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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “css3 banner”

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 “css3 banner”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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

NoCrumbs Cookie Notice shows at wp.org #11 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 80+ installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Firelight Lightbox places #7 on merit, 4.8★ from 361 reviews, but shows at wp.org #16. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Portfolio Filter Gallery – Photo Gallery 20K+ · 4.8★ (348) wp.org #3 2 too low 2 Slider, Image Slider & Carousel by Slider Factory – Responsive Slideshow, Video Slider 2K+ · 4.5★ (13) wp.org #2 3 Serious Slider 20K+ · 3.4★ (8) wp.org #1 2 too high 4 Slider Hero with Video Background, Animation 3K+ · 4.8★ (34) wp.org #6 ↓1 2 too low 5 WPB Product Slider for WooCommerce – Responsive Product Carousel & Showcase 4K+ · 4.1★ (38) wp.org #5 ↑1 6 Gmedia Photo Gallery 7K+ · 4.3★ (260) wp.org #7 1 too low 7 Firelight Lightbox 200K+ · 4.8★ (361) wp.org #16 9 too low 8 Gallery – Photo Albums Plugin 2K+ · 3.8★ (277) wp.org #12 4 too low 9 Page Animations And Transitions 1K+ · 2.8★ (32) wp.org #4 5 too high 10 Magical Addons For Elementor ( Theme Builder, Header Footer Builder, Free Elementor Widgets, Elementor Templates Library ) 4K+ · 4.7★ (12) wp.org #8 2 too high 11 Christmasify! 2K+ · 4.8★ (29) wp.org #14 3 too low 12 Timeline Express 8K+ · 4.3★ (165) wp.org #19 7 too low 13 Tab – Accordion, FAQ 1K+ · 4.7★ (56) wp.org #20 7 too low 14 Slider by 10Web – Responsive Image Slider 10K+ · 4.5★ (289) wp.org #21 7 too low 15 Pen 2K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #9 6 too high 16 Video Slider – Slider Carousel 3K+ · 4.7★ (71) wp.org #18 2 too low 17 Safelayout Elegant Icons – WordPress icons 700+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #10 7 too high 18 QuickShare 200+ · 4.7★ (12) wp.org #17 1 too high 19 Grayscale Images 70+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #13 6 too high 20 NoCrumbs Cookie Notice 80+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 9 too high 21 Advanced WpBakery Page Builder Addons 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #23 2 too low 22 Animated Featured Image 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 23 Juiz Lang Attribute 1K+ · 2.5★ (4) wp.org #15 8 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.