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

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 “grooming”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 3 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

Essential Content Types shows at wp.org #1 but places #5 on merit, a gap of 4 places. Its 20K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.7★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Fluent Booking – The Ultimate Appointments Scheduling, Events Booking, Events Calendar Solution 20K+ · 4.7★ (46) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 Appointment Booking Plugin – LatePoint | Calendar & Scheduling for WordPress 100K+ · 4.9★ (106) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 WP Maps – Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Mapbox, Store Locator with Search, Filters & Listings 60K+ · 4.3★ (122) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Custom Contact Forms 6K+ · 3.5★ (171) wp.org #7 ↑1 3 too low 5 Essential Content Types 20K+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #1 4 too high 6 Booktics – Appointment Booking Calendar for Service Businesses 700+ · 4.2★ (13) wp.org #8 ↑1 2 too low 7 SUBRE – Product Subscription for WooCommerce – Recurring Payments 200+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 Business Card Block – present your team and contact info in style 1K+ · 4.3★ (4) wp.org #6 ↑1 2 too high 9 Easy Map – Store Locator, OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Mapbox 50+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #10 ↑2 1 too low 10 ModuleFest Pet Groomer – Pet Grooming Business Manager — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 1 too low 11 Bookingor – Booking System and Appointment Booking Calendar, Meeting Scheduling & WooCommerce 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 ↑1 2 too high 12 Schednex Appointment Booking – Appointment Booking Scheduling System 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 13 KennelFlow Groom — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 14 Kairomi — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 15 Face Analysis Quiz & Age Guesser Widget — Interactive Content by RealSmile — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 ↓1 16 Bookiso – Multipurpose Service Appointment Booking & Form Builder — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↓1 17 KennelFlow Boarding — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 ↓1 1 too low 18 Book'd by WooNinjas — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓1 1 too low 19 Slotwise – Multi-Purpose Booking & Appointments — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↓1 1 too low 20 ModuleFest Cron Monitor – Scheduled Task Control Tower — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 1 too low 21 Schedopia – Appointment Booking, Events & Seat Reservations — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 ↓1 4 too high 22 KennelFlow Core — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↓2 23 Buildora File Attachment — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓2 24 KennelFlow Vet — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓2

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.