wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “invalid traffic”
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 “invalid traffic”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20.
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
Invalid Traffic Blocker shows at wp.org #4 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 18 places. Its 40+ 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.
Buried gem
Post Views Counter places #12 on merit, 4.9★ from 1236 reviews, but shows at wp.org #16. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
All in One SEO – AI SEO Plugin to Boost SEO Rankings & Traffic (Schema, Local SEO, Sitemap & SEO Insights) 2M+ · 4.7★ (5231) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #1 2 
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint
wp.org #2 3 
Ad Invalid Click Protector (AICP) 10K+ · 4.7★ (62)
wp.org #3 4 
Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962)
wp.org #7 ↓1 3 too low 5 
Ad Inserter – Ad Manager & AdSense Ads 300K+ · 4.9★ (2433)
wp.org #8 3 too low 6 
Visitor Traffic Real Time Statistics 30K+ · 4.1★ (233)
wp.org #5 ↓1 1 too high 7 
Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408)
wp.org #6 ↓1 1 too high 8 
UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8706)
wp.org #11 3 too low 9 
Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397)
wp.org #10 ↓1 1 too low 10 
PrettyLinks – Affiliate Link Management, URL Shortener, Link Cloaking, Tracking & Branded Short Links 200K+ · 4.8★ (1322)
wp.org #13 ↓1 3 too low 11 
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2143)
wp.org #14 3 too low 12 Post Views Counter 100K+ · 4.9★ (1236)
wp.org #16 ↑2 4 too low 13 
WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (759)
wp.org #12 ↑1 1 too high 14 
301 Redirects – Redirect Manager 300K+ · 4.7★ (578)
wp.org #18 ↓2 4 too low 15 
PixelYourSite – Your smart PIXEL (TAG) & API Manager 400K+ · 4.3★ (281)
wp.org #15 ↑2 16 
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720)
wp.org #23 7 too low 17 
NinjaFirewall (WP Edition) – Advanced Security Plugin and Firewall 100K+ · 4.9★ (220) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #20 ↓1 3 too low 18 
Advanced IP Blocker 3K+ · 4.9★ (27)
wp.org #19 ↑2 1 too low 19 
Event Genius – Event Calendar, Event Registration, and Attendee Management 600+ · 4.8★ (17) thin reviews
wp.org #17 ↓2 2 too high 20 
Beehive Analytics – Google Analytics Dashboard 20K+ · 4.5★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #22 2 too low 21 
ClickCease Click Fraud Protection 10K+ · 3.0★ (8) thin reviews
wp.org #9 ↑1 12 too high 22 Invalid Traffic Blocker 40+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #4 ↑3 18 too high 23 
Veracity Bot Detection Tag for WordPress 20+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #24 ↓1 1 too low 24 
BudgetGuard 20+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #21 ↓1 3 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.