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

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 “fireworks”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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

Init FX Engine – Interactive, Event-Driven, Lightweight shows at wp.org #2 but places #8 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 80+ 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

NEX-Forms – Ultimate Forms Plugin for WordPress places #5 on merit, 4.1★ from 135 reviews, but shows at wp.org #11. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Confetti – Celebration Effects for WordPress 2K+ · 5.0★ (49) wp.org #1 2 Unlimited Elements for Elementor 300K+ · 4.8★ (525) wp.org #3 ↑1 1 too low 3 Tickera – Sell Tickets & Manage Events 2K+ · 4.5★ (292) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 Slider Hero with Video Background, Animation 3K+ · 4.8★ (34) wp.org #8 4 too low 5 NEX-Forms – Ultimate Forms Plugin for WordPress 5K+ · 4.1★ (135) wp.org #11 6 too low 6 WinRocket Raffle and Giveaway Campaigns for WooCommerce 200+ · 5.0★ (12) wp.org #10 4 too low 7 Confetti Fall Animation 500+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #4 ↓1 3 too high 8 Init FX Engine – Interactive, Event-Driven, Lightweight 80+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 6 too high 9 Rocket Fireworks 80+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #13 4 too low 10 Fireworks Celebration 70+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 4 too high 11 BeforeSunrise Realistic Fireworks — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 4 too high 12 tsParticles WP Block 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 3 too high 13 Tada Confetti – Celebration Effects 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 2 too low 14 AIKCT Engine Chatbot 10+ · 3.0★ (4) wp.org #19 5 too low 15 Season Particles 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 2 too low 16 Seasonal Effects & Notice Bar (formerly Halloween Animations) 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 4 too high 17 Season Spark 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 1 too low 18 Unlimited Elements Blocks Library 500+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 4 too high 19 NEX-Forms ADD ON – Digital Signatures 500+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 Cart Validation for WooCommerce 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #16 4 too high 21 NEX-Forms ADD ON – Form Themes 1K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 22 Festivello 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 23 Sparxio – AI Chatbot, Live Chat & Lead Generation — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #23 ↓1 24 Seasonal Popup — · 5.0★ (1) 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.