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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “quick access”

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 “quick access”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 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

Addonify – Quick View For WooCommerce shows at wp.org #7 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its 2K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Temporary Login Without Password places #11 on merit, 5.0★ from 1549 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 wp.org
1 Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed 5M+ · 4.2★ (1012) wp.org #1 2 User Access Manager 10K+ · 4.4★ (112) wp.org #2 3 Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27821) wp.org #4 ↑2 1 too low 4 Controlled Admin Access 10K+ · 4.8★ (45) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 Quick Featured Images 50K+ · 4.7★ (235) wp.org #5 ↓1 6 Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7519) wp.org #9 ↓1 3 too low 7 Groups – Memberships and Access Control 10K+ · 4.8★ (382) wp.org #10 ↓1 3 too low 8 Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281) wp.org #16 8 too low 9 PublishPress Capabilities: User Role Access Control, Admin Area Permissions 90K+ · 4.7★ (143) wp.org #11 2 too low 10 Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962) wp.org #17 ↑1 7 too low 11 Temporary Login Without Password 90K+ · 5.0★ (1549) wp.org #21 10 too low 12 Advanced File Manager – Ultimate File Manager for WordPress And Document Library Solution 100K+ · 4.8★ (441) wp.org #19 7 too low 13 Quick Event Manager 1K+ · 4.9★ (67) wp.org #8 ↑2 5 too high 14 Quads Ads Manager for Google AdSense 20K+ · 4.9★ (1087) wp.org #15 ↑1 1 too low 15 Quick and Easy FAQs 10K+ · 4.6★ (36) wp.org #6 ↓1 9 too high 16 Code Snippets 1M+ · 4.7★ (510) wp.org #18 ↓4 2 too low 17 Shipping Live Rates and Access Points for UPS for WooCommerce 7K+ · 4.7★ (77) wp.org #24 7 too low 18 Dashboard quick links widget 600+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #13 5 too high 19 Quick Download Button 1K+ · 4.6★ (12) wp.org #14 ↑1 5 too high 20 Admin Bar Editor – Toolbar Customization with User Role based access & Custom menus 3K+ · 4.4★ (24) wp.org #22 ↑1 2 too low 21 XT Quick View for WooCommerce 300+ · 3.8★ (13) wp.org #12 9 too high 22 Quick Contact Form 1K+ · 4.9★ (21) wp.org #23 ↑1 1 too low 23 Addonify – Quick View For WooCommerce 2K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #7 16 too high 24 Quick Copy – Duplicate Posts & Pages 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 ↑2 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.