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

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 “extenders”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20.

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

Contact Form Extender for Divi – Submissions DB & Extra Fields shows at wp.org #7 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 17 places. Its 600+ installs carry it up the search order; its 1.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Advanced Coupons for WooCommerce – BOGO, Store Credit & WooCommerce Coupons places #5 on merit, 4.4★ from 184 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 Cool FormKit Lite – Advanced Form Builder for Elementor 20K+ · 4.6★ (25) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 Sina Extension for Elementor 40K+ · 4.9★ (35) wp.org #5 3 too low 3 Loop Grid Extender for Elementor – ACF Repeater & Smart Filters 1K+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #3 4 Input Mask For Elementor Form Fields 10K+ · 4.5★ (24) wp.org #6 2 too low 5 Advanced Coupons for WooCommerce – BOGO, Store Credit & WooCommerce Coupons 20K+ · 4.4★ (184) wp.org #14 9 too low 6 FormsDB – Save Elementor Forms to Google Sheets & Post Type 20K+ · 4.6★ (19) wp.org #9 3 too low 7 Conditional Fields for Elementor Form – Apply Conditional Logic 10K+ · 4.7★ (32) wp.org #12 5 too low 8 Shopkeeper Extender 7K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #1 7 too high 9 Country Code For Elementor Form Telephone Field 10K+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #8 1 too high 10 Form Input Masks For Elementor Forms 10K+ · 4.1★ (18) wp.org #10 ↑1 11 ElementsCSS Addons for Elementor (Elementor Widgets Extender & Addons) 200+ · 4.4★ (18) wp.org #11 ↓1 12 Events Calendar Modules for Divi 2K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #13 1 too low 13 Favicon Extender 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #4 9 too high 14 Formatting Extender — · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #16 2 too low 15 BCloud Elementor Form Extender – Add/Edit Post Types From Frontend | Adds Range & Calculated Fields 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #20 5 too low 16 S Slivery Extender 1K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 1 too high 17 Course Access Extender for LearnDash — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 18 JuZ Rich Text Extender 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 19 WP Store Locator – Extenders 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 2 too low 20 Elentix Addons for Elementor — Widgets, Extensions & Effects 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 2 too low 21 Taxonomy Extender For Categories and Tags — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 2 too low 22 Q Quiz Answers Extender & Bulk Import for LearnDash — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 2 too low 23 Iconos Alérgenos Alimentarios 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 4 too high 24 Contact Form Extender for Divi – Submissions DB & Extra Fields 600+ · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #7 17 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.