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← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “random post dates”

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 “random post dates”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20. 4 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

Advanced Post Block – Display Your Posts Exactly How You Want shows at wp.org #8 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 10K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.2★ average from 17 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative places #12 on merit, 4.1★ from 759 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 Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2143) wp.org #1 2 The Post Grid – Shortcode, Gutenberg Blocks and Elementor Addon for Post Grid 100K+ · 4.8★ (265) wp.org #2 3 Smart Post – Post Grid, Post Carousel, Post Slider Gutenberg Blocks for Blog & News 20K+ · 4.7★ (210) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Random Content 3K+ · 4.8★ (35) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails 100K+ · 4.8★ (215) wp.org #6 ↑4 1 too low 6 W4 Post List 3K+ · 4.7★ (94) wp.org #7 1 too low 7 Content Views – Post Grid & Filter (Shortcode, Blocks, Elementor Widgets) 100K+ · 4.8★ (333) wp.org #9 ↓3 2 too low 8 Display Post Types – Post Grid, post list and post sliders 8K+ · 5.0★ (26) wp.org #5 ↑3 3 too high 9 SchedulePress – Auto Post & Publish, Auto Social Share, Schedule Posts with Editorial Calendar & Missed Schedule Post Publisher 10K+ · 4.6★ (201) wp.org #15 ↓2 6 too low 10 Related Posts Thumbnails 20K+ · 4.9★ (234) wp.org #13 ↑3 3 too low 11 Category Posts Block 40K+ · 4.5★ (79) wp.org #16 ↓1 5 too low 12 WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (759) wp.org #21 9 too low 13 Inline Related Posts 100K+ · 4.3★ (77) wp.org #19 ↑1 6 too low 14 Post Carousel Divi 2K+ · 4.9★ (12) wp.org #11 3 too high 15 Post Date Randomizer 8K+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #10 ↑1 5 too high 16 Advanced Post Block – Display Your Posts Exactly How You Want 10K+ · 4.2★ (17) wp.org #8 ↑1 8 too high 17 WP Ultimate Post Grid 4K+ · 4.4★ (32) wp.org #14 3 too high 18 Flex Posts – Responsive Posts Block 2K+ · 5.0★ (24) wp.org #18 ↑1 19 Random Post Plugin – Redirect URL to Post 3K+ · 5.0★ (20) wp.org #17 2 too high 20 Post Grid & Post Slider – Carousel, Filter Tabs & Related Posts 1K+ · 4.3★ (8) wp.org #12 8 too high 21 Republish Old Posts 2K+ · 4.3★ (12) wp.org #22 1 too low 22 Generate Random Orders For WooCommerce 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #20 ↓2 2 too high 23 Random Image Block for Block Editor 100+ · 3.8★ (4) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 Post Sliders 200+ · 4.0★ (2) wp.org #23 1 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.