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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “email validator”

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 “email validator”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 15 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

Email Validator for Contact Form 7 shows at wp.org #4 but places #12 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 400+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.0★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Checkout Field Editor (Checkout Manager) for WooCommerce places #5 on merit, 4.9★ from 1056 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Antideo Email Validator 700+ · 3.5★ (14) wp.org #1 2 Post SMTP – Complete Email Delivery and SMTP Solution with Email Logs, Alerts, Backup SMTP & Mobile App 300K+ · 4.7★ (528) wp.org #6 ↓3 4 too low 3 DeBounce Email Validator 300+ · 3.9★ (16) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 Calculated Fields Form – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact, Payment, Quote, Quiz & More 40K+ · 4.9★ (973) wp.org #17 ↓4 13 too low 5 Checkout Field Editor (Checkout Manager) for WooCommerce 400K+ · 4.9★ (1056) wp.org #19 ↓1 14 too low 6 Clearout Email Validator – Real-Time Email Verification on WordPress Forms 500+ · 4.2★ (13) wp.org #3 ↑2 3 too high 7 Dilli Email Validator 100+ · 4.7★ (15) wp.org #8 1 too low 8 Extra Product Options For WooCommerce | Custom Product Addons and Fields 30K+ · 4.9★ (219) wp.org #16 ↑7 8 too low 9 Gwolle Guestbook 20K+ · 4.8★ (113) wp.org #22 ↓6 13 too low 10 Serial Codes Generator and Validator with WooCommerce Support 700+ · 4.6★ (13) wp.org #9 1 too high 11 Byteplant Email Validator 90+ · 3.8★ (9) wp.org #5 ↑1 6 too high 12 Email Validator for Contact Form 7 400+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #4 8 too high 13 Reoon Email Verifier 600+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #7 6 too high 14 Byteplant Phone Validator 100+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #10 4 too high 15 Address Validator for WooCommerce 90+ · 3.4★ (9) wp.org #12 3 too high 16 Duplicate Title Validator 300+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #13 ↑2 3 too high 17 Edutain Certificate Validator – Certificate Verification, QR Code & Digital Credentials 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #11 6 too high 18 ZeroBounce Email Verification & Validation 900+ · 4.8★ (4) wp.org #23 ↓3 5 too low 19 User Registration Email Validator 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 5 too high 20 Advanced Email Domain Restriction 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 ↑1 2 too high 21 Email Checker for Contact Form 7 90+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #15 ↑2 6 too high 22 ZBounce Email Validator — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 1 too high 23 ThreatPoint Email Validator — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24 ↓3 1 too low 24 MailboxValidator Email Validator 20+ · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #20 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.