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← Rankings

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

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 “definitions”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 of the top 20. 2 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

Mortar for Bricks Builder shows at wp.org #11 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 300+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Echo Knowledge Base – Documentation, FAQs, Chat & Smart Search places #10 on merit, 4.9★ from 124 reviews, but shows at wp.org #15. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #1 ↑1 2 Anti-Malware Security and Brute-Force Firewall 100K+ · 4.9★ (783) wp.org #2 ↓1 3 Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1668) wp.org #3 ↑1 4 XML Sitemap Generator for Google 1M+ · 4.8★ (2233) wp.org #4 ↓1 5 Slider, Gallery, and Carousel by MetaSlider – Image Slider, Video Slider 500K+ · 4.6★ (742) wp.org #5 6 The SEO Framework – Fast, Automated, Effortless. 200K+ · 4.9★ (380) wp.org #7 ↑5 1 too low 7 CM Tooltip Glossary 7K+ · 4.3★ (157) wp.org #6 1 too high 8 A Adminimize 100K+ · 4.7★ (254) wp.org #9 1 too low 9 Glossary 2K+ · 4.7★ (84) wp.org #10 ↓2 1 too low 10 Echo Knowledge Base – Documentation, FAQs, Chat & Smart Search 10K+ · 4.9★ (124) wp.org #15 ↑1 5 too low 11 Disable Comments 1M+ · 4.7★ (281) wp.org #14 ↓3 3 too low 12 Disable Comments & Delete All Comments 9K+ · 5.0★ (41) wp.org #13 ↑1 1 too low 13 FAZ Cookie Manager 3K+ · 5.0★ (30) wp.org #12 ↓2 1 too high 14 Blogger Importer Extended 4K+ · 4.7★ (131) wp.org #18 ↑1 4 too low 15 Multiple Columns for Gravity Forms 10K+ · 4.5★ (30) wp.org #8 ↓1 7 too high 16 GetGenie – AI SEO Assistant & Content Writer with Keyword Research, AEO & GEO 70K+ · 4.8★ (119) wp.org #22 ↑2 6 too low 17 Sticky Header Effects for Elementor 300K+ · 4.5★ (69) wp.org #20 ↑3 3 too low 18 Advanced AJAX Product Filters 50K+ · 4.7★ (387) wp.org #23 5 too low 19 E2Pdf – Export Pdf Tool for WordPress 10K+ · 4.7★ (59) wp.org #21 2 too low 20 Mortar for Bricks Builder 300+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #11 ↑2 9 too high 21 Abbreviation Button for the Block Editor 300+ · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #19 ↓2 2 too high 22 CM Footnotes – Boost your content’s credibility with footnotes, citations, and bibliography 100+ · 4.2★ (6) wp.org #24 ↓2 2 too low 23 My WP Glossary 200+ · 4.3★ (3) wp.org #16 ↓1 7 too high 24 Web Worker Offloading 10K+ · 3.5★ (2) wp.org #17 ↑1 7 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.