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

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 “manipulate”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

WP Consent API shows at wp.org #4 but places #17 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 200K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Beautiful taxonomy filters places #12 on merit, 4.9★ from 68 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 PhastPress 10K+ · 4.9★ (99) wp.org #1 2 NinjaFirewall (WP Edition) – Advanced Security Plugin and Firewall 100K+ · 4.9★ (220) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 WP All Export – Drag & Drop Export to Any Custom CSV, XML & Excel 100K+ · 4.5★ (415) wp.org #7 ↓1 4 too low 4 HookMeUp for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.9★ (7) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 WP Remote Users Sync 6K+ · 4.9★ (73) wp.org #6 ↑10 1 too low 6 FOX – Currency Switcher Professional for WooCommerce 50K+ · 4.4★ (250) wp.org #10 ↓1 4 too low 7 Add to Calendar Button 3K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 WP Webhooks – Automate repetitive tasks by creating powerful automation workflows directly within WordPress 20K+ · 4.7★ (55) wp.org #11 3 too low 9 WOLF – WordPress Posts Bulk Editor and Manager Professional 4K+ · 4.7★ (27) wp.org #8 ↓1 1 too high 10 JetFormBuilder — Dynamic Blocks Form Builder 80K+ · 4.2★ (72) wp.org #14 ↓2 4 too low 11 Sizor Product Size Chart For WooCommerce 6K+ · 4.3★ (32) wp.org #12 ↓2 1 too low 12 Beautiful taxonomy filters 2K+ · 4.9★ (68) wp.org #21 9 too low 13 European VAT Compliance Assistant for WooCommerce 3K+ · 4.8★ (26) wp.org #17 4 too low 14 J Cart Upsell and Cross-sell for WooCommerce 200+ · 5.0★ (13) wp.org #20 6 too low 15 Post Status Notifier Lite 700+ · 3.9★ (17) wp.org #15 ↓1 16 Pure Metafields 10K+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #13 ↑2 3 too high 17 WP Consent API 200K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #4 13 too high 18 WPCS – WordPress Currency Switcher Professional 800+ · 4.1★ (13) wp.org #19 1 too low 19 WP Data Sync 100+ · 3.8★ (5) wp.org #16 ↓3 3 too high 20 Scroll To Top 300+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #9 ↓1 11 too high 21 B bbP Auto Block Spammers 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 3 too high 22 Cetelem Payment Gateway 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #23 ↓1 1 too low 23 Beaver Charts – Beaver Builder Chart Module 80+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 Mux Video Uploader 100+ · 4.0★ (2) wp.org #22 ↑1 2 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.