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

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 “emotions”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 2 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Like computy shows at wp.org #7 but places #11 on merit, a gap of 4 places. Its — 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

Text To Speech TTS Accessibility places #4 on merit, 4.8★ from 92 reviews, but shows at wp.org #24. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 GSpeech TTS – WordPress Text To Speech Plugin 3K+ · 4.8★ (178) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools 8K+ · 4.1★ (15) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 Photo Gallery by Ays – Responsive Image Gallery 1K+ · 4.8★ (19) wp.org #3 4 Text To Speech TTS Accessibility 4K+ · 4.8★ (92) wp.org #24 20 too low 5 Touching Comments 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 Fale Hafez 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 7 HRTSoftX – Conditional Elements — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 Fonts Typo | Fonts Typography 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #17 9 too low 9 Post Page Reaction 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 1 too high 10 Hedomi Matrix of Destiny Calculator — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 1 too high 11 Like computy — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 4 too high 12 Baghwa — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 2 too high 13 BetAxol Audience Insights — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 2 too high 14 Transtrix – Site Migration, Import & Export — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 2 too high 15 Sentient AI — WordPress SEO Domination: AI-Powered GEO, AEO, Schema & Semantic Search — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 2 too high 16 Kaderlab AI Transparency Kit — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 2 too high 17 AIActify Compliance — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 2 too high 18 AstroWay – Astrology, Birth Chart & Horoscope Widgets 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 2 too high 19 DecoBlocks – Speech Bubble, Sticker, Table of Contents & Highlight Blocks — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 ↑1 1 too high 20 Disclo — EU AI Act Article 50 AI Disclosure — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓1 1 too high 21 LucidPen – AI Writing Assistant for Journaling, Prayer, and Reflection — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too high 22 Flipbooker – PDF Flipbook & Reader Analytics — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 1 too high 23 Red8 – AI Color Palette Generator — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 1 too high 24 U UserWall WP — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 1 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.