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← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “recursive”

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 “recursive”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 3 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.

A

Ranked above its merit

Alphabetical Pagination shows at wp.org #8 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 30+ installs carry it up the search order; its 2.3★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Spectra Legacy – Gutenberg Blocks places #4 on merit, 4.7★ from 1872 reviews, but shows at wp.org #24. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 bbPress 100K+ · 3.9★ (343) wp.org #1 2 User Access Manager 10K+ · 4.4★ (112) wp.org #2 3 phpinfo() WP – Site Health, PHP Compatibility & Server Audit 3K+ · 4.5★ (8) wp.org #3 4 Spectra Legacy – Gutenberg Blocks 1M+ · 4.7★ (1872) wp.org #24 20 too low 5 Protector – Malware Removal, Firewall & Core Repair 200+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 SocraNext 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #6 7 DBStorage Insights 40+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #7 8 List Locations BMLT 80+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #5 3 too high 9 SiteCare – File Permissions Manager 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 10 Upcoming Meetings BMLT 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 11 ServicePress Connector Core 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 12 AMG Labs Minesweeper Game 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 13 Cross Site Copy Field for ACF 60+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 14 Steel Security & Hardening – Site Audit Tools 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 15 YeeDiscounts – Dynamic Pricing & Discounts for WooCommerce 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 1 too low 16 A Alphabetical Pagination 30+ · 2.3★ (3) wp.org #8 8 too high 17 Fly Nav Mobile — · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #15 2 too high 18 P PillarCluster Topical Authority Builder — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 ↓1 19 ATD Smart Media Folders — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 20 Neat Media — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 21 Import Export by RockStarLab 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 ↑1 4 too high 22 ProWebExp – Content Sync & Duplicator — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 23 DK Site Migration Pro — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 24 Paragraph Typewriter Effect — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 3 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.