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

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 “impressum”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 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

AdSimple Cookie Consent Banner shows at wp.org #12 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 7 places. Its 700+ 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 Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1658) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 Impressum 4K+ · 3.7★ (6) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 Legal Text Connector of the IT-Recht Kanzlei 10K+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 exovia GDPR Google Maps 4K+ · 4.6★ (11) wp.org #7 3 too low 5 avalex – Automatisch sichere Rechtstexte 900+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #3 2 too high 6 PrivacyBee – Datenschutz im Autopilot 700+ · 4.4★ (5) wp.org #5 1 too high 7 AWEOS Google Maps iframe load per click 3K+ · 4.7★ (10) wp.org #13 ↓1 6 too low 8 getLaw WP API Client 600+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 2 too high 9 exovia YouTube DSGVO 90+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #14 5 too low 10 muv – Hide Preview 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #15 5 too low 11 Janolaw AGB Hosting 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 ↑1 3 too high 12 W wpShopGermany IT-RECHT KANZLEI 500+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 1 too high 13 Private Website – Login Required 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 ↓1 4 too high 14 W wpShopGermany – Protected Shops 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 4 too high 15 CookiePeak – Consent Banner — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 5 too low 16 Bastora Security Audit 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #16 17 Gulo Link-in-Bio 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓1 4 too low 18 KaaTai Consent Manager 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↓1 4 too low 19 AdSimple Cookie Consent Banner 700+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 ↑1 7 too high 20 MÜLLweg! DE 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓1 3 too low 21 H Haendlerbund API 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓1 3 too low 22 AWEOS WP Lock 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 5 too high 23 AWEOS PHP Server Info 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 4 too high 24 Mail Nachricht 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 6 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.