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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “csp header”

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 “csp header”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 of the top 20.

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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

CSP Violation Reporter shows at wp.org #8 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 20+ 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

Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall places #5 on merit, 4.5★ from 373 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.

merit plugin wp.org
1 HTTP Headers 40K+ · 4.3★ (70) wp.org #1 ↑2 2 Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP 90K+ · 4.9★ (79) wp.org #3 ↓2 1 too low 3 Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #9 ↑1 5 too low 5 Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall 100K+ · 4.5★ (373) wp.org #14 ↑4 9 too low 6 Security Header Generator 400+ · 4.9★ (7) wp.org #5 1 too high 7 Advanced IP Blocker 3K+ · 4.9★ (27) wp.org #13 ↑3 6 too low 8 GD Security Headers 1K+ · 4.0★ (8) wp.org #6 ↑1 2 too high 9 BotBlocker Security – Complete security platform 3K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #15 ↓3 6 too low 10 HTTP Security Header 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #7 ↑1 3 too high 11 WP BrowserUpdate 1K+ · 4.6★ (16) wp.org #23 ↓1 12 too low 12 Atlant Security 800+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #18 ↑5 6 too low 13 CSP Friendly Security 200+ · 3.5★ (4) wp.org #4 9 too high 14 phpinfo() WP – Site Health, PHP Compatibility & Server Audit 3K+ · 4.5★ (8) wp.org #19 5 too low 15 No unsafe-inline 200+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #17 ↓2 2 too low 16 WP Anti-Clickjack 3K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #11 5 too high 17 Login Armor 500+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #21 4 too low 18 Abdal Security Headers 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #12 ↓1 6 too high 19 SecureFusion – Security and Firewall by Fyndsoft 10+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 CSP Violation Reporter 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 ↓2 12 too high 21 BoundaryGuard Headers 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↓3 5 too high 22 Security Headers 800+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #10 ↓1 12 too high 23 Volixta SSL & Security Headers – Free SSL Certificates, HTTPS & Mixed Content Fixer 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↓5 1 too high 24 Zen Site Security 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24

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.