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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “highlight.js”

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 “highlight.js”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 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

HI Theme Toolkit shows at wp.org #11 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 7 places. Its — 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 Syntax-highlighting Code Block (with Server-side Rendering) 1K+ · 5.0★ (26) wp.org #1 2 Vaaky Highlighter — Syntax Highlighter, Code Blocks, Line Numbers for Gutenberg 10+ · 4.5★ (2) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Markdown Shortcode 80+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 Copy Anything to Clipboard for WordPress – Copy Button, Copy Text & Copy Code 10K+ · 4.5★ (36) wp.org #24 20 too low 5 Sticky Copy Button for Code Blocks 50+ · 4.5★ (2) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 PressedMail – Email Client, Inbox & Webmail 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #6 7 CC-Syntax-Highlight 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 5 too high 8 Markup Markdown 1K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #23 15 too low 9 R REST API Log 5K+ · 3.6★ (24) wp.org #20 11 too low 10 Easy Syntax Highlighter 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 3 too high 11 Syntax Highlight Nano 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 3 too high 12 LumiCode Syntax Highlighter 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 3 too high 13 Code Syntax Highlighting Block 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 3 too high 14 Dark Code 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 2 too high 15 YAHMAN Add-ons 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #21 6 too low 16 Simple Code Block Highlighter — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 3 too high 17 Kodosvet Code Block — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 3 too high 18 HI Theme Toolkit — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #11 7 too high 19 KDA Custom Editor Buttons — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 4 too high 20 4WP Advanced Code — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 4 too high 21 AI Tool Center — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 4 too high 22 ChatProjects — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 4 too high 23 Clipboard Snippet Copier — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 4 too high 24 NV oOS Docs Hub — · 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.