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← Rankings

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

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 “noreferrer”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 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

Extend Link shows at wp.org #5 but places #13 on merit, a gap of 8 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 #3 on merit, 5.0★ from 57 reviews, but shows at wp.org #9. 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 #2 ↓1 1 too low 2 WP EXtra – One Click Optimize 6K+ · 4.9★ (41) wp.org #8 6 too low 3 Meta Field Block – Display Custom Fields for ACF, Meta Box and More 10K+ · 5.0★ (57) wp.org #9 6 too low 4 Leaving Notice Popup For External Links – nofollow, noopener & New Tab 200+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 External Links Manager – Open new window in a new tab + nofollow, noreferrer 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #1 ↑1 4 too high 6 Target Blank to Button Block 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #4 2 too high 7 SU Blocks – Blogcard 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #7 8 Joli FAQ SEO – WordPress FAQ Plugin 600+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #11 ↑1 3 too low 9 Madquick WP Legal Pages – One Click, 100% Free 600+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #10 1 too low 10 Codious External Links Opener 10+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #13 ↓2 3 too low 11 Hotlink File Prevention 600+ · 4.9★ (7) wp.org #21 10 too low 12 REST API blocks 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 6 too high 13 Extend Link 1K+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #5 8 too high 14 Customize External Links and add Icon 200+ · 3.7★ (6) wp.org #15 1 too low 15 SheetMirror for Google Sheets 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #18 ↑1 3 too low 16 WebberZone Link Warnings 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 ↑1 4 too high 17 ID Image Ad Popup & Roadblock 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 3 too high 18 DraftSEO.ai 80+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓3 1 too low 19 Auto External Link Nofollow 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #16 ↑1 3 too high 20 Pirajki Auto Linker 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 2 too low 21 Mevabi – Related Posts Inline 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 3 too low 22 Breezy 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↑1 5 too high 23 Simon's Auto Keyword Linker 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 3 too high 24 Sticky Social Icons 10+ · 1.0★ (1) 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.