Plugin Pulse
← Rankings

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

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 “noopener”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 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

Extend Link shows at wp.org #6 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Meta Field Block – Display Custom Fields for ACF, Meta Box and More places #7 on merit, 5.0★ from 57 reviews, but shows at wp.org #12. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 External Links – nofollow, noopener & new window 90K+ · 4.3★ (247) wp.org #1 2 Affiliate Link Marker 400+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Snippet Shortcodes 4K+ · 4.7★ (25) wp.org #7 4 too low 4 Leaving Notice Popup For External Links – nofollow, noopener & New Tab 300+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 WP EXtra – One Click Optimize 6K+ · 4.9★ (41) wp.org #10 5 too low 6 WPMasterToolKit (WPMTK) – All in one plugin 5K+ · 5.0★ (28) wp.org #9 ↑2 3 too low 7 Meta Field Block – Display Custom Fields for ACF, Meta Box and More 10K+ · 5.0★ (57) wp.org #12 ↑1 5 too low 8 Target Blank to Button Block 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #4 4 too high 9 REST API blocks 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #5 4 too high 10 Codious External Links Opener 10+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #13 ↑1 3 too low 11 Joli FAQ SEO – WordPress FAQ Plugin 600+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #14 ↑1 3 too low 12 SU Blocks – Blogcard 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #11 ↑1 1 too high 13 AffiStyle – Affiliate Product Cards & Box Builder — · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #24 11 too low 14 SmartLink Dynamic URLs 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #16 ↑1 2 too low 15 External Links Manager – Open new window in a new tab + nofollow, noreferrer 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 7 too high 16 Extend Link 1K+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #6 10 too high 17 SGDIEN Contact Footer 40+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #18 1 too low 18 WebberZone Link Warnings 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 ↑1 3 too high 19 DraftSEO.ai 70+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↑1 1 too low 20 ID Image Ad Popup & Roadblock 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 ↑2 3 too high 21 Auto External Link Nofollow 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 ↑1 2 too high 22 Simon's Auto Keyword Linker 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↑1 23 Breezy 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↑1 2 too high 24 External Marketplaces Links for WooCommerce 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 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.