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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “release 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 “release date”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 6 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

Date Time Picker for WPForms shows at wp.org #11 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Delivery & Pickup Date Time for WooCommerce places #8 on merit, 4.9★ from 282 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 W WP Meta and Date Remover 80K+ · 4.2★ (71) wp.org #1 2 پارسی دیت – Parsi Date 100K+ · 4.6★ (130) wp.org #2 ↑1 3 WP Date and Time Shortcode 10K+ · 4.9★ (31) wp.org #3 ↓1 4 The Events Calendar 600K+ · 4.2★ (2461) wp.org #9 5 too low 5 Show modified Date in admin lists 6K+ · 4.9★ (32) wp.org #5 6 Shortcode for Current Date 10K+ · 5.0★ (116) wp.org #10 4 too low 7 WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833) wp.org #8 ↓1 1 too low 8 Delivery & Pickup Date Time for WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.9★ (282) wp.org #18 ↓1 10 too low 9 Order Delivery Date And Time 1K+ · 4.6★ (19) wp.org #7 ↑1 2 too high 10 Nepali Date Converter 800+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #6 4 too high 11 Auto Update Post Date 2K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #4 7 too high 12 Date Time Picker for Contact Form 7 20K+ · 3.3★ (21) wp.org #16 ↓2 4 too low 13 First payment date for WooCommerce Subscriptions 400+ · 4.7★ (10) wp.org #17 ↓1 4 too low 14 Users Registration Date – Sortable Users Column 3K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #23 ↓1 9 too low 15 Date Picker For Contact Form 7 4K+ · 3.9★ (7) wp.org #12 3 too high 16 Nepali Date Utilities 1K+ · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #15 1 too high 17 Advanced Datepicker – Restrict Date for Elementor Forms 900+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #13 4 too high 18 Product Delivery Date for WooCommerce – Lite 1K+ · 4.1★ (13) wp.org #21 ↓1 3 too low 19 Date Time Picker for WPForms 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #11 8 too high 20 Advanced Datepicker – Restricts Date for Contact Form 7 500+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #14 ↑1 6 too high 21 CBX Changelog & Release Note 300+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #19 ↓1 2 too high 22 Advanced Datepicker – Restricts Date for WPForms 300+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #20 ↓1 2 too high 23 Upload Media Exif Date 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #22 ↓1 1 too high 24 Date Today Nepali 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #24 ↓1

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.