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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “digital clock”

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 “digital clock”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 16 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

Admin Toolbar Live Clock shows at wp.org #9 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 20+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Master Addons for Elementor – Elementor Addons, Widgets, Mega Menu Builder, Popup Builder, Widget Builder & Template Kits places #4 on merit, 4.5★ from 212 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.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Premium Addons for Elementor – AI-Ready Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 600K+ · 4.9★ (1680) wp.org #3 2 too low 2 Simple Digital Clock 🕒 500+ · 4.3★ (12) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 Countdown, Coming Soon, Maintenance – Countdown & Clock 10K+ · 4.7★ (183) wp.org #5 ↓1 2 too low 4 Master Addons for Elementor – Elementor Addons, Widgets, Mega Menu Builder, Popup Builder, Widget Builder & Template Kits 30K+ · 4.5★ (212) wp.org #17 ↓1 13 too low 5 CoolClock 1K+ · 4.7★ (15) wp.org #8 ↑1 3 too low 6 ERP: Complete HR, Accounting & CRM Suite Built for WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.4★ (149) wp.org #19 13 too low 7 Digital Clock 200+ · 4.3★ (3) wp.org #2 5 too high 8 Easy Appointment Booking & Scheduling Plugin – Webba Booking Calendar 2K+ · 4.9★ (159) wp.org #21 ↑1 13 too low 9 Popup builder with Gamification, Multi-Step Popups, Page-Level Targeting, and WooCommerce Triggers 70K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #12 3 too low 10 The School Management – Education & Learning ERP 700+ · 4.5★ (15) wp.org #18 8 too low 11 WebTotem Security 700+ · 4.2★ (13) wp.org #16 ↑1 5 too low 12 Gutenify – Visual Site Builder Blocks & Starter Templates 5K+ · 4.5★ (11) wp.org #23 11 too low 13 World Clocks 100+ · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #4 ↑1 9 too high 14 BuddyPilot Withdrawal – Easy Returns for WooCommerce 300+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #14 15 IP2Location World Clock 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 8 too high 16 L Live Clock Widget 90+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 10 too high 17 Edutain Certificate Validator – Certificate Verification, QR Code & Digital Credentials 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #13 4 too high 18 Local Time Clock 1K+ · 3.1★ (10) wp.org #15 3 too high 19 Time.now Clock Widget 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 ↑1 9 too high 20 Wp Digital clock 20+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #22 ↓2 2 too low 21 Admin Toolbar Live Clock 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 ↑1 12 too high 22 MWR Hit Counter 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #11 11 too high 23 Payfast Gateway for WooCommerce 2K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 Muslim Prayer Times 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 ↑1 4 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.