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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “graphql rest api”

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 “graphql rest api”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20. 5 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

Parse.ly shows at wp.org #11 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 1K+ 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

Event Espresso – Event Registration & Ticketing Sales places #6 on merit, 4.4★ from 136 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 WPGraphQL 30K+ · 4.9★ (48) wp.org #1 2 Custom API for WP 1K+ · 4.8★ (45) wp.org #2 3 Table Field Add-on for ACF and SCF 50K+ · 4.9★ (60) wp.org #4 ↓1 1 too low 4 Advanced Custom Fields: Font Awesome Field 90K+ · 4.9★ (36) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 Better Font Awesome 60K+ · 4.5★ (88) wp.org #7 ↓1 2 too low 6 Event Espresso – Event Registration & Ticketing Sales 500+ · 4.4★ (136) wp.org #13 ↓1 7 too low 7 Faust.js 1K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #6 ↓2 1 too high 8 User Profile Picture – Custom Local Avatars 4K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #3 5 too high 9 Frontend View For Headless CMS 100+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #8 1 too high 10 Headless Mode 2K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #17 ↓1 7 too low 11 Products Showcase – Shopify Integration 100+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #23 ↓3 12 too low 12 AJ Agent Crawl Optimizer – AI Readiness Scanner & llms.txt for WordPress 30+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #21 ↑1 9 too low 13 Stellate 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 ↓2 4 too high 14 Rankology SEO and Analytics Tool 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 ↓1 4 too high 15 Dropndot Post Subtitle 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↓1 1 too low 16 WPGraphQL IDE 1K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 ↓1 4 too high 17 EssentialHeaders 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 ↓1 1 too low 18 Headless Login Guard — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 ↓1 4 too high 19 ShopMobi – API Optimizer for WooCommerce — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 ↓1 4 too high 20 Code and core Headless Fast API – Standalone, cacheable REST endpoints that skip the core load cycle — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↓1 21 Parse.ly 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #11 ↓1 10 too high 22 Conversion Agent Discovery 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↑1 23 I Invizo Headless Mode 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 W2S – WooCommerce to Shopify Sync 80+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #19 ↓1 5 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.