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

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 “indieweb”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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

Shortnotes shows at wp.org #14 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 10+ 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 IndieWeb 600+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #1 2 ActivityPub 6K+ · 4.9★ (40) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 WebSub (FKA. PubSubHubbub) 100K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 Webmention 900+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #6 2 too low 5 IndieAuth 400+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 Syndication Links 300+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #7 1 too low 7 Micropub 200+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 Post Kinds 100+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #11 3 too low 9 I IndieBlocks 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #9 10 Simple Location 300+ · 4.6★ (8) wp.org #19 9 too low 11 MF2 Feeds 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 3 too high 12 K Keyring Social Importers 70+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #18 6 too low 13 Post Kinds for IndieWeb in Block Themes — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 3 too high 14 ShareOpenly 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 2 too high 15 OpenWeb Icons — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 2 too high 16 Yarns Microsub Server 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #20 4 too low 17 Now Page via OMG.lol Connector — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 2 too high 18 Microformats 2 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #22 4 too low 19 kobak social: share posts to Mastodon and Bluesky — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 3 too high 20 Shortnotes 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 6 too high 21 I IndieWeb Press This 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 4 too high 22 Post Formats for Block Themes — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 1 too high 23 Aperture 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 24 K Keyring Reactions Importer 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24

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.