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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “pattern kits”

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 “pattern kits”, we agree with wp.org 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

Kits, Templates and Patterns shows at wp.org #3 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its 4K+ 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

Cookie Compliance for WordPress – Cookie Consent, GDPR & CCPA places #8 on merit, 4.8★ from 3026 reviews, but shows at wp.org #15. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Style Kits for Elementor 10K+ · 4.7★ (44) wp.org #1 2 Starter Templates: AI-Powered Website Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg 1M+ · 4.9★ (4755) wp.org #5 3 too low 3 GTM Kit – Google Tag Manager & GA4 integration 30K+ · 4.8★ (20) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 Kit (formerly ConvertKit) – Email Newsletter, Email Marketing, Membership, Subscribers and Landing Pages 40K+ · 4.8★ (90) wp.org #6 2 too low 5 Ultimate Post Kit – Elementor Post Grid, Post Carousel, Post Slider & Blog Layout Widgets 30K+ · 4.8★ (58) wp.org #7 2 too low 6 Master Addons for Elementor – Elementor Addons, Widgets, Mega Menu Builder, Popup Builder, Widget Builder & Template Kits 30K+ · 4.5★ (212) wp.org #10 ↓1 4 too low 7 SVG Support 1M+ · 4.8★ (356) wp.org #9 2 too low 8 Cookie Compliance for WordPress – Cookie Consent, GDPR & CCPA 800K+ · 4.8★ (3026) wp.org #15 ↓1 7 too low 9 Spectra Legacy – Gutenberg Blocks 1M+ · 4.7★ (1872) wp.org #12 ↓2 3 too low 10 Kadence Blocks — Page Builder Toolkit for Gutenberg Editor 600K+ · 4.8★ (333) wp.org #11 1 too low 11 Block Animations, Motion & Scroll Effects – Ghost Kit 6K+ · 4.6★ (46) wp.org #8 3 too high 12 Unlimited Elements for Elementor 300K+ · 4.8★ (525) wp.org #17 ↓1 5 too low 13 Stackable – Page Builder Gutenberg Blocks 100K+ · 4.9★ (522) wp.org #16 ↓1 3 too low 14 Fluent Forms – Customizable Contact Forms, Survey, Quiz, & Conversational Form Builder 800K+ · 4.8★ (807) wp.org #20 ↓3 6 too low 15 Plover Kit – Blocks, Patterns, Responsive Layout and Gutenberg Editor Enhancements 3K+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #4 11 too high 16 Advanced WordPress Backgrounds 30K+ · 4.8★ (44) wp.org #19 ↑5 3 too low 17 SureForms – Contact Form Builder, AI Forms, Payment Form, Survey & Quiz 500K+ · 4.8★ (102) wp.org #24 ↓5 7 too low 18 WDesignKit – AI Templates, Widget Builder & MCP Workflow 30K+ · 4.8★ (12) wp.org #13 ↓1 5 too high 19 Kits, Templates and Patterns 4K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #3 16 too high 20 Gutenify – Visual Site Builder Blocks & Starter Templates 5K+ · 4.5★ (11) wp.org #18 2 too high 21 Kansleri Cookie Consent 1K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #21 22 Custom Library for Elementor – Custom Library for Elementor Templates, Elementor Patterns & Elementor Library 100+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #22 ↓2 23 Ansar Import – One Click Starter Sites – for WordPress Themes 10K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 ↓1 9 too high 24 Publisher Media Kit 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓1 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.