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

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 “clicky”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 of the top 20. 6 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

Includer shows at wp.org #18 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 1.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Easy WP SMTP – WordPress SMTP and Email Logs: Gmail SMTP, Office 365, Outlook, Custom SMTP, and more places #5 on merit, 4.6★ from 707 reviews, but shows at wp.org #12. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1658) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 Clicky Analytics 10K+ · 4.5★ (25) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 Header Footer Code Manager 600K+ · 4.9★ (309) wp.org #3 4 Independent Analytics – WordPress Analytics Plugin 100K+ · 4.8★ (166) wp.org #4 5 Easy WP SMTP – WordPress SMTP and Email Logs: Gmail SMTP, Office 365, Outlook, Custom SMTP, and more 500K+ · 4.6★ (707) wp.org #12 7 too low 6 Trace My IP – Visitor IP Tracker, Stats Analytics & Page Views Counter with Email Alerts 1K+ · 4.5★ (21) wp.org #6 7 Clicky by Yoast 4K+ · 4.8★ (11) wp.org #9 2 too low 8 DSGVO All in one for WP 10K+ · 4.0★ (165) wp.org #13 5 too low 9 EO4WP: EmailOctopus for WordPress 200+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #7 2 too high 10 Search Engine Insights for Google Search Console 2K+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #5 5 too high 11 Genesis Club Lite 900+ · 5.0★ (20) wp.org #17 6 too low 12 Pk Google Analytics 400+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #8 4 too high 13 A Analytics for WordPress — by Segment 300+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #21 8 too low 14 Reactflow Visitor Recording and Heatmaps 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 4 too high 15 Fluidity Dashboard — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 4 too high 16 Simple Contact Form – Accessible & Anti-Spam 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 2 too high 17 BaseCloud Boost 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 2 too high 18 C Clicky Frontend Stats — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 2 too high 19 C Clicky Popular Posts Widget 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 20 W WP Grande Plugin 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 3 too low 21 G Generic Stats 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 1 too high 22 G Gunner Technology OpenGrapher 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 23 E Easy ToolBox 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 Includer 100+ · 1.0★ (1) 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.