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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “remove shortlink”

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 “remove shortlink”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 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

PublishPress Shortlinks – The Link Manager for WordPress shows at wp.org #3 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 200+ 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

WP YouTube Lyte places #9 on merit, 4.8★ from 206 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. 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 ↑1 2 Unbloater 5K+ · 5.0★ (17) wp.org #2 ↓1 3 WP Hide & Security Enhancer 50K+ · 4.3★ (275) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 Clearfy Cache – WordPress optimization plugin, Minify HTML, CSS & JS, Defer 40K+ · 4.7★ (339) wp.org #10 ↑2 6 too low 5 Disable Bloat for WordPress & WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.8★ (100) wp.org #8 ↑1 3 too low 6 Schedule Post Changes With PublishPress Future: Unpublish, Delete, Change Status, Trash, Change Categories 100K+ · 4.5★ (172) wp.org #12 ↓2 6 too low 7 LWS Tools 10K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #4 3 too high 8 AutomatorWP – No-Code Workflow Automation, Integration & Webhooks Plugin, now with AI 6K+ · 4.8★ (202) wp.org #16 8 too low 9 WP YouTube Lyte 20K+ · 4.8★ (206) wp.org #19 ↑1 10 too low 10 PublishPress Capabilities: User Role Access Control, Admin Area Permissions 90K+ · 4.7★ (143) wp.org #18 8 too low 11 Falcon – Cache, Performance, Security, Cleanup, and Tweaks 2K+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #7 4 too high 12 Featherweight 10K+ · 4.1★ (45) wp.org #11 1 too high 13 Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) wp.org #13 14 WP Coder – Insert & Manage Code Snippets 10K+ · 4.9★ (32) wp.org #17 3 too low 15 Easy Affiliate Links 6K+ · 4.2★ (34) wp.org #14 1 too high 16 PublishPress Shortlinks – The Link Manager for WordPress 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #3 13 too high 17 WPMasterToolKit (WPMTK) – All in one plugin 5K+ · 5.0★ (28) wp.org #23 6 too low 18 FlyWP Helper – Page Cache, Page Optimization, Emails for FlyWP Server Control Panel 4K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #6 12 too high 19 Disabler 900+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #21 2 too low 20 Advanced Settings 3 200+ · 3.9★ (7) wp.org #15 5 too high 21 T TGG – WP Optimizer 700+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #9 ↓1 12 too high 22 Remove WordPress Overhead 1K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #20 ↓1 2 too high 23 No Nonsense 1K+ · 4.5★ (6) wp.org #22 1 too high 24 Perform – Optimize Performance 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #24

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.