wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “code block”
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 “code block”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 5 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
SVG Block shows at wp.org #16 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 4 places. Its 4K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 14 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Insert PHP Code Snippet places #9 on merit, 4.9★ from 707 reviews, but shows at wp.org #14. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Code Snippets 1M+ · 4.7★ (510) not PHP-current
wp.org #1 2 
WPCode – Insert Headers and Footers + Custom Code Snippets – WordPress Code Manager 3M+ · 4.9★ (1915)
wp.org #3 1 too low 3 
Highlighting Code Block 10K+ · 4.5★ (20) thin reviews
wp.org #2 1 too high 4 
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint
wp.org #6 ↑1 2 too low 5 
Code Block Pro – Beautiful Syntax Highlighting 10K+ · 4.8★ (50)
wp.org #4 1 too high 6 
FluentSnippets – High-Performance Code Snippets, Header & Footer Code, Custom CSS & PHP Code Manager 50K+ · 4.7★ (78)
wp.org #5 1 too high 7 
Spectra Legacy – Gutenberg Blocks 1M+ · 4.7★ (1872) heavy footprint
wp.org #7 ↓1 8 
Kadence Blocks — Page Builder Toolkit for Gutenberg Editor 600K+ · 4.8★ (333) heavy footprint
wp.org #8 ↑5 9 Insert PHP Code Snippet 90K+ · 4.9★ (707)
wp.org #14 5 too low 10 
Head & Footer Code 100K+ · 5.0★ (51)
wp.org #10 ↓1 11 
Block Visibility — Conditional Visibility Control for the Block Editor 40K+ · 4.9★ (108)
wp.org #13 ↓1 2 too low 12 
Syntax-highlighting Code Block (with Server-side Rendering) 1K+ · 5.0★ (26)
wp.org #9 ↓1 3 too high 13 
The Icon Block 40K+ · 5.0★ (29)
wp.org #11 ↓1 2 too high 14 
Carousel Slider Block for Gutenberg 50K+ · 4.8★ (59)
wp.org #15 ↓4 1 too low 15 
Kaya QR Code Generator 10K+ · 4.4★ (38)
wp.org #12 ↑4 3 too high 16 
Nexter Blocks – Gutenberg Blocks, Page Builder & AI Website Builder 9K+ · 4.8★ (90) heavy footprint
wp.org #17 1 too low 17 
UPI QR Code Payment Gateway for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.8★ (256) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #19 2 too low 18 
Flexible Table Block 40K+ · 4.9★ (34)
wp.org #20 2 too low 19 
WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833) throws errorsnot PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #22 ↓5 3 too low 20 SVG Block 4K+ · 5.0★ (14) thin reviews
wp.org #16 ↓1 4 too high 21 
Code Embed 10K+ · 4.4★ (45) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #18 ↑1 3 too high 22 
Button Block – Stylish buttons that get more clicks 5K+ · 5.0★ (7) not PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #21 ↑1 1 too high 23 
Timeline Block For Gutenberg 9K+ · 4.4★ (11) thin reviews
wp.org #24 ↓1 1 too low 24 
QR Code Composer – Automatic QR code generation 3K+ · 4.2★ (9) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
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.