wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “mouse click”
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 “mouse click”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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
Animated Mouse Cursor Trail shows at wp.org #4 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 18 places. Its 100+ 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
WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More places #10 on merit, 4.8★ from 14387 reviews, but shows at wp.org #22. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Ad Invalid Click Protector (AICP) 10K+ · 4.7★ (62)
wp.org #1 2 
WP Content Copy Protection & No Right Click 100K+ · 4.8★ (1138)
wp.org #2 ↑1 3 
WP Rollback – Rollback Plugins and Themes 200K+ · 4.9★ (215)
wp.org #3 ↓1 4 
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2144)
wp.org #5 1 too low 5 
Premium Addons for Elementor – AI-Ready Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 600K+ · 4.9★ (1680)
wp.org #6 1 too low 6 
Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) not PHP-current
wp.org #7 1 too low 7 
WP Encryption: Easy HTTPS / SSL & Free SSL certificate, HTTPS redirect 50K+ · 4.9★ (1146)
wp.org #13 6 too low 8 
Optin Forms – Simple List Building Plugin for WordPress 2K+ · 4.6★ (72)
wp.org #8 9 B Before After Image Comparison Slider for Elementor 10K+ · 4.4★ (96)
wp.org #11 2 too low 10 WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387)
wp.org #22 ↓1 12 too low 11 
The SEO Framework – Fast, Automated, Effortless. 200K+ · 4.9★ (380) not PHP-current
wp.org #14 ↑2 3 too low 12 
PixelYourSite – Your smart PIXEL (TAG) & API Manager 400K+ · 4.3★ (281)
wp.org #15 ↑7 3 too low 13 
ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051)
wp.org #23 ↑1 10 too low 14 
Tracking Code Manager 90K+ · 4.1★ (58)
wp.org #12 2 too high 15 
Ultimate Before After Image Slider & Gallery – BEAF 30K+ · 4.9★ (107)
wp.org #20 ↓5 5 too low 16 
Flying Pages: Preload Pages for Faster Navigation & Improved User Experience 20K+ · 4.9★ (79)
wp.org #19 ↓1 3 too low 17 
Dynamic Widgets 10K+ · 4.7★ (109)
wp.org #21 ↓2 4 too low 18 
Advanced WordPress Backgrounds 30K+ · 4.8★ (44)
wp.org #16 ↑4 2 too high 19 
Block Animations, Motion & Scroll Effects – Ghost Kit 6K+ · 4.6★ (46) heavy footprint
wp.org #24 5 too low 20 
Extensions for Leaflet Map 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #18 ↓1 2 too high 21 
One Click Close Comments 5K+ · 4.9★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #17 ↓3 4 too high 22 Animated Mouse Cursor Trail 100+ · 3.7★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #4 18 too high 23 
Virusdie | One-click website security 2K+ · 4.0★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #10 13 too high 24 
Right Click Disable for Secure 60+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #9 15 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.