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

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 “dashicons”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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

JSM Show Order Metadata for WooCommerce HPOS shows at wp.org #10 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 700+ 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

WP Custom Admin Interface places #10 on merit, 4.7★ from 160 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Menu Icons by Themeisle – Add Icons to Navigation Menus 100K+ · 4.9★ (850) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 WP Menu Icons 20K+ · 4.9★ (138) wp.org #5 3 too low 3 Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (424) wp.org #7 ↑10 4 too low 4 JSM Show Post Metadata 10K+ · 5.0★ (12) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 To Top 60K+ · 4.8★ (54) wp.org #6 1 too low 6 Asset CleanUp: Page Speed Booster 100K+ · 4.9★ (1564) wp.org #13 ↑2 7 too low 7 External Links – nofollow, noopener & new window 90K+ · 4.3★ (247) wp.org #8 ↓1 1 too low 8 SVG Block 4K+ · 5.0★ (14) wp.org #9 1 too low 9 Frontend Dashicons 600+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #1 8 too high 10 WP Custom Admin Interface 30K+ · 4.7★ (160) wp.org #19 ↓1 9 too low 11 Fixed Bottom Menu 5K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #12 ↓1 1 too low 12 Featherweight 10K+ · 4.1★ (45) wp.org #11 ↓1 1 too high 13 DietPress 2K+ · 5.0★ (38) wp.org #24 11 too low 14 MB Custom Post Types & Custom Taxonomies 10K+ · 4.7★ (13) wp.org #15 ↓1 1 too low 15 Options for Twenty Nineteen 700+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #14 ↓2 1 too high 16 JSM Show User Metadata 3K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #4 12 too high 17 Ocean Extra 500K+ · 3.3★ (67) wp.org #21 ↑2 4 too low 18 Disable Everything 30K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #16 2 too high 19 Download List Block with Icons 400+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #20 ↓1 1 too low 20 WP Anchor Header 300+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #17 ↓4 3 too high 21 Icon Separator 2K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #18 ↑2 3 too high 22 Safelayout Elegant Icons – WordPress icons 700+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #22 23 JSM Show Order Metadata for WooCommerce HPOS 700+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #10 ↓2 13 too high 24 UnoDock – Mobile Bottom Navigation 600+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #23 ↑1 1 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.