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

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 “query posts”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 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

Contact Form Query shows at wp.org #12 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 1K+ 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

Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI places #9 on merit, 4.8★ from 27821 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Query Monitor 200K+ · 4.9★ (470) wp.org #1 2

Post Types Order 600K+ · 4.5★ (296) wp.org #2 3

Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails 100K+ · 4.8★ (215) wp.org #4 1 too low 4

Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed 5M+ · 4.2★ (1012) wp.org #5 ↑1 6

Advanced Query Loop 6K+ · 4.6★ (30) wp.org #3 3 too high 7

Simple Custom Post Order 300K+ · 4.8★ (587) wp.org #8 1 too low 8 P Posts 2 Posts 9K+ · 4.8★ (101) wp.org #7 1 too high 9

Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27821) wp.org #18 9 too low 10

Post Views Counter 100K+ · 4.9★ (1236) wp.org #19 9 too low 11

SchedulePress – Auto Post & Publish, Auto Social Share, Schedule Posts with Editorial Calendar & Missed Schedule Post Publisher 10K+ · 4.6★ (201) wp.org #13 2 too low 12

User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End 10K+ · 4.8★ (913) wp.org #21 ↓1 9 too low 13

Advanced Queries 10K+ · 4.9★ (40) wp.org #11 2 too high 14

Content Views – Post Grid & Filter (Shortcode, Blocks, Elementor Widgets) 100K+ · 4.8★ (333) heavy footprint wp.org #16 ↓1 2 too low 15

Hide Posts 20K+ · 4.7★ (22) thin reviews wp.org #10 6 too high 17

Query Loop Post Selector 600+ · 5.0★ (5) thin reviews wp.org #9 9 too high 19

Unlist Posts & Pages 10K+ · 4.7★ (15) thin reviews wp.org #17 ↓1 2 too high 20

Dynamic Month & Year into Posts 8K+ · 5.0★ (18) thin reviews wp.org #22 ↓1 2 too low 21

Reorder Posts – Quick Post Type and Page Ordering 10K+ · 3.9★ (28) wp.org #20 ↓1 1 too high 22

Magical Posts Display – Elementor Advanced Posts widgets 3K+ · 4.4★ (10) thin reviews wp.org #24 ↓1 2 too low 23

Query Loop Load More 900+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews wp.org #15 ↑2 8 too high 24

Contact Form Query 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews wp.org #12 12 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.