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

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 “microformat”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 16 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

MF2 Feeds shows at wp.org #9 but places #17 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 30+ 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.

U

Buried gem

Ultimate Posts Widget places #7 on merit, 4.5★ from 55 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 W WP Customer Reviews 20K+ · 4.3★ (528) wp.org #1 2 Starbox – the Author Box for Humans 10K+ · 4.5★ (203) wp.org #6 4 too low 3 Leaflet Maps Marker (Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Bing Maps) 9K+ · 4.6★ (244) wp.org #8 5 too low 4 ShieldClimb – Remove Hentry and Hatom 60+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 Seed Buddhist Year 3K+ · 4.9★ (11) wp.org #7 2 too low 6 Game Review Block 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #3 3 too high 7 U Ultimate Posts Widget 10K+ · 4.5★ (55) wp.org #19 12 too low 8 I IndieBlocks 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #5 3 too high 9 FV Simpler SEO 2K+ · 4.6★ (12) wp.org #14 5 too low 10 oik 2K+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #4 6 too high 11 Webmention 900+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #18 7 too low 12 IndieWeb 600+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #16 4 too low 13 Diverse Solutions IDX Real Estate Listings & MLS Search 1K+ · 3.2★ (66) wp.org #20 7 too low 14 Post Kinds 100+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #17 3 too low 15 A Author Product Review 50+ · 4.8★ (9) wp.org #21 6 too low 16 Micropub 200+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #15 1 too high 17 MF2 Feeds 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 8 too high 18 Post Kinds for IndieWeb in Block Themes 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 ↑2 8 too high 19 OpenWeb Icons — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 ↓1 8 too high 20 Buff Chat UI for Contact Form 7 — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 ↓1 8 too high 21 kobak social: share posts to Mastodon and Bluesky — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 8 too high 22 Yarns Microsub Server 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #22 23 Romence — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 24 DMValdez Semantic Engine — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24

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.