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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “forest fires”

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 “forest fires”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 2 of the top 16. 2 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

Kabook Editor Tools shows at wp.org #7 but places #11 on merit, a gap of 4 places. Its 10+ installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Child Theme Configurator places #2 on merit, 4.7★ from 280 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.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Variation Swatches for WooCommerce 300K+ · 4.8★ (926) wp.org #1 2 Child Theme Configurator 300K+ · 4.7★ (280) wp.org #13 ↓1 11 too low 3 LMSCrafter Gradient Text for Elementor 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 WBD Progress Bar For Gutenberg 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 Onyx Dark Mode Switcher 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #5 6 Gaming-Plus Game Server Status 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #4 2 too high 7 Trail Monitor — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 1 too high 8 Mostify — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 9 Fillaro – Contact Form, Survey & Drag and Drop Form Builder — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 10 Image Generator – AI Auto Featured Images, Thumbnails & Post Images 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 ↓1 11 Kabook Editor Tools 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 4 too high 12 S Shamor — Shabbat & Holiday Site Blocker — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 ↓1 1 too high 13 Orbem Studio — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 ↓1 1 too high 14 Waldbrandgefahrenstufen 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 ↓1 15 VizProof Timeline — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↓1 1 too low 16 Ananyoo Accessible Forms – Contact Form & Entry Storage 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 ↓1 1 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.