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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “corner ad”

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 “corner ad”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 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

Init Ad Engine – Flexible, Multi-Format, Secure shows at wp.org #2 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 70+ 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

WP Content Copy Protection & No Right Click places #6 on merit, 4.8★ from 1138 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Corner Ad 300+ · 4.7★ (32) wp.org #1 2 WP Chat App 100K+ · 4.9★ (222) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 CookieYes – Cookie Banner for Cookie Consent (Easy to setup GDPR/CCPA Compliant Cookie Notice) 1M+ · 4.8★ (3236) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Popup Maker – Boost Sales, Conversions, Optins, Subscribers with the Ultimate WP Popup Builder 600K+ · 4.9★ (4514) wp.org #14 10 too low 5 HubSpot All-In-One Marketing – Forms, Popups, Live Chat 200K+ · 4.3★ (207) wp.org #9 ↓3 4 too low 6 WP Content Copy Protection & No Right Click 100K+ · 4.8★ (1138) wp.org #17 11 too low 7 CP Blocks 1K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #8 ↑1 1 too low 8 Kansleri Cookie Consent 1K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #6 ↑1 2 too high 9 Termly – GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 80K+ · 3.6★ (204) wp.org #18 9 too low 10 Eazy Ad Unblocker 100+ · 4.0★ (11) wp.org #7 ↑1 3 too high 11 Click to Chat – HoliThemes 600K+ · 4.8★ (131) wp.org #21 ↓1 10 too low 12 PDF Poster – Let visitors read PDF’s without leaving the page 20K+ · 4.5★ (149) wp.org #20 ↓4 8 too low 13 Tracking and Consent Manager – WP Full Picture 3K+ · 5.0★ (21) wp.org #11 ↓1 2 too high 14 Creative Studio – AI Marketing Ads & Image Generator for WooCommerce 10+ · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #5 9 too high 15 Init Ad Engine – Flexible, Multi-Format, Secure 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 13 too high 16 FV Flowplayer Video Player 10K+ · 4.4★ (90) wp.org #22 ↓1 6 too low 17 Quick Download Button 1K+ · 4.6★ (12) wp.org #19 2 too low 18 UniPixel: Meta, Pinterest, TikTok, Google & Microsoft Server-Side Tracking for WooCommerce 200+ · 4.8★ (4) wp.org #10 ↑1 8 too high 19 Movie Engine – OTT Streaming Platform for Movies & TV Series 100+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #16 3 too high 20 W Wbcom Designs – WB Ad Manager 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 7 too high 21 ID Image Ad Popup & Roadblock 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 9 too high 22 Ad Fuz – AI Ad Manager, Ad Inserter, Popup Ads & Banner Rotator — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 7 too high 23 PubExa – Ad Manager, Ad Inserter & Website Monetization 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓1 24 Sell Ads – Sell your ad space. Without middleman. 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24 ↓1

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.