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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “endpoint api”

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 “endpoint api”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20. 3 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

WooCommerce Legacy REST API shows at wp.org #9 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 15 places. Its 400K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 1.5★ average from 29 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI places #6 on merit, 4.8★ from 27821 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 Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) wp.org #3 2 too low 2 Disable WP REST API 30K+ · 4.8★ (36) wp.org #2 3 PixelYourSite – Your smart PIXEL (TAG) & API Manager 400K+ · 4.3★ (281) wp.org #5 ↑3 2 too low 4 WPGet API – Connect to any external REST API 10K+ · 5.0★ (32) wp.org #4 5 JWT Authentication for WP REST APIs 10K+ · 4.4★ (74) wp.org #7 ↓1 2 too low 6 Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27821) wp.org #17 11 too low 7 SMNTCS Disable REST API User Endpoints 8K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #1 6 too high 8 The Events Calendar 600K+ · 4.2★ (2461) wp.org #16 8 too low 9 Contact Form to Any API 8K+ · 5.0★ (28) wp.org #6 ↓1 3 too high 10 WP API SwaggerUI 2K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #8 ↓1 2 too high 11 Disable XML-RPC-API 100K+ · 4.2★ (43) wp.org #12 1 too low 12 Custom API for WP 1K+ · 4.8★ (45) wp.org #11 1 too high 13 JWT Authentication for WP REST API 60K+ · 4.4★ (53) wp.org #13 14 Simple JWT Login – Allows you to use JWT on REST endpoints. 4K+ · 5.0★ (47) wp.org #23 ↓2 9 too low 15 R REST API Log 5K+ · 3.6★ (24) wp.org #10 5 too high 16 JSON API User 1K+ · 3.9★ (21) wp.org #14 2 too high 17 JSON API Auth 600+ · 4.7★ (11) wp.org #15 2 too high 18 MStore API – Create Native Android & iOS Apps On The Cloud 2K+ · 3.7★ (21) wp.org #18 ↓1 19 CoCart – Headless REST API for WooCommerce 900+ · 4.9★ (21) wp.org #19 ↓1 20 C Contact Form 7 to API 1K+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #20 ↓1 21 REST API Guard 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #21 ↑2 22 Health Endpoint 3K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #22 ↓2 23 REST API Manager For ACF 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #24 ↓2 1 too low 24 WooCommerce Legacy REST API 400K+ · 1.5★ (29) wp.org #9 15 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.