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← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “http headers”

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 “http headers”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 3 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

GD Security Headers shows at wp.org #8 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.0★ average from 8 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) places #11 on merit, 4.9★ from 8869 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 HTTP Headers 40K+ · 4.3★ (70) wp.org #1 2 WPCode – Insert Headers and Footers + Custom Code Snippets – WordPress Code Manager 3M+ · 4.9★ (1915) wp.org #2 3 WP Encryption: Easy HTTPS / SSL & Free SSL certificate, HTTPS redirect 50K+ · 4.9★ (1146) wp.org #4 ↑4 1 too low 4 Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP 90K+ · 4.8★ (80) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 Ultimate Addons for Elementor – Widgets, Templates, WooCommerce & Header Footer Builder 2M+ · 4.9★ (2528) wp.org #5 ↑1 6 Sticky Menu & Sticky Header 90K+ · 4.7★ (763) wp.org #9 ↓4 3 too low 7 Redirection 2M+ · 4.4★ (703) wp.org #6 ↑3 1 too high 8 WP Force SSL & HTTPS SSL Redirect 80K+ · 4.7★ (179) wp.org #11 ↑1 3 too low 9 Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397) wp.org #15 ↑2 6 too low 10 Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) wp.org #7 ↓3 3 too high 11 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #21 10 too low 12 ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051) wp.org #19 ↑3 7 too low 13 Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) wp.org #18 ↑1 5 too low 14 Easy HTTPS Redirection (SSL) 100K+ · 4.2★ (71) wp.org #14 ↑1 15 Woody Code Snippets – Insert PHP, CSS, JS, and Header/Footer Scripts 50K+ · 4.5★ (221) wp.org #22 7 too low 16 Proxy Cache Purge 50K+ · 4.4★ (26) wp.org #10 ↑1 6 too high 17 Header and Footer Scripts 200K+ · 4.6★ (58) wp.org #23 ↓3 6 too low 18 Insert Headers and Footers Code – HT Script 7K+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #12 ↑1 6 too high 19 JSM Force HTTP to HTTPS / SSL – No Setup, Fast and Reliable 7K+ · 5.0★ (13) wp.org #13 ↑1 6 too high 20 GNU Terry Pratchett 1K+ · 5.0★ (13) wp.org #20 ↓2 21 GD Security Headers 1K+ · 4.0★ (8) wp.org #8 ↓1 13 too high 22 Header Footer Builder for Elementor 30K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #17 ↓7 5 too high 23 HTTP Security Header 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #16 7 too high 24 Security Headers 800+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #24 ↓1

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.