7 2 too low 6 
SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle 400K+ · 4.9★ (134)
wp.org #5 1 too high 7 
LocoAI – Auto Translate for Loco Translate 70K+ · 4.9★ (642)
wp.org #8 1 too low 8 
Maps Widget for Google Maps 20K+ · 4.6★ (512)
wp.org #9 1 too low 9 
Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7520)
wp.org #11 2 too low 10 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322)
wp.org #13 3 too low 11 
Timeline Widget For Elementor (Elementor Timeline, Vertical & Horizontal Timeline) 70K+ · 4.8★ (248)
wp.org #12 1 too low 12 
List Custom Taxonomy Widget 8K+ · 4.7★ (21) thin reviews
wp.org #6 6 too high 13 
WPZOOM Connect: Social Icons Widget & Block, Share Buttons & Click to Chat 90K+ · 4.9★ (144)
wp.org #15 2 too low 14 
SchedulePress – Auto Post & Publish, Auto Social Share, Schedule Posts with Editorial Calendar & Missed Schedule Post Publisher 10K+ · 4.6★ (201)
wp.org #17 3 too low 15 
Currency Converter Widget 2K+ · 4.9★ (88)
wp.org #14 1 too high 16 
LiteSpeed Cache 7M+ · 4.8★ (2778)
wp.org #22 6 too low 17 
Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1667)
wp.org #21 4 too low 18 
Buttonizer – Social Media Share Buttons, Social Icons, & Social Feeds 40K+ · 4.8★ (396)
wp.org #24 6 too low 19 
HappyAddons for Elementor – 160 Elementor Widgets, GSAP Animations & Templates 400K+ · 4.8★ (489)
wp.org #23 4 too low 20 Auto Affiliate Links 2K+ · 4.1★ (39)
wp.org #10 10 too high 21 
Social Media Auto Poster – Schedule & Publish to Buffer 7K+ · 4.5★ (125)
wp.org #19 2 too high 22 
WP Telegram Widget and Join Link 4K+ · 4.9★ (31)
wp.org #16 6 too high 23 
Crypto Converter ⚡ Widget 1K+ · 4.6★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #20 3 too high 24 
RSS Feed Widget 2K+ · 3.9★ (26)
wp.org #18 6 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.