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

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 “blackout”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20. 3 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

Date Filters, Date Picker & Unique IDs for Gravity Forms – Hero Add-On shows at wp.org #8 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 7 places. Its 70+ 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

Advanced Local Pickup for WooCommerce – Click & Collect, In-Store Pickup places #3 on merit, 4.7★ from 55 reviews, but shows at wp.org #7. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, Appointments and more! 60K+ · 4.2★ (551) wp.org #1 2 Simply Schedule Appointments 50K+ · 5.0★ (155) wp.org #2 ↑2 3 Advanced Local Pickup for WooCommerce – Click & Collect, In-Store Pickup 3K+ · 4.7★ (55) wp.org #7 ↑1 4 too low 4 Advanced Datepicker – Restrict Date for Elementor Forms 900+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #3 ↓1 1 too high 5 Date Picker For Contact Form 7 4K+ · 3.9★ (7) wp.org #4 ↓1 1 too high 6 Product Delivery Date for WooCommerce – Lite 1K+ · 4.1★ (13) wp.org #9 3 too low 7 Easy Age Verify 1K+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #6 1 too high 8 AI Blackout – Block AI Crawlers & Stop AI Training 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #5 3 too high 9 Maps for WP 300+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #13 4 too low 10 Slotora Delivery Scheduler for WooCommerce 80+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 1 too low 11 Redact — Blackout & Erasure Poetry — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 1 too low 12 Delivery & Pickup Date Time Scheduler for WooCommerce 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 2 too high 13 Contact Form Migrator from Gravity Forms to Formidable 300+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #18 5 too low 14 Bookvatio — · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #24 10 too low 15 Date Filters, Date Picker & Unique IDs for Gravity Forms – Hero Add-On 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 ↓1 7 too high 16 G Go Dark 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 1 too low 17 Dreamfoxmedia Delivery Date & Timeslot for WooCommerce 10+ · 3.6★ (5) wp.org #21 4 too low 18 Delivery Date & Time Slot Picker for WooCommerce — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 4 too high 19 ShipperHQ: Shipping & Checkout Experience Solution 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↑1 20 AICOSO Pickup and Delivery Date Time for WooCommerce — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 5 too high 21 Bookingor – Booking System and Appointment Booking Calendar, Meeting Scheduling & WooCommerce 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #16 5 too high 22 RMH Distance Master for WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 23 WPGrock Appointment Booking — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 ↓1 3 too high 24 Delivery Date for WooCommerce – Local Delivery Scheduler & Shipping Calendar by KrishnaDas — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #23 1 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.