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

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 “moderation”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 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

Comment Moderation Role by WPBeginner shows at wp.org #4 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 18 places. Its 200+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.7★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Customize WordPress Emails and Alerts – Better Notifications for WP places #8 on merit, 4.8★ from 184 reviews, but shows at wp.org #14. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 bbPress 100K+ · 3.9★ (343) wp.org #1 2 Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots 10K+ · 4.8★ (142) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 AI Engine – MCP Server & AI Chatbot for WordPress, with Claude, ChatGPT & Gemini 90K+ · 4.9★ (874) wp.org #5 ↑5 2 too low 4 Anti-Spam, Spam FireWall by CleanTalk 200K+ · 4.8★ (3220) wp.org #8 4 too low 5 Easy Social Feed – All In One Social Feed Plugin for WordPress 30K+ · 4.6★ (502) wp.org #7 ↑4 2 too low 6 wpForo Forum 20K+ · 4.7★ (390) wp.org #9 ↓4 3 too low 7 Comment Moderation/Notification Recipients 1K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #2 5 too high 8 Customize WordPress Emails and Alerts – Better Notifications for WP 30K+ · 4.8★ (184) wp.org #14 ↓7 6 too low 9 Comments – wpDiscuz 60K+ · 4.7★ (581) wp.org #11 ↓3 2 too low 10 PublishPress Revisions: Duplicate Posts, Submit, Approve and Schedule Content Changes 10K+ · 4.6★ (66) wp.org #13 3 too low 11 Schedule Post Changes With PublishPress Future: Unpublish, Delete, Change Status, Trash, Change Categories 100K+ · 4.5★ (172) wp.org #17 6 too low 12 WPZOOM Social Feed Widget & Block 50K+ · 4.3★ (51) wp.org #12 ↓3 13 bbp style pack 6K+ · 4.9★ (100) wp.org #18 ↓2 5 too low 14 FooGallery Photo Gallery : Image, Video & Masonry Galleries 100K+ · 4.8★ (995) wp.org #24 ↓6 10 too low 15 AI 60K+ · 4.2★ (10) wp.org #6 ↑8 9 too high 16 Theme My Login 50K+ · 3.7★ (460) wp.org #19 ↓7 3 too low 17 Reviews Widgets for Google, TripAdvisor, Yelp & Recommendations 10K+ · 4.9★ (326) wp.org #20 3 too low 18 Co-Authors, Multiple Authors and Guest Authors in an Author Box with PublishPress Authors 20K+ · 4.9★ (114) wp.org #21 3 too low 19 Disqus Comment System 30K+ · 2.7★ (219) wp.org #15 4 too high 20 Genial Comments 4K+ · 4.8★ (20) wp.org #22 2 too low 21 Moderation API: Automated Content Moderation 10+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #10 ↓4 11 too high 22 Comment Moderation Role by WPBeginner 200+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #4 18 too high 23 BuddyForms Moderation ( Former: Review Logic ) 30+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #16 ↑7 7 too high 24 WP Comment Notification 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #23 ↓4 1 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.