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

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 “dates”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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 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

Auto Update Post Date shows at wp.org #10 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 2K+ 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

Shortcode for Current Date places #9 on merit, 5.0★ from 116 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 پارسی دیت – Parsi Date 100K+ · 4.6★ (130) wp.org #1 ↑1 2 Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2143) wp.org #2 ↓1 3 Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed 5M+ · 4.2★ (1012) wp.org #3 ↑1 4 W WP Meta and Date Remover 80K+ · 4.2★ (71) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 Delivery & Pickup Date Time for WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.9★ (282) wp.org #7 2 too low 6 Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager 90K+ · 5.0★ (1525) wp.org #15 ↑5 9 too low 7 WP Date and Time Shortcode 10K+ · 4.9★ (31) wp.org #6 1 too high 8 Restrict Dates Add-On for Gravity Forms 500+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #4 ↓1 4 too high 9 Shortcode for Current Date 10K+ · 5.0★ (116) wp.org #21 ↓3 12 too low 10 Show modified Date in admin lists 6K+ · 4.9★ (32) wp.org #14 ↓1 4 too low 11 Bangla Date Display 4K+ · 4.6★ (11) wp.org #9 ↓1 2 too high 12 Order Delivery Date for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.3★ (61) wp.org #11 1 too high 13 Users Registration Date – Sortable Users Column 3K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #8 ↑1 5 too high 14 Persian Date 2K+ · 4.5★ (16) wp.org #19 ↓3 5 too low 15 Dynamic Month & Year into Posts 8K+ · 5.0★ (18) wp.org #23 8 too low 16 WP Hebrew Date 600+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #16 ↓1 17 Order Delivery Date And Time 1K+ · 4.6★ (19) wp.org #13 ↓1 4 too high 18 Nepali Date Utilities 1K+ · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #12 6 too high 19 Nepali Date Converter 800+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #18 1 too high 20 Auto Update Post Date 2K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #10 10 too high 21 WPC Estimated Delivery Date for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.0★ (9) wp.org #17 4 too high 22 Date Picker For Contact Form 7 4K+ · 3.9★ (7) wp.org #20 ↓1 2 too high 23 Advanced Datepicker – Restricts Date for Contact Form 7 500+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #22 ↓1 1 too high 24 Date Time Picker for WPForms 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #24

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.