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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “postcode api”

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 “postcode api”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 of the top 20. 7 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

Postcode.eu Address Validation shows at wp.org #2 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 200+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Checkout Field Editor (Checkout Manager) for WooCommerce places #5 on merit, 4.9★ from 1056 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 WP Store Locator 40K+ · 4.8★ (312) wp.org #3 2 too low 2 WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833) wp.org #4 2 too low 3 UK Address Postcode Validation 700+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #1 2 too high 4 Campos Checkout Brasileiro para WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.9★ (45) wp.org #6 ↑4 2 too low 5 Checkout Field Editor (Checkout Manager) for WooCommerce 400K+ · 4.9★ (1056) wp.org #20 ↓1 15 too low 6 WC – APG Weight Shipping 6K+ · 4.3★ (49) wp.org #7 ↓2 1 too low 7 Smart COD for WooCommerce 30K+ · 4.6★ (52) wp.org #13 ↓1 6 too low 8 Fetchify 600+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #5 ↑1 3 too high 9 Kybernaut IČO DIČ 2K+ · 5.0★ (38) wp.org #12 ↓1 3 too low 10 ProveSource Social Proof 2K+ · 4.8★ (72) wp.org #21 11 too low 11 Custom Payment Gateway for WooCommerce 7K+ · 4.3★ (16) wp.org #8 ↓1 3 too high 12 Geo Controller – Geolocation & Geotargeting 1K+ · 4.4★ (31) wp.org #17 5 too low 13 WSB HUB3 1K+ · 5.0★ (20) wp.org #19 ↓1 6 too low 14 Shipping Zones by Drawing for WooCommerce 500+ · 4.1★ (24) wp.org #11 ↑2 3 too high 15 Postcode.eu Address Validation 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 13 too high 16 iNext Woo Pincode Checker 600+ · 4.2★ (13) wp.org #9 ↓1 7 too high 17 Multibanco, MB WAY, Credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Payshop, and PIX (ifthenpay) for WooCommerce 8K+ · 5.0★ (21) wp.org #18 ↑2 1 too low 18 Autocomplete Location Field for Contact Form 7 1K+ · 5.0★ (13) wp.org #15 3 too high 19 WC – APG Free Shipping 1K+ · 4.6★ (11) wp.org #14 5 too high 20 NIF (Num. de Contribuinte Português) for WooCommerce 5K+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #23 3 too low 21 WC – APG City 100+ · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #16 5 too high 22 Eventward 400+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #24 2 too low 23 Postcode Checkout – Address Validation | WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 ↓1 13 too high 24 Checkout & Store Toolkit for WooCommerce 800+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↑2 2 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.