wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “expand content”

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

Read More Button – Expand Content Without Refresh shows at wp.org #6 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 17 places. Its 100+ 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

Ultimate Blocks – 25+ Gutenberg Blocks for Block Editor places #12 on merit, 4.9★ from 729 reviews, but shows at wp.org #23. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833) throws errorsnot PHP-currentheavy footprint wp.org #1 2

Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (418) wp.org #2 3

Content Views – Post Grid & Filter (Shortcode, Blocks, Elementor Widgets) 100K+ · 4.8★ (333) heavy footprint wp.org #3 4

Custom Product Tabs for WooCommerce & WordPress Tabs Builder – Smart Tabs 10K+ · 4.9★ (134) wp.org #5 ↓1 1 too low 5

Secure Copy Content Protection and Content Locking 20K+ · 4.3★ (62) wp.org #4 ↑1 1 too high 6

Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint wp.org #9 3 too low 7

Easy Table of Contents 600K+ · 4.4★ (221) wp.org #7 8

ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051) wp.org #14 ↑3 6 too low 9

GetGenie – AI SEO Assistant & Content Writer with Keyword Research, AEO & GEO 70K+ · 4.8★ (119) heavy footprint wp.org #15 ↓1 6 too low 10

Filter Everything — WordPress & WooCommerce Filters 50K+ · 4.6★ (154) wp.org #18 8 too low 11 E Expand Tabs for WooCommerce 1K+ · 5.0★ (27) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #8 3 too high 12

Ultimate Blocks – 25+ Gutenberg Blocks for Block Editor 50K+ · 4.9★ (729) not PHP-current wp.org #23 ↑1 11 too low 13

Interactive Content – H5P 40K+ · 4.8★ (61) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #13 ↓1 1 too high 15

Heroic Table of Contents 5K+ · 4.7★ (10) thin reviews wp.org #10 5 too high 16

WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway 700K+ · 3.1★ (237) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #12 ↑1 4 too high 17

Skyboot Custom Icons for Elementor – Elementor Icons library – 14300+ Icons 200K+ · 5.0★ (22) thin reviews wp.org #24 ↓4 7 too low 18

Advanced Accordion Gutenberg Block – Create Beautiful FAQs, Content Accordions & Interactive Tabs 9K+ · 4.1★ (34) wp.org #20 ↑2 2 too low 19

Easy Accordion Block – Accordion, FAQ & Collapsible Content for the Block Editor 7K+ · 4.4★ (16) thin reviews wp.org #19 20

MainWP Child – Securely Connects to the MainWP Dashboard to Manage Multiple Sites 700K+ · 5.0★ (71) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #22 ↑1 2 too low 21

Timed Content For Beaver Builder 900+ · 4.2★ (5) thin reviews wp.org #11 10 too high 22

AI Content Generator For Elementor 200+ · 4.3★ (7) thin reviews wp.org #21 1 too high 23

AI Content Writer – Automatic Content Generator and Auto Poster 200+ · 5.0★ (2) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #17 ↓2 7 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.