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

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 “fouc”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Popup for Elementor shows at wp.org #12 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 1K+ 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

Blocksy Companion places #3 on merit, 4.7★ from 93 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 Syntax-highlighting Code Block (with Server-side Rendering) 1K+ · 5.0★ (26) wp.org #1 2 Portfolio Filter Gallery – Photo Gallery 20K+ · 4.8★ (348) wp.org #10 8 too low 3 Blocksy Companion 300K+ · 4.7★ (93) wp.org #13 10 too low 4 AboveWP Admin Dark Mode 90+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 LA-Studio Element Kit for Elementor 10K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #8 3 too low 6 Header Footer Builder for Elementor 30K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #9 3 too low 7 WGRank Translate – Fast & Indexable Multilingual Translation — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #3 4 too high 8 Site Grayscale Toggle 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #4 4 too high 9 Calorie Calculator 100+ · 3.4★ (10) wp.org #15 6 too low 10 Joynal Dark Mode Switcher — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #5 5 too high 11 Social Profile Frame Generator – Custom Social Media Frames Creator 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #14 3 too low 12 RobArt CatchNet — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 6 too high 13 Under The Weather 60+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #16 3 too low 14 Share Christmas – Tunes and Decorations 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 7 too high 15 Beplus Performance Booster — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 4 too high 16 BundlePress – Advanced Grouped Product Bundle Builder for WooCommerce, Fixed Bundle, Volume Pricing, Buy X Get Y, Frequently Bought Together 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #18 2 too low 17 Avosist Chatbot — · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #19 2 too low 18 jAlbum Gallery Block 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 1 too high 19 Markdown Renderer for GitHub 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 Softech Addons for Elementor 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 1 too low 21 Tangleout — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 2 too low 22 Anka Quote Basket for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 2 too low 23 Savanto – AI Search & Chat — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 1 too high 24 Popup for Elementor 1K+ · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #12 12 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.