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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “enqueue child”

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 “enqueue child”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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

BlockStrap Page Builder – Bootstrap Blocks shows at wp.org #6 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 2K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.5★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Business Directory Plugin – Easy Listing & Member Directories for WordPress places #6 on merit, 4.6★ from 504 reviews, but shows at wp.org #14. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Child Theme Configurator 300K+ · 4.7★ (280) wp.org #1 2 W WP-SCSS 40K+ · 4.3★ (61) wp.org #2 ↑2 3 Simple Sitemap – Responsive HTML Sitemap for WordPress 60K+ · 3.9★ (72) wp.org #4 ↓2 1 too low 4 Hierarchical HTML Sitemap 4K+ · 5.0★ (12) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 Real Testimonials – Testimonial Slider, Collect Customer Reviews and Video Testimonials 40K+ · 4.7★ (226) wp.org #10 ↓4 5 too low 6 Business Directory Plugin – Easy Listing & Member Directories for WordPress 10K+ · 4.6★ (504) wp.org #14 ↑1 8 too low 7 Options for Twenty Twenty-One 6K+ · 4.9★ (64) wp.org #9 ↑1 2 too low 8 Wicked Folders – Folder Organizer for Pages, Posts, and Custom Post Types 20K+ · 4.9★ (56) wp.org #12 4 too low 9 Zeno Font Resizer 5K+ · 4.6★ (20) wp.org #7 ↑2 2 too high 10 P Page-list 30K+ · 4.7★ (89) wp.org #16 6 too low 11 Product Category Slider & Grid for WooCommerce – Reno Product Category 9K+ · 4.8★ (91) wp.org #11 12 Passster – Password Protect Pages and Content 10K+ · 4.2★ (60) wp.org #8 ↓1 4 too high 13 Options for Twenty Twenty 3K+ · 4.7★ (31) wp.org #17 4 too low 14 MB Custom Post Types & Custom Taxonomies 10K+ · 4.7★ (13) wp.org #13 1 too high 15 VK All in One Expansion Unit 100K+ · 4.0★ (7) wp.org #5 10 too high 16 Smart Grid-Layout Design for Contact Form 7 10K+ · 4.5★ (72) wp.org #18 2 too low 17 Layouts for Elementor 1K+ · 4.7★ (14) wp.org #20 3 too low 18 BlockStrap Page Builder – Bootstrap Blocks 2K+ · 4.5★ (4) wp.org #6 ↑2 12 too high 19 Slash Admin 500+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #21 2 too low 20 Occupancy Plan 100+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #22 2 too low 21 Blaminhor Essentials – SEO, Cache, Backup, SMTP, Redirects, Broken Links, Cookie Banner, Hide Login & More 90+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #23 2 too low 22 W WPFrank Companion 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #15 ↓1 7 too high 23 ChildForge Child Theme Builder — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 4 too high 24 Theme SCSS Compiler 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓1

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.