wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “multiple posts”

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 “multiple posts”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20. 4 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

Multiple Post Passwords shows at wp.org #10 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 2K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 11 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Simple Custom Post Order places #12 on merit, 4.8★ from 587 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Duplicate Post 300K+ · 4.9★ (1623) wp.org #3 2 too low 2

Post Types Order 600K+ · 4.5★ (296) wp.org #2 3

WP Create Multiple Posts & Pages 1K+ · 4.9★ (10) thin reviews wp.org #1 2 too high 4

Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed 5M+ · 4.2★ (1012) wp.org #5 ↑1 6

Drag and Drop Multiple File Upload for Contact Form 7 60K+ · 4.8★ (94) wp.org #6 ↓1 7

Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails 100K+ · 4.8★ (215) wp.org #9 10

Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager 90K+ · 5.0★ (1525) wp.org #15 ↓1 5 too low 11

Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5038) heavy footprint wp.org #14 ↑1 3 too low 12

Simple Custom Post Order 300K+ · 4.8★ (587) wp.org #18 ↑5 6 too low 13

User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End 10K+ · 4.8★ (913) wp.org #22 ↓1 9 too low 14

SchedulePress – Auto Post & Publish, Auto Social Share, Schedule Posts with Editorial Calendar & Missed Schedule Post Publisher 10K+ · 4.6★ (201) wp.org #17 3 too low 15

Co-Authors, Multiple Authors and Guest Authors in an Author Box with PublishPress Authors 20K+ · 4.9★ (114) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #11 4 too high 16

Category Posts Block 40K+ · 4.5★ (79) wp.org #16 1 too high 18

Delete Duplicate Posts 10K+ · 4.8★ (153) wp.org #21 ↓1 3 too low 19

Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) not PHP-currentheavy footprint wp.org #24 5 too low 20

Multiple Post Passwords 2K+ · 5.0★ (11) thin reviews wp.org #10 10 too high 21

MainWP Child – Securely Connects to the MainWP Dashboard to Manage Multiple Sites 700K+ · 5.0★ (71) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #12 ↑1 9 too high 22

Post Duplicator 200K+ · 4.8★ (80) wp.org #23 ↓1 24

Multiple Domain Mapping on Single Site 6K+ · 4.6★ (48) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #19 ↓1 5 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.