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

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 “blur”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 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

Nice page transition shows at wp.org #9 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 500+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.2★ average from 6 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Portfolio Filter Gallery – Photo Gallery places #10 on merit, 4.8★ from 348 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 Maintenance 1M+ · 4.4★ (869) wp.org #1 2 Sticky Header Effects for Elementor 300K+ · 4.5★ (69) wp.org #2 3 Variation Swatches for WooCommerce – Color, Image & Size Swatches 200K+ · 4.6★ (51) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Logo Carousel – Responsive Logo Slider, Logo Showcase, and Clients Logo Gallery 20K+ · 4.7★ (162) wp.org #8 4 too low 5 Floating Chat Widget: Contact Chat Icons, Telegram Chat, Line Messenger, WeChat, Email, SMS, Call Button – Chaty 300K+ · 5.0★ (1244) wp.org #12 ↑1 7 too low 6 HappyAddons for Elementor – 160 Elementor Widgets, GSAP Animations & Templates 400K+ · 4.8★ (489) wp.org #6 ↑2 7 Variation Swatches for WooCommerce 8K+ · 4.9★ (86) wp.org #5 ↑2 2 too high 8 Jeg Kit for Elementor – Powerful Addons for Elementor, Widgets & Templates for WordPress 300K+ · 3.8★ (79) wp.org #3 5 too high 9 Variation Swatches for WooCommerce 9K+ · 4.7★ (55) wp.org #11 ↑6 2 too low 10 Portfolio Filter Gallery – Photo Gallery 20K+ · 4.8★ (348) wp.org #20 10 too low 11 Image Hover Effects – Elementor Addon 40K+ · 4.9★ (83) wp.org #17 ↓1 6 too low 12 Code Block Pro – Beautiful Syntax Highlighting 10K+ · 4.8★ (50) wp.org #14 ↓1 2 too low 13 Variation Swatches for WooCommerce 300K+ · 4.8★ (926) wp.org #18 5 too low 14 Swatchly – Product Variation Swatches for WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.5★ (29) wp.org #19 ↑1 5 too low 15 Blur Text 100+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #7 8 too high 16 Variation Swatches for WooCommerce 50K+ · 3.7★ (59) wp.org #22 6 too low 17 Logo Showcase – Logo Slider, Carousel & Sponsors Gallery 900+ · 4.2★ (10) wp.org #10 ↓1 7 too high 18 WCBoost – Variation Swatches 40K+ · 4.8★ (5) wp.org #15 ↓4 3 too high 19 YITH WooCommerce Product Gallery & Image Zoom 10K+ · 3.6★ (71) wp.org #21 ↓4 2 too low 20 Nice page transition 500+ · 4.2★ (6) wp.org #9 ↓2 11 too high 21 Loginfy – Custom Login Page Customizer 2K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #23 ↓1 2 too low 22 Sticky Elementor – Sticky Header, Menu Color After Sticky, Logo Swap & Back to Top Button 600+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 ↓3 9 too high 23 Image Protection 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #16 ↓4 7 too high 24 OffCanvas / Drawer – add sleek slide-in panels to any page 900+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24 ↓9

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.