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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “re validator”

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 “re validator”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 15 of the top 20. 2 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

Email Checker for Contact Form 7 shows at wp.org #12 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 90+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Oasis Workflow places #6 on merit, 4.8★ from 51 reviews, but shows at wp.org #20. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Serial Codes Generator and Validator with WooCommerce Support 700+ · 4.6★ (13) wp.org #1 2 Checkout Field Editor (Checkout Manager) for WooCommerce 400K+ · 4.9★ (1056) wp.org #5 3 too low 3 Content Visibility for Divi Builder 2K+ · 4.8★ (101) wp.org #6 3 too low 4 Recipe Card Blocks Lite 10K+ · 4.8★ (20) wp.org #4 5 Byteplant Phone Validator 100+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #2 3 too high 6 Oasis Workflow 600+ · 4.8★ (51) wp.org #20 ↓1 14 too low 7 D Disable XML-RPC 200K+ · 4.1★ (34) wp.org #23 ↓1 16 too low 8 Reoon Email Verifier 600+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #8 9 Lynbro Cookie Consent 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #9 10 Phone Validator for WPForms 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #3 7 too high 11 The Off Switch (formerly WP Avoid Slow) 200+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #24 13 too low 12 Ultimate Watermark – Image Watermark, Image Protection & Bulk Watermarking 1K+ · 3.3★ (11) wp.org #18 6 too low 13 Export/Import Media – CSV Media Library Import & Export 1K+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #10 3 too high 14 AJ Agent Crawl Optimizer – AI Readiness Scanner & llms.txt for WordPress 30+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #19 ↑1 5 too low 15 ZBounce Email Validator — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 8 too high 16 Kodlo Media Manager 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #17 1 too low 17 BillionVerify Email Validator — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 6 too high 18 Schema Blocks 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #21 3 too low 19 Italian SEO Validator — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 6 too high 20 External Image Importer – Import Remote Images to the Media Library 70+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 6 too high 21 Email Re-Validator; revalidation solution for Ultimate Member — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 5 too high 22 Email Checker for Contact Form 7 90+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #12 10 too high 23 PayPlus Payment Gateway 1K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 8 too high 24 AICOM – AI Commander 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↑1 2 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.