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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “reactions button”

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 “reactions button”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 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

Some Plus Content Reactions shows at wp.org #7 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 20+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Wise Chat places #10 on merit, 4.4★ from 105 reviews, but shows at wp.org #22. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 WP ULike – Like Buttons, Voting & Engagement Analytics 60K+ · 4.8★ (283) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 WP Telegram (Auto Post and Notifications) 30K+ · 5.0★ (426) wp.org #6 4 too low 3 Smash Balloon Social Post Feed – Simple Social Feeds for WordPress 100K+ · 4.7★ (1511) wp.org #13 10 too low 4 ShareThis Dashboard for Google Analytics 80K+ · 3.6★ (138) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 Da Reactions 300+ · 4.7★ (15) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots 10K+ · 4.8★ (142) wp.org #12 6 too low 7 ShareThis Reaction Buttons 600+ · 3.8★ (5) wp.org #1 6 too high 8 Vuukle – Comments, Reactions, Quizzes, Share Bar & Ad Revenue 200+ · 4.1★ (35) wp.org #8 9 Instant Emoji Reactions 100+ · 4.4★ (5) wp.org #3 6 too high 10 Wise Chat 4K+ · 4.4★ (105) wp.org #22 12 too low 11 FluentCommunity – Ultra-Fast High-Performance Social Network, Community, LMS & Online Courses 8K+ · 4.8★ (96) wp.org #20 ↓1 9 too low 12 Webmention 900+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #11 1 too high 13 Tracking and Consent Manager – WP Full Picture 3K+ · 5.0★ (21) wp.org #14 1 too low 14 Affiliate Super Assistent 1K+ · 4.6★ (36) wp.org #24 ↓1 10 too low 15 Reactions – Emoji Reactions for Posts 10+ · 3.9★ (8) wp.org #10 5 too high 16 Disable Right Click RB – Content Copy Protection, Prevent Copy & No Right Click 600+ · 4.2★ (14) wp.org #17 ↓1 1 too low 17 SureDash – Community, Courses & Member Dashboard 1K+ · 4.3★ (23) wp.org #18 ↓1 1 too low 18 Reactify – Post Reactions, Emoji Reactions & Engagement Analytics for WordPress 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 9 too high 19 Some Plus Content Reactions 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 12 too high 20 ZenCommunity – Community, Forum, Social Network, Chat & Support Tickets 20+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #23 3 too low 21 ATmosphere 300+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #16 ↓1 5 too high 22 Martto Friendly Reactions 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 ↑5 7 too high 23 Post Reaction – let readers react to every post 60+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 2 too high 24 OpinionCamp – Poll Block 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 ↓1 5 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.