wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “post statuses”

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 “post statuses”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 of the top 20. 6 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

Colored Admin Post List shows at wp.org #7 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 17 places. Its 400+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Related Posts for WordPress places #10 on merit, 4.6★ from 325 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 signals wp.org

Schedule Post Changes With PublishPress Future: Unpublish, Delete, Change Status, Trash, Change Categories 100K+ · 4.5★ (172) wp.org #2 ↓1 1 too low 2

Post Duplicator 200K+ · 4.8★ (80) wp.org #3 1 too low 3

Delete Duplicate Posts 10K+ · 4.8★ (153) wp.org #6 3 too low 4

bbPress 100K+ · 3.9★ (343) wp.org #5 1 too low 5

PublishPress Statuses – Custom Post Status and Workflow 1K+ · 5.0★ (4) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #1 ↑1 4 too high 6

W4 Post List 3K+ · 4.7★ (94) wp.org #8 2 too low 7

Content Views – Post Grid & Filter (Shortcode, Blocks, Elementor Widgets) 100K+ · 4.8★ (333) heavy footprint wp.org #11 4 too low 8

SchedulePress – Auto Post & Publish, Auto Social Share, Schedule Posts with Editorial Calendar & Missed Schedule Post Publisher 10K+ · 4.6★ (201) wp.org #14 6 too low 9

Archive Content with Archived Post Status 5K+ · 4.9★ (36) wp.org #9 10

Bulk Edit Posts and Products in Spreadsheet 7K+ · 4.8★ (217) wp.org #19 8 too low 12

Custom Order Status for WooCommerce 10K+ · 3.3★ (32) throws errorsnot PHP-current low rating, top placement wp.org #4 8 too high 13

PublishPress Revisions: Duplicate Posts, Submit, Approve and Schedule Content Changes 10K+ · 4.6★ (66) wp.org #16 3 too low 14

Advanced Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce 70K+ · 4.5★ (355) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #17 3 too low 15

Email Subscribers & Newsletters by Icegram Express – Email Marketing, Post Notifications & WooCommerce Marekting Automation for WordPress 50K+ · 4.6★ (1170) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #23 ↓1 8 too low 16

Noptin – Newsletter, New Post Notifications & Email Automation 10K+ · 4.5★ (120) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #15 1 too high 17

Post Pay Counter 1K+ · 4.8★ (46) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #13 4 too high 18

User Frontend – Membership, User Registration, User Profile, User Directory & Content Restriction with Frontend Post Submission 20K+ · 4.1★ (537) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #24 6 too low 19

Extended Post Status 1K+ · 4.5★ (11) thin reviews wp.org #10 9 too high 20

morkva UA Shipping – Nova Poshta, Ukrposhta, Rozetka, Nova Global 1K+ · 4.9★ (29) wp.org #21 1 too low 21

My WP Customize Admin/Frontend 8K+ · 4.3★ (16) thin reviews wp.org #18 4 too high 23

Social Post Flow – Social Media Automation, Scheduling, Scheduler, Posting & Auto Post 200+ · 4.2★ (10) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #12 11 too high 24

Colored Admin Post List 400+ · 5.0★ (3) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #7 17 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.