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

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 “linebreaks”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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

Lineate — Poetry Blocks shows at wp.org #3 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Open User Map – Interactive Leaflet Maps places #10 on merit, 5.0★ from 70 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 CSV Importer 3K+ · 4.2★ (28) wp.org #1 2 WP YouTube Lyte 20K+ · 4.8★ (206) wp.org #7 5 too low 3 Get Use APIs – JSON Content Importer 5K+ · 4.9★ (78) wp.org #6 3 too low 4 T Translation with DeepL API 3K+ · 4.0★ (29) wp.org #4 5 Einsatzverwaltung 1K+ · 4.9★ (17) wp.org #5 6 Name Directory 2K+ · 4.9★ (81) wp.org #10 4 too low 7 Mapster WP Maps 3K+ · 4.9★ (54) wp.org #9 2 too low 8 C ClearBoth 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #2 6 too high 9 Create Block Theme 20K+ · 4.8★ (38) wp.org #11 2 too low 10 Open User Map – Interactive Leaflet Maps 10K+ · 5.0★ (70) wp.org #17 7 too low 11 Pastacode 400+ · 4.9★ (14) wp.org #13 2 too low 12 RPB Chessboard 1K+ · 4.8★ (20) wp.org #15 3 too low 13 ElasticPress 8K+ · 4.2★ (30) wp.org #16 3 too low 14 Analytics Spam Blocker 800+ · 3.9★ (14) wp.org #12 2 too high 15 Lineate — Poetry Blocks 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #3 12 too high 16 Simple Google Calendar Outlook Events Widget 1K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #14 2 too high 17 MyParcel 8K+ · 3.9★ (48) wp.org #21 4 too low 18 WPC Product Tabs for WooCommerce 800+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #8 10 too high 19 Auto Featured Image from Title 1K+ · 4.5★ (11) wp.org #24 5 too low 20 WP ADA Compliance Check Basic 2K+ · 4.5★ (8) wp.org #19 1 too high 21 LaTeX2HTML 200+ · 4.8★ (9) wp.org #22 1 too low 22 Contact Forms 7 Digital Signature Add-On 300+ · 2.6★ (5) wp.org #23 1 too low 23 Benchmark Email Lite 1K+ · 4.0★ (3) wp.org #20 3 too high 24 F Formategory 10+ · 5.0★ (1) 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.