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

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 “directions”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 of the top 20. 4 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

Presswell Art Direction shows at wp.org #4 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 18 places. Its 80+ 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

Premium Addons for Elementor – AI-Ready Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates places #5 on merit, 4.9★ from 1677 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 WP Go Maps – Google Map, OpenStreetMap, Leaflet Map 300K+ · 4.8★ (3046) wp.org #1 2 Email Encoder – Protect Email Addresses and Phone Numbers 90K+ · 4.9★ (93) wp.org #2 ↑1 3 پارسی دیت – Parsi Date 100K+ · 4.6★ (129) wp.org #5 ↑1 2 too low 4 Recipe Card Blocks Lite 10K+ · 4.8★ (20) wp.org #3 ↑2 1 too high 5 Premium Addons for Elementor – AI-Ready Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 600K+ · 4.9★ (1677) wp.org #15 ↑3 10 too low 6 Flexible Map 7K+ · 4.8★ (66) wp.org #9 ↑1 3 too low 7 Cooked – Recipe Management 3K+ · 3.9★ (90) wp.org #7 ↑1 8 Feeds for YouTube (YouTube video, channel, and gallery plugin) 100K+ · 4.8★ (203) wp.org #16 ↑1 8 too low 9 WP Responsive Menu 30K+ · 4.3★ (100) wp.org #14 ↑2 5 too low 10 Logo Carousel – Responsive Logo Slider, Logo Showcase, and Clients Logo Gallery 20K+ · 4.7★ (162) wp.org #19 ↑4 9 too low 11 SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle 400K+ · 4.9★ (134) wp.org #18 ↑3 7 too low 12 WP Accessibility 60K+ · 4.8★ (68) wp.org #17 ↑3 5 too low 13 Animations for Blocks 10K+ · 4.8★ (27) wp.org #12 ↑2 1 too high 14 MapPress – Google Maps, OpenStreetMap & Leaflet 30K+ · 4.7★ (148) wp.org #24 ↓11 10 too low 15 VK Blocks 100K+ · 4.8★ (6) wp.org #6 ↑1 9 too high 16 WP Maps – Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Mapbox, Store Locator with Search, Filters & Listings 60K+ · 4.3★ (122) wp.org #13 ↑6 3 too high 17 LIQUID SPEECH BALLOON 10K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #8 ↑1 9 too high 18 Image CAPTCHA for Contact Form 7 and WPForms by HookAndHook (DSGVO/GDPR) 70K+ · 4.7★ (49) wp.org #21 ↑1 3 too low 19 Mobile Call Now & Map Buttons 4K+ · 4.9★ (18) wp.org #10 ↑1 9 too high 20 Flip Cards Module For Divi 3K+ · 4.9★ (32) wp.org #22 2 too low 21 Ditty – Responsive News Tickers, Sliders, and Lists 30K+ · 4.6★ (106) wp.org #23 2 too low 22 Presswell Art Direction 80+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #4 18 too high 23 Vertical News Scroller 5K+ · 4.3★ (17) wp.org #20 ↑4 3 too high 24 Marquee Addons for Elementor – Essential Motion Widgets & Templates 20K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #11 ↑1 13 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.