wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “insert pages”
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 “insert pages”, 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
Insert Headers and Footers Code – HT Script shows at wp.org #12 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 7K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 8 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
TablePress – Tables in WordPress made easy places #12 on merit, 5.0★ from 4625 reviews, but shows at wp.org #20. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
WPCode – Insert Headers and Footers + Custom Code Snippets – WordPress Code Manager 3M+ · 4.9★ (1916)
wp.org #2 3 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #3 4 
Insert PHP Code Snippet 90K+ · 4.9★ (707)
wp.org #5 1 too low 5 
Insert Html Snippet 20K+ · 4.9★ (237)
wp.org #6 1 too low 6 
Woody Code Snippets – Insert PHP, CSS, JS, and Header/Footer Scripts 50K+ · 4.5★ (221) not PHP-current
wp.org #4 2 too high 7 
Insert Headers And Footers 200K+ · 5.0★ (135)
wp.org #8 1 too low 8 
AMP for WP – Accelerated Mobile Pages 70K+ · 4.4★ (1319) heavy footprint
wp.org #9 1 too low 9 
Page Builder by SiteOrigin 400K+ · 4.8★ (1005)
wp.org #11 2 too low 10 
Kadence Blocks — Page Builder Toolkit for Gutenberg Editor 600K+ · 4.8★ (333) heavy footprint
wp.org #10 11 
Wp-Insert 9K+ · 4.5★ (142) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #7 4 too high 12 TablePress – Tables in WordPress made easy 600K+ · 5.0★ (4625)
wp.org #20 8 too low 13 
Website Builder by SeedProd — Theme Builder, Landing Page Builder, Coming Soon Page, Maintenance Mode 600K+ · 4.9★ (4699)
wp.org #21 8 too low 14 
Ad Inserter – Ad Manager & AdSense Ads 300K+ · 4.9★ (2433)
wp.org #22 8 too low 15 
Table of Contents Plus – Automatic Table of Contents for Posts & Pages 200K+ · 4.5★ (187)
wp.org #16 1 too low 16 
Page scroll to id 100K+ · 4.9★ (225) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #13 3 too high 17 
CC Child Pages 9K+ · 4.9★ (49)
wp.org #14 3 too high 18 
Otter Blocks – Gutenberg Blocks, Page Builder for Gutenberg Editor & FSE 300K+ · 4.7★ (251) heavy footprint
wp.org #19 1 too low 19 
WP Coder – Insert & Manage Code Snippets 10K+ · 4.9★ (32)
wp.org #24 5 too low 20 
Legal Pages – Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, GDPR, CCPA, and Cookie Notice Generator 8K+ · 4.3★ (29)
wp.org #18 2 too high 21 Insert Headers and Footers Code – HT Script 7K+ · 5.0★ (8) thin reviews
wp.org #12 9 too high 22 
Insert Blocks Before or After Posts Content 1K+ · 4.7★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #17 5 too high 23 S Smart Tag Insert 200+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #23 24 
Ad Auto Insert H 900+ · 5.0★ (1) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #15 9 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.