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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “imdb 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 “imdb api”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 of the top 20. 4 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

Movie Engine – OTT Streaming Platform for Movies & TV Series shows at wp.org #3 but places #7 on merit, a gap of 4 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes places #4 on merit, 4.7★ from 326 reviews, but shows at wp.org #8. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 WPZOOM Connect: Social Icons Widget & Block, Share Buttons & Click to Chat 90K+ · 4.9★ (144) wp.org #1 2 GeeK! – Movie & Game Database 70+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #2 3 Speed Contact Bar 4K+ · 4.6★ (56) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes 200K+ · 4.7★ (326) wp.org #8 4 too low 5 Molongui Authorship – Author Boxes, Guest Authors & Co-Authors for WordPress 10K+ · 4.7★ (158) wp.org #9 ↓3 4 too low 6 WidgetKit for Elementor – Lightweight Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 7K+ · 4.5★ (35) wp.org #7 1 too low 7 Movie Engine – OTT Streaming Platform for Movies & TV Series 100+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #3 4 too high 8 CubeWP Framework 3K+ · 4.8★ (12) wp.org #6 ↓1 2 too high 9 Lumière Movies 30+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #5 ↓2 4 too high 10 P Post Ratings 600+ · 4.5★ (23) wp.org #18 ↓1 8 too low 11 My Movie Database 200+ · 4.2★ (9) wp.org #13 ↓1 2 too low 12 Movie Helper 40+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #10 ↓1 2 too high 13 PJ IMDB 10+ · 3.4★ (5) wp.org #15 ↓1 2 too low 14 CineLink Embeds for JustWatch 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 ↓1 3 too high 15 TograStickyElements — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 ↓1 3 too high 16 F13 Movies 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 ↓1 2 too high 17 IMDb API 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↓1 1 too high 18 King Grabber 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↓1 1 too high 19 N NanTuki YiFy-Torrent Adder 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓1 20 F FilmGetter 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↓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.