Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “console.log”

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 “console.log”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 of the top 20. 5 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

Enquiry Cart For WooCommerce – Request a Quote shows at wp.org #13 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 100+ 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

Contact Form Clean and Simple places #3 on merit, 4.7★ from 195 reviews, but shows at wp.org #11. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Product Enquiry for WooCommerce 3K+ · 4.5★ (29) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 ShortPixel Adaptive Images – WebP, AVIF, CDN, Image Optimization 10K+ · 4.8★ (145) wp.org #7 5 too low 3 Contact Form Clean and Simple 7K+ · 4.7★ (195) wp.org #11 8 too low 4 WP Consent API 200K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #1 3 too high 5 Password Reset with Code for WordPress REST API 800+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #6 1 too low 6 UTM Event Tracker and Analytics, UTM Grabber 800+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #3 3 too high 7 JWT Authentication for WP REST API 60K+ · 4.4★ (53) wp.org #10 3 too low 8 Tax Switch for WooCommerce 1K+ · 5.0★ (27) wp.org #12 4 too low 9 Debug This 2K+ · 4.8★ (17) wp.org #16 7 too low 10 AI Content Generator For Elementor 200+ · 4.3★ (7) wp.org #9 1 too high 11 IL Privacy & Cookie Consent 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #4 7 too high 12 Andreani WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #8 4 too high 13 reCAPTCHA V3 for Jetpack 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #5 8 too high 14 WP YouTube Live 1K+ · 4.0★ (10) wp.org #19 5 too low 15 WP Dropzone 80+ · 4.3★ (4) wp.org #15 16 AI Services 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #17 1 too low 17 Require & Limit Categories, Tags, Featured Image and taxonomies 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #14 3 too high 18 tsParticles WP Block 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 19 Liana with GrowthStack 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 LumiCode Syntax Highlighter 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 1 too low 21 Yard DeepL 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 1 too low 22 Sogo Consent 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 1 too low 23 Weblazer Infinite Scroll for Block Themes — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 Enquiry Cart For WooCommerce – Request a Quote 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 11 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.