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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “order alert”

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 “order alert”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Instant Order Notification for WooCommerce – Get Audio Alert on new Orders shows at wp.org #12 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 50+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.7★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Cart Abandonment Recovery for WooCommerce – Recover Lost Sales with Automated Emails places #12 on merit, 4.8★ from 626 reviews, but shows at wp.org #20. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) wp.org #1 2 Post SMTP – Complete Email Delivery and SMTP Solution with Email Logs, Alerts, Backup SMTP & Mobile App 300K+ · 4.7★ (528) wp.org #3 ↓1 1 too low 3 SMS Alert – SMS Notifications & OTP Login, COD Verification, Abandoned Cart Recovery 3K+ · 4.6★ (35) wp.org #2 ↑2 1 too high 4 WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833) wp.org #7 ↓1 3 too low 5 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) wp.org #8 ↑4 3 too low 6 CWILL (Formerly ParcelPanel) – Shipment Tracking, Tracking & Order Tracking for WooCommerce 7K+ · 4.9★ (538) wp.org #10 ↑1 4 too low 7 Order Tracking – WordPress Status Tracking Plugin 3K+ · 4.6★ (73) wp.org #6 ↑1 1 too high 8 New Order Notification for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.4★ (14) wp.org #4 ↑4 4 too high 9 Intuitive Custom Post Order 400K+ · 4.4★ (139) wp.org #11 ↑1 2 too low 10 Order Tip for WooCommerce 2K+ · 4.3★ (16) wp.org #5 ↑4 5 too high 11 Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408) wp.org #13 2 too low 12 Cart Abandonment Recovery for WooCommerce – Recover Lost Sales with Automated Emails 300K+ · 4.8★ (626) wp.org #20 8 too low 13 Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423) wp.org #22 9 too low 14 Notification – Custom Notifications and Alerts for WordPress 10K+ · 4.6★ (124) wp.org #17 ↑2 3 too low 15 All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720) wp.org #23 ↓2 8 too low 16 Notifima – WooCommerce Stock Manager, Inventory Management, Waitlist 2K+ · 4.4★ (46) wp.org #14 2 too high 17 Order on Mobile for WooCommerce 7K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #9 ↓3 8 too high 18 WebToffee EU Order Withdrawal Button for WooCommerce 1K+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #18 19 Order Limit for WooCommerce (Free Version) 800+ · 4.2★ (13) wp.org #15 ↑1 4 too high 20 OrderConvo – Vendor & Customer Messages After Orders 200+ · 4.6★ (22) wp.org #24 4 too low 21 Instant Order Notification for WooCommerce – Get Audio Alert on new Orders 50+ · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #12 ↑3 9 too high 22 VK Blocks 100K+ · 4.8★ (6) wp.org #19 ↑4 3 too high 23 Order Tags or Order Label for WooCommerce 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #16 ↑1 7 too high 24 ChaChing – New Order Notifications for WooCommerce 90+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 ↑1 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.