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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “database query logger”

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 “database query logger”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20.

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.

I

Ranked above its merit

Icode Mail Logger shows at wp.org #8 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its — installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

FooGallery Photo Gallery : Image, Video & Masonry Galleries places #9 on merit, 4.8★ from 995 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 wp.org
1 Simple History – Track, Log, and Audit WordPress Changes 300K+ · 4.9★ (491) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 Cron Logger 1K+ · 4.9★ (8) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 Security Ninja – WordPress Security & Firewall 7K+ · 4.7★ (101) wp.org #3 4 FluentSMTP – WP Mail SMTP Plugin with Amazon SES, SendGrid, Mailgun, Postmark, Cloudflare, toSend, Gmail and Any SMTP 700K+ · 4.8★ (410) wp.org #4 5 Titan Anti-spam & Security – Brute Force Protection, 2FA & Spam Filter 50K+ · 4.5★ (370) wp.org #5 6 WP Mail Log 10K+ · 4.9★ (66) wp.org #7 1 too low 7 Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397) wp.org #11 ↑2 4 too low 8 Fluent Forms – Customizable Contact Forms, Survey, Quiz, & Conversational Form Builder 800K+ · 4.8★ (808) wp.org #14 ↓2 6 too low 9 FooGallery Photo Gallery : Image, Video & Masonry Galleries 100K+ · 4.8★ (995) wp.org #18 ↓1 9 too low 10 Analytify – Google Analytics 4 Tracking and Reporting in WordPress 20K+ · 4.7★ (488) wp.org #19 ↓1 9 too low 11 Post SMTP – Complete Email Delivery and SMTP Solution with Email Logs, Alerts, Backup SMTP & Mobile App 300K+ · 4.7★ (528) wp.org #20 9 too low 12 WPEPP – Essential Security, Password Protect & Login Page Customizer 3K+ · 4.1★ (19) wp.org #6 6 too high 13 System Dashboard 900+ · 4.9★ (16) wp.org #12 ↓1 1 too high 14 User Login History 10K+ · 4.6★ (29) wp.org #15 1 too low 15 Activity Log Pro – User Activity Log, Audit Log & Security Monitor 400+ · 5.0★ (15) wp.org #13 ↑1 2 too high 16 Delete product images for WooCommerce 2K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #9 7 too high 17 Yoast Test Helper 50K+ · 4.9★ (12) wp.org #16 1 too high 18 CoCart – Headless REST API for WooCommerce 900+ · 4.9★ (21) wp.org #23 ↓1 5 too low 19 UpdraftCentral Dashboard 5K+ · 4.5★ (22) wp.org #22 ↓1 3 too low 20 Atlant Security 800+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #21 ↓2 1 too low 21 Traffic Monitor 900+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #10 11 too high 22 I Icode Mail Logger — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 14 too high 23 Paul Bunyan 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 6 too high 24 Admin Optimizer – Performance, Security & Site Cleanup 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24 ↓1

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.