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

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 “quests”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 of the top 20. 5 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

Content Sidebars shows at wp.org #11 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 10+ installs carry it up the search order; its 2.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

merit plugin signals wp.org

GamiPress – Gamification plugin to reward points, badges & ranks in WordPress, now with AI 10K+ · 4.9★ (493) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #1 2 T Toolbar Publish Button 5K+ · 4.8★ (46) closure risk wp.org #14 ↓2 12 too low 3

SuperQuest 20+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviewslow rating, top placement wp.org #2 1 too high 4

Juiz Last Tweet Widget 500+ · 4.2★ (26) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #16 ↓1 12 too low 5

WapuuGotchi 20+ · 5.0★ (5) thin reviews wp.org #13 7 too low 7

Flusso AI: ChatGPT Content Generator, AI Tools for WordPress 10+ · 4.3★ (6) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #12 ↓1 5 too low 8

HT Social Share 40+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviewslow rating, top placement wp.org #4 4 too high 9

GamiPress – WPAchievements Importer 10+ · 0.0★ (0) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviewslow rating, top placement wp.org #3 6 too high 10

Moksa Points for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviewslow rating, top placement wp.org #5 5 too high 11

Nymbl Cookie Sentinel 10+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #6 5 too high 12

Adaptive Login Action — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #7 ↓1 5 too high 13

AnimFolio – Animated Portfolio & Resume Builder — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #8 ↓1 5 too high 14 W WordQuest 10+ · 5.0★ (4) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #23 ↓1 9 too low 15

ForceField 10+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #9 ↓1 6 too high 16

Carrot quest 70+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviewsstale but ranked wp.org #10 ↓1 6 too high 17

GeoUp KI-Sichtbarkeit — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #17 18

Keyless Auth – Login without Passwords 30+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #19 ↓1 1 too low 19 B BLOGON QUEST — · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #18 ↓2 1 too high 20

SlopStopper: AI Generative Content Obscurer — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #20 ↓1 21 S Step-by-step Question Web39 — · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #22 ↓1 1 too low 22

Get in line 10+ · 0.0★ (0) throws errorsnot PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviews wp.org #21 ↓1 1 too high 23 S Showguests 10+ · 5.0★ (1) throws errorsnot PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviews wp.org #24 ↓1 1 too low 24

Content Sidebars 10+ · 2.0★ (1) throws errorsnot PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviews wp.org #11 ↓1 13 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.