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

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 status”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 7 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

Advanced Custom Order Status for WooCommerce shows at wp.org #9 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 600+ 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

RegistrationMagic – Custom Registration Forms, User Registration, Payment, and User Login places #11 on merit, 4.5★ from 459 reviews, but shows at wp.org #24. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) 2M+ · 4.5★ (1439) wp.org #1 2 Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2130) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Custom Order Status Manager for WooCommerce 30K+ · 4.7★ (117) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 Simple Custom Post Order 300K+ · 4.8★ (578) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 Custom Post Type UI 1M+ · 4.6★ (276) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Sidebar Classic Widget Area Manager 100K+ · 4.7★ (1028) wp.org #12 6 too low 7 Secure Custom Fields 90K+ · 4.8★ (65) wp.org #7 8 Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5004) wp.org #14 6 too low 9 Schedule Post Changes With PublishPress Future: Unpublish, Delete, Change Status, Trash, Change Categories 100K+ · 4.5★ (172) wp.org #13 4 too low 10 Admin Custom Login 20K+ · 4.6★ (388) wp.org #18 8 too low 11 RegistrationMagic – Custom Registration Forms, User Registration, Payment, and User Login 7K+ · 4.5★ (459) wp.org #24 13 too low 12 bbPress 100K+ · 3.9★ (342) wp.org #20 8 too low 13 Archive Content with Archived Post Status 5K+ · 4.9★ (36) wp.org #17 4 too low 14 Custom Order Status for WooCommerce 10K+ · 3.3★ (32) wp.org #6 8 too high 15 Advanced Custom Stock Status 8K+ · 4.2★ (37) wp.org #10 5 too high 16 Custom Order Numbers for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.2★ (25) wp.org #8 8 too high 17 Custom Login 10K+ · 3.6★ (97) wp.org #23 6 too low 18 MB Custom Post Types & Custom Taxonomies 10K+ · 4.7★ (13) wp.org #16 2 too high 19 S Smart Custom Fields 50K+ · 4.9★ (20) wp.org #22 3 too low 20 N Ni WooCommerce Custom Order Status 2K+ · 4.1★ (16) wp.org #11 9 too high 21 Extended Post Status 1K+ · 4.5★ (11) wp.org #19 2 too high 22 Order Status Control for WooCommerce 4K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #15 7 too high 23 Advanced Custom Order Status for WooCommerce 600+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #9 14 too high 24 SDP Custom Order Status for WooCommerce 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 3 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.