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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “loop user”

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 “loop user”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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

Query Loop Load More shows at wp.org #10 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 900+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Unlimited Elements for Elementor places #12 on merit, 4.8★ from 525 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor 40K+ · 4.7★ (738) wp.org #1 2 User Registration & Membership – Free & Paid Memberships, Subscriptions, Content Restriction, User Profile, Custom User Registration & Login Builder 50K+ · 4.8★ (832) wp.org #2 3 Ultimate Member – User Profile, Registration, Login, Member Directory, Content Restriction & Membership Plugin 200K+ · 4.4★ (1445) wp.org #3 ↓2 4 Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281) wp.org #4 5 WP User Manager – Registration Form, Login Form, User Profile Builder & Member Directory 10K+ · 4.7★ (350) wp.org #5 ↓2 6 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) wp.org #7 ↓1 1 too low 7 Open User Map – Interactive Leaflet Maps 10K+ · 5.0★ (70) wp.org #8 1 too low 8 One User Avatar | User Profile Picture 100K+ · 4.7★ (41) wp.org #6 ↓2 2 too high 9 Import and export users and customers 70K+ · 4.7★ (259) wp.org #11 ↓1 2 too low 10 User Access Manager 10K+ · 4.4★ (112) wp.org #9 ↓4 1 too high 11 Spectra Legacy – Gutenberg Blocks 1M+ · 4.7★ (1872) wp.org #15 ↓2 4 too low 12 Unlimited Elements for Elementor 300K+ · 4.8★ (525) wp.org #21 ↓4 9 too low 13 LiteSpeed Cache 7M+ · 4.8★ (2778) wp.org #23 ↓4 10 too low 14 GenerateBlocks 200K+ · 4.9★ (122) wp.org #17 ↓3 3 too low 15 Kadence Blocks — Page Builder Toolkit for Gutenberg Editor 600K+ · 4.8★ (333) wp.org #16 ↓1 1 too low 16 ECS – Ele Custom Skin for Elementor 100K+ · 4.6★ (117) wp.org #18 2 too low 17 Tangible: Loops & Logic 2K+ · 4.9★ (39) wp.org #14 ↓2 3 too high 18 WP Social Ninja – Embed Social Feeds, User Reviews & Chat Widgets 30K+ · 4.8★ (71) wp.org #22 ↑2 4 too low 19 All 404 Redirect to Homepage 200K+ · 4.1★ (96) wp.org #24 ↓4 5 too low 20 aBlocks – Gutenberg Blocks, User Dashboard Builder, Popup Builder, Form Builder & Animation Builder 2K+ · 5.0★ (26) wp.org #20 21 Query Loop Post Selector 600+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #12 ↓3 9 too high 22 Loop Grid Extender for Elementor – ACF Repeater & Smart Filters 1K+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #13 ↓2 9 too high 23 Query Loop Load More 900+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #10 ↓3 13 too high 24 WP User Activity 200+ · 3.3★ (8) wp.org #19 ↓3 5 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.