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← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “block category”

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 “block category”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 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

VK Block Patterns shows at wp.org #9 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 100K+ 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

PublishPress Blocks – Block Controls, Block Visibility, Block Permissions places #11 on merit, 4.7★ from 204 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.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Category Posts Block 40K+ · 4.5★ (79) wp.org #1 2 Spectra Legacy – Gutenberg Blocks 1M+ · 4.7★ (1872) wp.org #2 3 The Icon Block 40K+ · 5.0★ (29) wp.org #3 4 Kadence Blocks — Page Builder Toolkit for Gutenberg Editor 600K+ · 4.8★ (333) wp.org #4 ↑8 5 Carousel Slider Block for Gutenberg 50K+ · 4.8★ (59) wp.org #5 6 Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27821) wp.org #13 ↑4 7 too low 7 Product Category Slider & Grid for WooCommerce – Reno Product Category 9K+ · 4.8★ (91) wp.org #7 ↓3 8 Otter Blocks – Gutenberg Blocks, Page Builder for Gutenberg Editor & FSE 300K+ · 4.7★ (251) wp.org #11 ↓3 3 too low 9 Nexter Blocks – Gutenberg Blocks, Page Builder & AI Website Builder 9K+ · 4.8★ (90) wp.org #12 3 too low 10 Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page Builder for Gutenberg Blocks & Patterns 100K+ · 4.9★ (216) wp.org #17 7 too low 11 PublishPress Blocks – Block Controls, Block Visibility, Block Permissions 20K+ · 4.7★ (204) wp.org #20 ↑1 9 too low 12 Block Manager 4K+ · 4.9★ (13) wp.org #8 ↓1 4 too high 13 iQ Block Country 20K+ · 3.9★ (166) wp.org #21 ↓11 8 too low 14 Category Archives Block 900+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #6 8 too high 15 Spectra Blocks – AI Website Builder for the Block Editor 60K+ · 4.6★ (53) wp.org #24 9 too low 16 Button Block – Stylish buttons that get more clicks 5K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #10 ↑1 6 too high 17 Same Category Posts 3K+ · 4.7★ (13) wp.org #16 ↓1 1 too high 18 WP Media Category Management 6K+ · 4.7★ (35) wp.org #19 ↓1 1 too low 19 Highlighting Code Block 10K+ · 4.5★ (20) wp.org #23 ↓1 4 too low 20 Timeline Block For Gutenberg 9K+ · 4.4★ (11) wp.org #15 ↓1 5 too high 21 Timeline Block – tell your story with elegant timelines 3K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #18 ↓2 3 too high 22 VK Blocks 100K+ · 4.8★ (6) wp.org #22 ↓3 23 VK Block Patterns 100K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #9 14 too high 24 Category Filter Block 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 ↓1 10 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.