Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “randomize date”

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 “randomize date”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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

Bulk Edit Coupons for WooCommerce – WP Sheet Editor shows at wp.org #5 but places #14 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 500+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 8 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Royal Addons for Elementor – Addons and Templates Kit for Elementor places #7 on merit, 4.8★ from 612 reviews, but shows at wp.org #13. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Quiz Maker by AYS 20K+ · 4.9★ (601) wp.org #1 ↑1 2 WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387) wp.org #6 4 too low 3 CAOS | Host Google Analytics Locally 10K+ · 4.9★ (128) wp.org #3 4 Survey Maker by AYS 5K+ · 4.8★ (79) wp.org #4 5 Post Date Randomizer 8K+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #2 ↓1 3 too high 6 Watu Quiz 3K+ · 4.7★ (137) wp.org #8 ↓1 2 too low 7 Royal Addons for Elementor – Addons and Templates Kit for Elementor 600K+ · 4.8★ (612) wp.org #13 ↓1 6 too low 8 Logo Slider – Logo Showcase, Logo Carousel, Logo Gallery and Client Logo Presentation 30K+ · 4.7★ (252) wp.org #10 ↓1 2 too low 9 Random Content 3K+ · 4.8★ (35) wp.org #9 ↓1 10 Rearrange Products for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.6★ (58) wp.org #7 3 too high 11 Simple Link Directory – AI Powered 2K+ · 4.8★ (121) wp.org #15 ↓1 4 too low 12 Simple Business Directory – AI Powered 300+ · 4.9★ (62) wp.org #18 ↓1 6 too low 13 SimpLy Gallery 40K+ · 4.8★ (118) wp.org #23 ↓1 10 too low 14 Bulk Edit Coupons for WooCommerce – WP Sheet Editor 500+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #5 9 too high 15 S Super Light Cache Buster 1K+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #14 ↓1 1 too high 16 TotalPoll for Polls and Contests 1K+ · 4.3★ (45) wp.org #24 ↓1 8 too low 17 P PiwigoPress 200+ · 3.7★ (6) wp.org #11 ↓1 6 too high 18 Featured Image Pro Post Grid 900+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #12 ↓1 6 too high 19 Review Editor for WooCommerce 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 3 too high 20 Migrate away from Envira Gallery 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓1 1 too high 21 Migrate away from Final Tiles 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↓1 1 too high 22 WPost Still Fresh — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↓1 23 Random File 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 ↓1 2 too high 24 R Review Stream 300+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 ↓2 7 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.