Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “autocompletion”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 of the top 20. 5 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

Postcode.eu Address Validation shows at wp.org #4 but places #12 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 200+ 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

My Calendar – Accessible Event Manager places #7 on merit, 4.7★ from 159 reviews, but shows at wp.org #22. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 SiteOrigin CSS 100K+ · 4.9★ (153) wp.org #1 2 WP Console – WordPress PHP Console powered by PsySH 20K+ · 5.0★ (21) wp.org #2 3 WindPress – Tailwind CSS integration for WordPress 3K+ · 5.0★ (37) wp.org #3 ↑2 4 Calculated Fields Form – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact, Payment, Quote, Quiz & More 40K+ · 4.9★ (973) wp.org #7 3 too low 5 Site Search 360 300+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #5 ↓2 6 Leaflet Maps Marker (Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Bing Maps) 9K+ · 4.6★ (244) wp.org #13 ↓1 7 too low 7 My Calendar – Accessible Event Manager 20K+ · 4.7★ (159) wp.org #22 ↓1 15 too low 8 CoCart – Headless REST API for WooCommerce 900+ · 4.9★ (21) wp.org #8 ↑2 9 ELEX WooCommerce Address Validation & Google Address Autocomplete Plugin 700+ · 4.2★ (10) wp.org #9 10 Advanced Autocomplete Orders for WooCommerce – By HappyDevs 200+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #6 4 too high 11 Automatic Login 10+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #12 ↑1 1 too low 12 Postcode.eu Address Validation 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #4 8 too high 13 Store Locator Widget 300+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #11 2 too high 14 Postcode Checkout – Address Validation | WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 15 Lorem Ipsum – Block Editor Dummy Text Autocomplete 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 ↓2 5 too high 16 ImmoWP Estimation 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↓1 17 Postali — Códigos postales de México — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 ↓1 1 too low 18 Postcode Checkout – Address Validation | Contact form 7 — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 1 too low 19 TaxiAppli Réservations — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 2 too high 20 RedFox Added to Cart Popup for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓1 3 too low 21 CoCart – Rate Limiting 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓1 3 too low 22 Smart Address for WooCommerce 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 ↓1 1 too high 23 CoCart – Cart API Enhanced 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 ↑1 8 too high 24 CoCart CORS Support 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↓2 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.