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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “python”

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 “python”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 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

Advance Custom HTML – Show Off Code Snippets with Live Preview shows at wp.org #2 but places #11 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 10K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 2.5★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

License Manager for WooCommerce places #5 on merit, 4.6★ from 147 reviews, but shows at wp.org #9. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Mailgun for WordPress 80K+ · 3.8★ (49) wp.org #1 2 Code Block Pro – Beautiful Syntax Highlighting 10K+ · 4.8★ (50) wp.org #4 2 too low 3 Kraken.io Image Optimizer – Compress, Convert to WebP & AVIF, Resize & Bulk Optimize 10K+ · 4.5★ (119) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 CoCart – Headless REST API for WooCommerce 900+ · 4.9★ (21) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 License Manager for WooCommerce 6K+ · 4.6★ (147) wp.org #9 ↑1 4 too low 6 Digital License Manager 800+ · 4.7★ (30) wp.org #6 7 ABC Crypto Checkout 1K+ · 4.9★ (30) wp.org #12 5 too low 8 CodeColorer 1K+ · 4.9★ (11) wp.org #10 ↑1 2 too low 9 U Urvanov Syntax Highlighter 3K+ · 4.5★ (19) wp.org #14 ↑1 5 too low 10 BotBlocker Security – Complete security platform 3K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #15 ↓1 5 too low 11 Advance Custom HTML – Show Off Code Snippets with Live Preview 10K+ · 2.5★ (4) wp.org #2 9 too high 12 PrettyCode • Code syntax highlighting with CodeMirror 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #8 ↓1 4 too high 13 Code Snippet DM 500+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #20 7 too low 14 I don't like Spam! 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #11 ↓2 3 too high 15 BF Secret File Downloader 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 ↑1 8 too high 16 Create with Code 300+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #19 3 too low 17 Vaaky Highlighter — Syntax Highlighter, Code Blocks, Line Numbers for Gutenberg 10+ · 4.5★ (2) wp.org #21 4 too low 18 Store Locator Widget 300+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #17 1 too high 19 Code Block – share beautiful code snippets readers can copy 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 3 too high 20 Simple REST API Authenticaton with WooCommerce Credentials 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 7 too high 21 Scientific and Interactive Blocks – inseri core 70+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 3 too high 22 CB Bot Guard 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 1 too low 23 T TagGator 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓1 1 too low 24 Simple Post Publish & Rewrite using API 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 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.