wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “delete page”
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 “delete page”, we agree with wp.org 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
Page Visits Counter – Lite shows at wp.org #9 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 5K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.0★ average from 7 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager places #9 on merit, 5.0★ from 1525 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Super Page Cache – Cloudflare Cache, Page Speed & Core Web Vitals 70K+ · 4.8★ (517)
wp.org #1 2 
WP Bulk Delete 90K+ · 4.6★ (131)
wp.org #2 3 
Duplicate Post 300K+ · 4.9★ (1623)
wp.org #5 ↓1 2 too low 4 
Bulk Delete 30K+ · 4.3★ (129)
wp.org #3 1 too high 5 
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint
wp.org #4 ↑1 1 too high 6 
Delete Duplicate Posts 10K+ · 4.8★ (153)
wp.org #6 7 
Under Construction 600K+ · 4.8★ (1285)
wp.org #8 1 too low 8 P Page-list 30K+ · 4.7★ (89)
wp.org #7 1 too high 9 Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager 90K+ · 5.0★ (1525)
wp.org #17 8 too low 10 
WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617)
wp.org #13 3 too low 11 
Simple Revisions Delete 10K+ · 4.9★ (50)
wp.org #11 12 
Media Cleaner: Delete Unused Images & Clean Your Media Library 90K+ · 4.6★ (779)
wp.org #20 8 too low 13 
PPWP – Password Protect Pages 30K+ · 4.7★ (271)
wp.org #18 5 too low 14 
Delete Expired Transients 4K+ · 5.0★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #10 4 too high 15 
Schedule Post Changes With PublishPress Future: Unpublish, Delete, Change Status, Trash, Change Categories 100K+ · 4.5★ (172)
wp.org #24 ↓1 9 too low 16 
WP Frontend Delete Account 4K+ · 4.6★ (27)
wp.org #15 1 too high 17 
DX Delete Attached Media 3K+ · 4.9★ (28)
wp.org #16 1 too high 18 
Smart Archive Page Remove 6K+ · 4.9★ (59)
wp.org #23 ↑1 5 too low 19 
Bold Page Builder 40K+ · 3.6★ (66)
wp.org #21 2 too low 20 
Auto Delete Post – Ultimate plugin for deleting a post automatically 300+ · 5.0★ (7) thin reviews
wp.org #12 8 too high 21 
Hide Page And Post Title 40K+ · 3.6★ (54)
wp.org #22 1 too low 22 Page Visits Counter – Lite 5K+ · 4.0★ (7) thin reviews
wp.org #9 13 too high 23 
Bulk Delete Comments 5K+ · 3.8★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #14 9 too high 24 
Delete Unscaled Images 900+ · 5.0★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #19 5 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.