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

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 “codemirror”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20. 4 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

Dessky Snippets shows at wp.org #6 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 300+ 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

HTML Editor Syntax Highlighter places #10 on merit, 4.4★ from 110 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 WP Editor 20K+ · 4.5★ (95) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 File Manager Pro – Filester 100K+ · 4.9★ (153) wp.org #4 ↓1 2 too low 3 WP Coder – Insert & Manage Code Snippets 10K+ · 4.9★ (32) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 Markup Markdown 1K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #3 ↑1 1 too high 5 PrettyCode • Code syntax highlighting with CodeMirror 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #1 4 too high 6 Advanced Custom Fields: Extended 100K+ · 4.8★ (132) wp.org #15 9 too low 7 CodeMirror Blocks 1K+ · 5.0★ (41) wp.org #11 4 too low 8 Smart Grid-Layout Design for Contact Form 7 10K+ · 4.5★ (72) wp.org #8 9 Pastacode 400+ · 4.9★ (14) wp.org #9 10 HTML Editor Syntax Highlighter 60K+ · 4.4★ (110) wp.org #20 10 too low 11 Header Footer Script Adder 1K+ · 4.1★ (7) wp.org #10 1 too high 12 Code Engine – PHP Snippets, AI Functions & Automation for WordPress 800+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #16 4 too low 13 Language Switcher for Transposh 1K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #12 1 too high 14 FancyPost – Post Blocks, Grids & Sliders for Block Editor and Elementor 500+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #13 1 too high 15 HTML Editor for Contact Form 7 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #7 8 too high 16 Dessky Snippets 300+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 10 too high 17 SchemaNex 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 1 too low 18 WPGraphQL IDE 1K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 4 too high 19 Dessky Custom CSS 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 2 too high 20 Kayzart — AI Landing Page Builder with Real HTML 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 2 too low 21 Wizard Blocks Manager for Gutenberg 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 3 too low 22 WP Add Custom CSS and JS 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 3 too high 23 WPGreeks Securities & SEO Tools 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 2 too high 24 Pagora AI | AI Page Builder & Landing Page Generator — · 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.