wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “posts layout”

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 “posts layout”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 of the top 20. 3 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

Post Layouts shows at wp.org #8 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 900+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.5★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager places #10 on merit, 5.0★ from 1526 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) not PHP-currentheavy footprint wp.org #1 2

Ultimate Post Kit – Elementor Post Grid, Post Carousel, Post Slider & Blog Layout Widgets 30K+ · 4.8★ (58) wp.org #2 3

Post Types Order 600K+ · 4.5★ (296) wp.org #4 5

Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails 100K+ · 4.8★ (215) wp.org #7 1 too low 7

WP Blog Post Layouts 9K+ · 4.7★ (83) wp.org #5 2 too high 8

Simple Custom Post Order 300K+ · 4.8★ (588) wp.org #13 5 too low 9

Custom Post Type UI 1M+ · 4.6★ (276) wp.org #10 1 too low 10

Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager 90K+ · 5.0★ (1526) wp.org #21 11 too low 11

Category Posts Block 40K+ · 4.5★ (79) wp.org #11 12

Widgets for Google Reviews 1M+ · 4.9★ (2667) wp.org #18 6 too low 13

Delete Duplicate Posts 10K+ · 4.8★ (153) wp.org #15 2 too low 14

The Post Grid – Shortcode, Gutenberg Blocks and Elementor Addon for Post Grid 100K+ · 4.8★ (265) wp.org #17 3 too low 15

Smart Grid-Layout Design for Contact Form 7 10K+ · 4.5★ (72) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #9 8 too high 18

Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) not PHP-current wp.org #24 6 too low 19

Flex Posts – Responsive Posts Block 2K+ · 5.0★ (24) thin reviews wp.org #19 1 too high 21

Magical Posts Display – Elementor Advanced Posts widgets 3K+ · 4.4★ (10) thin reviews wp.org #16 5 too high 22

Post Layouts 900+ · 4.5★ (4) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #8 14 too high 23

Blogsqode – Blog Layouts and News Post Design 300+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews wp.org #23 24

Cards Layout – showcase content in responsive card grids 500+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews wp.org #20 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.