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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “copyright symbol”

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 “copyright symbol”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 2 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

Footer Copyright shows at wp.org #3 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 500+ 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

Comet Cache places #8 on merit, 4.4★ from 108 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Current Year, Symbols and IP Shortcode 10K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #1 2 Secure Copy Content Protection and Content Locking 20K+ · 4.3★ (62) wp.org #4 2 too low 3 Product Watermark for WooCommerce 2K+ · 3.7★ (55) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 wp-Typography 10K+ · 4.6★ (70) wp.org #10 6 too low 5 FOX – Currency Switcher Professional for WooCommerce 50K+ · 4.4★ (250) wp.org #9 4 too low 6 Auto Copyright Year Updater 4K+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #6 7 Seriously Simple Podcasting 30K+ · 4.7★ (329) wp.org #14 ↓1 7 too low 8 Comet Cache 20K+ · 4.4★ (108) wp.org #19 11 too low 9 ElementsReady Addons for Elementor 3K+ · 4.8★ (20) wp.org #11 2 too low 10 rtMedia for WordPress, BuddyPress and bbPress 7K+ · 3.7★ (152) wp.org #16 6 too low 11 WPCS – WordPress Currency Switcher Professional 900+ · 4.1★ (13) wp.org #13 ↑1 2 too low 12 Leaky Paywall 600+ · 4.2★ (35) wp.org #17 5 too low 13 Product Image Watermark for Woo 90+ · 4.0★ (8) wp.org #8 5 too high 14 Dynamic Copyright Year Customizer 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 12 too high 15 AADMY – Add Auto Date Month Year Into Posts 400+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #12 3 too high 16 Footer Copyright 500+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #3 13 too high 17 TZM Copyright Block 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 10 too high 18 Castio.live – WordPress Streaming Plugin with Chat (HLS) 30+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #18 19 Libration Accessibility Widget, Checker and Real Code Fixes – WCAG and EAA 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 TypeAnySymbol – Unicode Symbol Picker — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 5 too high 21 EuroNur Editorial Markers 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 22 Personal Finance Manager – PN — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 1 too low 23 ShopSpot — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 MHM Currency Switcher 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 2 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.