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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “parse error”

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 “parse error”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20.

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

Error Sniffing Pug – Tells you what broke shows at wp.org #5 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

JCH Optimize places #12 on merit, 4.4★ from 69 reviews, but shows at wp.org #24. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 E Error Log Monitor 20K+ · 4.3★ (48) wp.org #1 2 All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (418) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Debug Log Manager – Conveniently Monitor and Inspect Errors 10K+ · 5.0★ (25) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 Post SMTP – Complete Email Delivery and SMTP Solution with Email Logs, Alerts, Backup SMTP & Mobile App 300K+ · 4.7★ (528) wp.org #6 1 too low 6 Glossary 2K+ · 4.7★ (84) wp.org #10 4 too low 7 FSM Custom Featured Image Caption 5K+ · 4.6★ (22) wp.org #8 1 too low 8 CM Tooltip Glossary 7K+ · 4.3★ (157) wp.org #15 7 too low 9 Branda – White Label & Branding, Free Login Page Customizer 10K+ · 4.5★ (30) wp.org #12 ↓1 3 too low 10 WPEPP – Essential Security, Password Protect & Login Page Customizer 3K+ · 4.1★ (19) wp.org #9 1 too high 11 D Display custom fields in the frontend – Post and User Profile Fields 500+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #11 ↑1 12 JCH Optimize 4K+ · 4.4★ (69) wp.org #24 12 too low 13 Enable Abilities for MCP 5K+ · 5.0★ (17) wp.org #22 ↓3 9 too low 14 Always Edit In HTML 1K+ · 4.4★ (7) wp.org #13 1 too high 15 SpeedyCache – Cache, Optimization, Performance 500K+ · 4.4★ (30) wp.org #21 ↑1 6 too low 16 Error Sniffing Pug – Tells you what broke 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #5 11 too high 17 FormsCRM – Connect Forms to CRM directly 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #18 1 too low 18 Plug Error Handler — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 11 too high 19 KolorWeb Log Manager: cleaver debugging management 50+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #23 4 too low 20 MaxLimits – Increase Maximum Upload, Post & PHP Limits 2K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #16 4 too high 21 atec Debug 70+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #17 4 too high 22 Titanium Error Intelligence – PHP Error Monitor & Diagnostics 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 8 too high 23 Debug Log Viewer 1K+ · 4.0★ (3) wp.org #19 ↑1 4 too high 24 Wonderful Webhook Alerts 60+ · 0.0★ (0) 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.