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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “gf validation”

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 “gf validation”, we and wp.org disagree 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 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

GF IR Mobile add-on shows at wp.org #4 but places #11 on merit, a gap of 7 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.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Multiple Columns for Gravity Forms 10K+ · 4.5★ (30) wp.org #3 2 too low 2 Real Time Validation For Gravity Forms 500+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 Surbma | Divi & Gravity Forms 9K+ · 5.0★ (21) wp.org #7 4 too low 4 Pods Gravity Forms Add-On 1K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #6 2 too low 5 GravityWP – CSS Selector 4K+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #10 5 too low 6 GF No Duplicates 600+ · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #2 4 too high 7 Restrict Dates Add-On for Gravity Forms 500+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #9 2 too low 8 Gravity Forms Block Email Domains 1K+ · 4.1★ (9) wp.org #12 ↓1 4 too low 9 CheckView – Form & Checkout Testing 1K+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #23 ↓3 14 too low 10 JAY Login & Register 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #11 1 too low 11 GF IR Mobile add-on 80+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #4 7 too high 12 Spark GF Failed Submissions 70+ · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #5 7 too high 13 ABN Lookup for Gravity Forms 100+ · 4.0★ (5) wp.org #21 ↓3 8 too low 14 Enable Turnstile (Cloudflare) for Gravity Forms 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #24 10 too low 15 Advanced Tools for Gravity Forms 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 7 too high 16 Digital Signature For Gravity Forms 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 ↓1 2 too high 17 Multi Uploader for Gravity Forms 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 ↓1 2 too high 18 Import Excel to Gravity Forms 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↓1 2 too high 19 UserCheck 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 ↓1 6 too high 20 Auto Coupon Generate for Gravity Forms 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↓1 3 too high 21 Gravity Booking – Appointment Booking & Scheduling Addon for Gravity Forms 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 3 too high 22 FieldLoops – Repeater Field for Gravity Forms 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 3 too high 23 List Column Required for Gravity Forms — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↓3 3 too high 24 Aviation Company Flight Search & Booking — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 2 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.