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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “description list”

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 “description list”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 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

Category Description for WooCommerce shows at wp.org #6 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 14 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

Product Table & List Builder for WooCommerce places #8 on merit, 4.9★ from 254 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 Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27821) wp.org #3 ↑1 2 too low 2 W4 Post List 3K+ · 4.7★ (94) wp.org #4 ↓1 2 too low 3 List categories 5K+ · 4.5★ (15) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 Product Customer List for WooCommerce 9K+ · 4.9★ (75) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 All in One SEO – AI SEO Plugin to Boost SEO Rankings & Traffic (Schema, Local SEO, Sitemap & SEO Insights) 2M+ · 4.7★ (5231) wp.org #9 ↓3 4 too low 6 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) wp.org #10 4 too low 7 Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1667) wp.org #13 ↑5 6 too low 8 Product Table & List Builder for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.9★ (254) wp.org #21 13 too low 9 Stylish Price List – Price Table Builder & QR Code Restaurant Menu 3K+ · 4.7★ (117) wp.org #15 6 too low 10 Plugins List 700+ · 5.0★ (12) wp.org #7 ↑1 3 too high 11 Ultimate Post List 2K+ · 4.6★ (13) wp.org #8 ↑1 3 too high 12 12 Step Meeting List 900+ · 5.0★ (28) wp.org #14 ↓1 2 too low 13 Contact List – Online Staff Directory & Address Book 1K+ · 4.8★ (19) wp.org #11 2 too high 14 Description List Block 400+ · 2.3★ (3) wp.org #1 13 too high 15 Show modified Date in admin lists 6K+ · 4.9★ (32) wp.org #22 7 too low 16 Dashboard To-Do List 1K+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #12 4 too high 17 List all posts by Authors, nested Categories and Titles 600+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #23 ↑1 6 too low 18 Download List Block with Icons 400+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #19 ↑1 1 too low 19 L List View Google Calendar 400+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #20 ↓1 1 too low 20 Category Description for WooCommerce 700+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #6 ↑1 14 too high 21 P Product Categories/Tags Bottom Description for WooCommerce 3K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #16 ↓2 5 too high 22 List Child Pages Shortcode 600+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #18 ↓1 4 too high 23 TP Product Description in Loop for WooCommerce 500+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #17 ↓1 6 too high 24 Product List / Grid View for Woocommerce 300+ · 3.0★ (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.