wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “custom patterns”

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 “custom patterns”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

VK Block Patterns shows at wp.org #2 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 18 places. Its 100K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Starter Templates: AI-Powered Website Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg places #8 on merit, 4.9★ from 4755 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) 2M+ · 4.5★ (1440) wp.org #1 2

Secure Custom Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (69) wp.org #3 ↑1 1 too low 3

Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page Builder for Gutenberg Blocks & Patterns 100K+ · 4.9★ (216) wp.org #5 ↑1 2 too low 4

WPCode – Insert Headers and Footers + Custom Code Snippets – WordPress Code Manager 3M+ · 4.9★ (1916) wp.org #7 3 too low 5

Code Snippets 1M+ · 4.7★ (510) wp.org #9 ↓1 4 too low 6

Kadence Blocks — Page Builder Toolkit for Gutenberg Editor 600K+ · 4.8★ (333) wp.org #11 ↑2 5 too low 7

Twentig Supercharged Block Editor – Blocks, Patterns, Starter Sites, Portfolio 20K+ · 4.9★ (171) wp.org #14 ↓4 7 too low 8

Starter Templates: AI-Powered Website Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg 1M+ · 4.9★ (4755) wp.org #18 10 too low 9

Superb Addons: Blocks, Patterns, Pre-built Pages, Sliders, Popups, Free Forms, Animations & More 80K+ · 4.9★ (23) thin reviews wp.org #8 ↑1 1 too high 10

Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5040) wp.org #19 9 too low 11

MetForm – Contact Form, Survey, Quiz, Conditional Forms, Form Templates & Custom Form Builder for Elementor 500K+ · 4.7★ (509) wp.org #16 5 too low 12

RegistrationMagic – Custom Registration Forms, User Registration, Payment, and User Login 7K+ · 4.5★ (459) wp.org #17 5 too low 13

GutenKit – Page Builder Blocks, Patterns, and Templates for Gutenberg Block Editor 80K+ · 4.5★ (48) wp.org #12 1 too high 14

Otter Blocks – Gutenberg Blocks, Page Builder for Gutenberg Editor & FSE 300K+ · 4.7★ (251) wp.org #21 7 too low 15 C Custom Post Type Widgets 10K+ · 4.8★ (14) thin reviews wp.org #10 ↑1 5 too high 16

Custom Contact Forms 6K+ · 3.5★ (171) wp.org #15 1 too high 17

Custom Block Builder – Lazy Blocks 20K+ · 4.9★ (80) wp.org #24 7 too low 18

MyWP Block Pattern – Block Pattern Builder for WordPress 300+ · 4.8★ (5) thin reviews wp.org #6 ↓1 12 too high 19

Custom Block Patterns 1K+ · 4.7★ (3) thin reviews wp.org #4 ↓1 15 too high 20

VK Block Patterns 100K+ · 5.0★ (2) host-installed base thin reviews wp.org #2 18 too high 21

Premium Blocks – Gutenberg Blocks, Patterns & Templates 2K+ · 4.8★ (41) wp.org #22 1 too low 22

Responsive Blocks – Page Builder for Blocks & Patterns 3K+ · 4.8★ (17) thin reviews wp.org #23 ↑1 1 too low 23

Pattern Wrangler – Manage Block Patterns and Pattern Categories 400+ · 5.0★ (5) thin reviews wp.org #13 ↑1 10 too high 24

Extendify 500K+ · 4.7★ (10) host-installed base thin reviews wp.org #20 4 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.