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

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 “dashbord”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 of the top 20. 6 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

SCD – Smart Currency Detector – Premium Variant for WCFM shows at wp.org #14 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 10+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

WCFM – Frontend Manager for WooCommerce places #1 on merit, 4.5★ from 286 reviews, but shows at wp.org #5. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 WCFM – Frontend Manager for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.5★ (286) wp.org #5 4 too low 2 CoDesigner – All in One Elementor WooCommerce Builder 5K+ · 4.4★ (153) wp.org #4 2 too low 3 AI Popup 400+ · 4.6★ (21) wp.org #6 3 too low 4 Wareki 200+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 F Featured image to All-Posts 300+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #1 4 too high 6 Reusable Content Blocks 4K+ · 4.8★ (12) wp.org #9 3 too low 7 Light Admin Theme 70+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #7 8 SCM – Smart Currency Manager 40+ · 4.6★ (11) wp.org #13 5 too low 9 Gutenverse Companion 9K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #3 6 too high 10 xili-language 600+ · 3.9★ (14) wp.org #16 6 too low 11 Wbcom Designs – BuddyPress Job Manager 90+ · 3.8★ (5) wp.org #8 3 too high 12 SCM – Smart Currency Manager – Premium Variant for Dokan 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #12 13 NB Eazy Addons For Elementor — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 3 too high 14 A Andromeda — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 3 too high 15 W WP AdminTools 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #24 9 too low 16 G Get Php Version 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 1 too high 17 Awesome Service Box — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 2 too low 18 SCD – Smart Currency Detector – Premium Variant for wcmp — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 3 too low 19 WP Group Subscriptions — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 Changa : Personalized short-video feeds — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 3 too low 21 I Iran Donate — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 4 too high 22 U Ultra Menu Remove 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 23 SCD – Smart Currency Detector – Premium Variant for WCFM 10+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #14 9 too high 24 SCM – Smart Currency Manager – Premium Variant for WcVendor — · 1.0★ (1) 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.