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← Rankings

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

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 “representatives”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 10 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

Elfsight Blocks shows at wp.org #15 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 3K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Health Check & Troubleshooting places #7 on merit, 3.6★ from 181 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 MapGeo – Interactive Geo Maps 30K+ · 4.4★ (65) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 Shop as Client for WooCommerce – Manual, Phone & Email Orders 500+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 Smart COD for WooCommerce 30K+ · 4.6★ (52) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 Agile Store Locator 10K+ · 4.9★ (59) wp.org #10 ↑2 6 too low 5 Subaccounts for WooCommerce 200+ · 5.0★ (27) wp.org #12 ↓2 7 too low 6 Petitioner 200+ · 4.9★ (10) wp.org #8 2 too low 7 Health Check & Troubleshooting 200K+ · 3.6★ (181) wp.org #17 ↓1 10 too low 8 Dynamic ACF Repeater for Elementor 1K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #4 4 too high 9 Checkout with Zelle on Woocommerce 3K+ · 3.4★ (5) wp.org #3 6 too high 10 Interactive Globes – 3D World Maps 400+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #11 ↓2 1 too low 11 CP Related Posts 100+ · 3.4★ (10) wp.org #21 10 too low 12 A AffiliateWP – Affiliate Info 1K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 5 too high 13 MyFatoorah – WooCommerce 2K+ · 4.3★ (3) wp.org #6 7 too high 14 Euverify- GPSR, CE & UKCA for WooCommerce 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #9 ↑2 5 too high 15 Purchase Orders for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #16 ↑1 1 too low 16 Get Cash 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 ↓1 2 too high 17 Auto Post to Social Media from Social Champ 30+ · 2.6★ (5) wp.org #23 ↑1 6 too low 18 N Ni WooCommerce Sales Report By User Role 90+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 ↑1 5 too high 19 Voizee 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 Watso – Basic Help Chat Button 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 ↑1 2 too high 21 SherloQ API Form Feeds 80+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓1 3 too low 22 Receive customer payments on Woocommerce 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 ↓1 3 too high 23 HBLPAY Payment Gateway for WooCommerce 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 1 too high 24 Elfsight Blocks 3K+ · 4.0★ (2) wp.org #15 9 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.