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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “cvs”

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 “cvs”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 15 of the top 20. 5 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

HM Resume Manager shows at wp.org #5 but places #13 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 100+ 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

Twentig Supercharged Block Editor – Blocks, Patterns, Starter Sites, Portfolio places #2 on merit, 4.9★ from 171 reviews, but shows at wp.org #7. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Team Members – Multi Language Supported Team Plugin 6K+ · 5.0★ (85) wp.org #4 3 too low 2 Twentig Supercharged Block Editor – Blocks, Patterns, Starter Sites, Portfolio 20K+ · 4.9★ (171) wp.org #7 5 too low 3 JobWP – Job Board Plugin for WordPress | Job Listings, Career Page & Applications 1K+ · 5.0★ (20) wp.org #6 3 too low 4 WP CV Builder 30+ · 4.0★ (3) wp.org #1 3 too high 5 File Uploads Addon for WooCommerce 4K+ · 3.7★ (27) wp.org #8 3 too low 6 BWD Elementor Addons 400+ · 5.0★ (25) wp.org #11 5 too low 7 HM Multiple Roles 1K+ · 3.6★ (5) wp.org #3 4 too high 8 Bold Timeline Lite 10K+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #2 6 too high 9 Logo Showcase with Logo Carousel, Logo Slider & Logo Grid 200+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #12 3 too low 10 Cool Author Box – For Widget and Post Content 500+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #9 1 too high 11 Menukaart – Restaurant Menu & Online Ordering with WooCommerce 20+ · 4.8★ (5) wp.org #22 11 too low 12 Portfolio Block – The Ultimate Project & Portfolio Builder 800+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #10 2 too high 13 HM Resume Manager 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #5 8 too high 14 Patternly – Gutenberg Starter Templates, Patterns, WordPress Landing Pages & Sites 60+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #23 9 too low 15 Hash Form – Drag & Drop Form Builder 3K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #16 1 too low 16 CV Demo Importer 400+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 3 too high 17 Selection Lite 9K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 3 too high 18 Meet The Team 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 3 too high 19 Codersly ERP 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 Moksa for WooCommerce 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 1 too high 21 Pay with PAYUNi 500+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 4 too high 22 Smart Forms & Calculators By Embed Sheets 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 1 too high 23 Display FAQ – Responsive Accordion and Product FAQ For WooCommerce 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 KueskiPay Gateway 300+ · 1.5★ (2) wp.org #18 6 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.