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

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 “multilevel”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20. 8 plugins are 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

Novalnet Payment Gateway for Easy Digital Downloads shows at wp.org #8 but places #13 on merit, a gap of 5 places. Its 20+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Robo Gallery – Photo & Image Slider places #3 on merit, 4.3★ from 406 reviews, but shows at wp.org #10. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Custom Product Tabs for WooCommerce & WordPress Tabs Builder – Smart Tabs 10K+ · 4.9★ (134) wp.org #2 ↓1 1 too low 2 Multilevel Referral Plugin for WooCommerce 30+ · 3.7★ (6) wp.org #1 ↑1 1 too high 3 Robo Gallery – Photo & Image Slider 40K+ · 4.3★ (406) wp.org #10 7 too low 4 iPages – FlipBook Image & PDF Viewer 2K+ · 3.7★ (7) wp.org #4 5 Multilevel Navigation Menu 400+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #3 2 too high 6 Groovy Menu Plugin (Free) 4K+ · 3.6★ (25) wp.org #12 6 too low 7 Novalnet Payment Gateway for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.3★ (4) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 Navgoco Vertical Multilevel Slide Menu 100+ · 4.0★ (5) wp.org #17 9 too low 9 E Easy Multilevel Nav Menu 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 2 too high 10 PrivateContent Free 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 4 too high 11 Adaptive Login Action — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 2 too high 12 Gravity Forms payment plugin – Novalnet AG 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 1 too high 13 Novalnet Payment Gateway for Easy Digital Downloads 20+ · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #8 5 too high 14 MemberPress payment addon – Novalnet AG — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 1 too high 15 Ultimate WooCommerce Expandable Categories 200+ · 2.7★ (9) wp.org #16 1 too low 16 Orbem Studio — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 1 too high 17 SendBSV BSV Payments for WooCommerce — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 3 too high 18 WAJ Admin Menu — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 19 G GT Push Menu Lite 10+ · 4.0★ (3) wp.org #23 4 too low 20 AccessType — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 21 V VertiMenu — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 2 too high 22 G GeoTheme Advance Search Widget 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 23 G Gambit Cache Menus — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 S swMenu 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 3 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.