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← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “redirect intermediate”

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 “redirect intermediate”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 5 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

CP Image Store with Slideshow shows at wp.org #17 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 7 places. Its 10+ 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

Child Theme Configurator places #5 on merit, 4.7★ from 280 reviews, but shows at wp.org #10. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423) wp.org #1 2 WP Encryption: Easy HTTPS / SSL & Free SSL certificate, HTTPS redirect 50K+ · 4.9★ (1146) wp.org #2 3 All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Auto-Install Free SSL – Generate & Install Free SSL Certificates 8K+ · 4.9★ (405) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 Child Theme Configurator 300K+ · 4.7★ (280) wp.org #10 5 too low 6 Virtuaria Payments with PagBank for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.8★ (25) wp.org #6 7 Device-Based Redirect 300+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #3 4 too high 8 Voice Audio Widgets – Voice recorder with Forms, AI Powered STT, TTS, Transcriptions, Language Teaching 300+ · 5.0★ (16) wp.org #12 4 too low 9 The Off Switch (formerly WP Avoid Slow) 200+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #7 2 too high 10 Collect Reviews 40+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #8 2 too high 11 GEO Suite – AI SEO, llms.txt & Schema – Octoplug 60+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #13 2 too low 12 HTML Page Publisher 500+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #11 1 too high 13 WP Layouts 3K+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #24 11 too low 14 Infy SEO – Image SEO Optimizer 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #14 15 WebberZone Link Warnings 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 6 too high 16 NDT Redirect — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 1 too high 17 LeBase64URL — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 1 too high 18 HXMC — Smart Media Cleaner — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 19 Nexura Short Links – URL Shortener, Redirects, QR Codes & Link Analytics — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 20 Imgzen Media Converter – WebP for CDN — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 21 SazCOD – COD Order Confirmation for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 22 MyelophOne Core — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 1 too low 23 H HrefPrompt 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 1 too high 24 CP Image Store with Slideshow 10+ · 2.3★ (3) wp.org #17 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.