Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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

XV Random Quotes shows at wp.org #5 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 300+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.7★ average from 6 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Ad Inserter – Ad Manager & AdSense Ads places #6 on merit, 4.9★ from 2433 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 PrettyLinks – Affiliate Link Management, URL Shortener, Link Cloaking, Tracking & Branded Short Links 200K+ · 4.8★ (1322) wp.org #1 2 Export All URLs 50K+ · 4.6★ (94) wp.org #2 ↑2 3 Random Banner 1K+ · 4.6★ (52) wp.org #4 ↓1 1 too low 4 Redirection 100K+ · 5.0★ (419) wp.org #9 ↑3 5 too low 5 WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (758) wp.org #7 2 too low 6 Ad Inserter – Ad Manager & AdSense Ads 300K+ · 4.9★ (2433) wp.org #17 ↑5 11 too low 7 WPS Hide Login 2M+ · 4.8★ (2111) wp.org #13 6 too low 8 Random Post Plugin – Redirect URL to Post 3K+ · 5.0★ (20) wp.org #6 2 too high 9 WPCode – Insert Headers and Footers + Custom Code Snippets – WordPress Code Manager 3M+ · 4.9★ (1917) wp.org #16 ↓2 7 too low 10 CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes 200K+ · 4.7★ (326) wp.org #15 ↑1 5 too low 11 Click to Chat – HoliThemes 600K+ · 4.8★ (131) wp.org #11 ↓1 12 All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720) wp.org #19 ↑1 7 too low 13 Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed – Easy Social Feeds Plugin 1M+ · 4.9★ (4358) wp.org #23 ↓2 10 too low 14 All 404 Redirect to Homepage 200K+ · 4.1★ (96) wp.org #14 ↑1 15 A Random Number 700+ · 3.7★ (6) wp.org #3 ↓1 12 too high 16 Redirection 2M+ · 4.4★ (703) wp.org #20 ↓3 4 too low 17 Joinchat – Enhanced “click to chat” 700K+ · 4.7★ (189) wp.org #22 ↓3 5 too low 18 LinkCentral – URL shortener, Affiliate Links & Custom Link Shortener with Link Tracking 400+ · 5.0★ (19) wp.org #18 19 XV Random Quotes 300+ · 3.7★ (6) wp.org #5 14 too high 20 Better Random Redirect 600+ · 4.6★ (10) wp.org #12 ↓1 8 too high 21 Random Image Block for Block Editor 90+ · 3.8★ (4) wp.org #8 13 too high 22 kURL – Short URL Manager for YOURLS 40+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #10 ↓1 12 too high 23 Infinite Scroll Random Post 90+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #21 ↑2 2 too high 24 Random File 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24

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.