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← Rankings

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

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 “names”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 16 of the top 20. 2 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

Auto Capitalize & UPPERCASE Names and Addresses shows at wp.org #4 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 50+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager places #8 on merit, 5.0★ from 1525 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Cyrlitera – Transliteration of Links and File Names 40K+ · 4.6★ (62) wp.org #1 2 Name Directory 2K+ · 4.9★ (81) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962) wp.org #7 4 too low 4 Cyr to Lat Reloaded – Transliteration of Links and File Names 30K+ · 4.5★ (15) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 TranslatePress – Translate Multilingual sites with AI Translation 400K+ · 4.7★ (1667) wp.org #15 ↓2 10 too low 6 Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2143) wp.org #16 ↓2 10 too low 7 Show Current Template 100K+ · 5.0★ (71) wp.org #10 ↓1 3 too low 8 Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager 90K+ · 5.0★ (1525) wp.org #21 13 too low 9 Force First and Last Name as Display Name 2K+ · 4.3★ (18) wp.org #5 4 too high 10 Widgets for Google Reviews 1M+ · 4.9★ (2667) wp.org #18 8 too low 11 Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1668) wp.org #17 ↑2 6 too low 12 GTM4WP – A Google Tag Manager (GTM) plugin for WordPress 700K+ · 4.5★ (155) wp.org #14 ↓2 2 too low 13 WPC Name Your Price for WooCommerce 6K+ · 4.4★ (19) wp.org #6 7 too high 14 ( (Simply) Guest Author Name 2K+ · 4.7★ (23) wp.org #11 3 too high 15 Product Open Pricing (Name Your Price) for WooCommerce 6K+ · 4.1★ (19) wp.org #9 ↑1 6 too high 16 Auto Capitalize & UPPERCASE Names and Addresses 50+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #4 12 too high 17 Cyr to Lat Enhanced 80K+ · 4.6★ (51) wp.org #22 5 too low 18 Code Snippets 1M+ · 4.7★ (510) wp.org #24 6 too low 19 FOX – Currency Switcher Professional for WooCommerce 50K+ · 4.4★ (250) wp.org #23 ↓5 4 too low 20 List More Custom Field Names 70+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #8 12 too high 21 Smart Custom Display Name 200+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #13 8 too high 22 Rename WP Media Files Name 500+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #12 ↑3 10 too high 23 Change Sender Email – From Name and From Address 500+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #19 ↑1 4 too high 24 ELEX WooCommerce Name Your Price 500+ · 4.3★ (8) wp.org #20 ↑1 4 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.