wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “external/affiliate”
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 “external/affiliate”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 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
WPC Multiple External Product URLs for WooCommerce shows at wp.org #10 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 300+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Advanced Ads – Ad Manager & AdSense places #5 on merit, 4.9★ from 1463 reviews, but shows at wp.org #13. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
External Links – nofollow, noopener & new window 80K+ · 4.3★ (247)
wp.org #1 2 
PrettyLinks – Affiliate Link Management, URL Shortener, Link Cloaking, Tracking & Branded Short Links 200K+ · 4.8★ (1322)
wp.org #4 2 too low 3 
affiliate-toolkit – Multi-Network Affiliate & Amazon Product Display 2K+ · 4.5★ (22) thin reviews
wp.org #2 1 too high 4 
External Product New Tab for WooCommerce 3K+ · 4.8★ (35)
wp.org #3 1 too high 5 Advanced Ads – Ad Manager & AdSense 90K+ · 4.9★ (1463)
wp.org #13 8 too low 6 
Coupon Affiliates – Affiliate Plugin for WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.9★ (77)
wp.org #7 1 too low 7 
ThirstyAffiliates – Affiliate Links, Link Branding, Link Tracking & Marketing Plugin 30K+ · 4.6★ (251)
wp.org #14 7 too low 8 
Improved External Products for WooCommerce 1K+ · 3.7★ (26)
wp.org #5 3 too high 9 
Affiliates Manager 8K+ · 4.1★ (61)
wp.org #9 10 
Auto Affiliate Links 2K+ · 4.1★ (39)
wp.org #8 2 too high 11 
BetterLinks – Link Shortener, Link Cloaking, Redirects, Affiliate Link Manager & MCP 20K+ · 4.8★ (85)
wp.org #19 8 too low 12 C Cloak Affiliate Links for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.3★ (12) thin reviews
wp.org #6 6 too high 13 
Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO – Find & Fix Broken Internal, External & Video Links 200K+ · 3.8★ (87)
wp.org #17 4 too low 14 
Books Gallery – Book Showcase, Library & Affiliate Plugin 2K+ · 4.8★ (92)
wp.org #24 10 too low 15 
WC Affiliate – WooCommerce Affiliate Plugin 300+ · 4.6★ (16) thin reviews
wp.org #12 3 too high 16 
Content Egg – Affiliate Product Importer & Price Comparison 10K+ · 3.9★ (56)
wp.org #21 5 too low 17 
StoreEngine — Complete eCommerce Solution with Memberships, Licensing, Affiliates & More 700+ · 5.0★ (17) thin reviews
wp.org #23 6 too low 18 
WPC External Variations for WooCommerce 300+ · 4.2★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #11 7 too high 19 
Affiliates for WooCommerce – Affiliate Program, Referral Tracking & Commission Payouts 300+ · 5.0★ (8) thin reviews
wp.org #22 3 too low 20 WPC Multiple External Product URLs for WooCommerce 300+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #10 10 too high 21 
AmaSync – Amazon Affiliate Plugin, Product Importer for WooCommerce 300+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #18 3 too high 22 
Leaving Notice Popup For External Links – nofollow, noopener & New Tab 200+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #20 2 too high 23 
Affiliate Amazon Shortcode 300+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #16 7 too high 24 
DevDome Affiliate Manager: Amazon Affiliate Plugin for Amazon Associates 300+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #15 9 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.