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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “return label”

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 “return label”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 17 of the top 20. 8 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

Order Cancellation & Returns for WooCommerce shows at wp.org #7 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its 300+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

SEOPress – AI SEO Plugin & On-site SEO places #7 on merit, 4.8★ from 1267 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 WebToffee WooCommerce PDF Invoices, Packing Slips, Delivery Notes & Shipping Labels 50K+ · 4.9★ (285) wp.org #3 ↑4 2 too low 2 Germanized for WooCommerce 70K+ · 4.8★ (496) wp.org #11 ↓1 9 too low 3 Product Labels For Woocommerce (Sale Badges) 10K+ · 4.6★ (54) wp.org #4 ↓1 1 too low 4 WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833) wp.org #9 5 too low 5 Flexible Refund for WooCommerce – EU One Click Return 2K+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #1 4 too high 6 Return Refund and Exchange For WooCommerce 4K+ · 4.7★ (124) wp.org #8 2 too low 7 SEOPress – AI SEO Plugin & On-site SEO 300K+ · 4.8★ (1267) wp.org #21 14 too low 8 Adminify – White Label, Admin Menu Editor, Login Customizer 6K+ · 4.3★ (109) wp.org #14 6 too low 9 Custom Price Labels for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.3★ (15) wp.org #6 ↓1 3 too high 10 Barcode Generator: Print Product Labels & Order Barcode Label (A4, Thermal/Roll, Letter) 900+ · 4.5★ (74) wp.org #16 6 too low 11 Advanced Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce 70K+ · 4.5★ (355) wp.org #17 6 too low 12 Variation Swatches for WooCommerce 300K+ · 4.8★ (926) wp.org #22 10 too low 13 Beautiful taxonomy filters 2K+ · 4.9★ (68) wp.org #23 ↓1 10 too low 14 WPSSO Schema Merchant Return Policy Manager 200+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #5 ↓1 9 too high 15 Variation Swatches for WooCommerce – Color, Image & Size Swatches 200K+ · 4.6★ (51) wp.org #24 ↓1 9 too low 16 Hide Archive Label 900+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 14 too high 17 Shipi – DHL Express Integration for Woocommerce 100+ · 4.7★ (12) wp.org #20 3 too low 18 Sendcloud for WooCommerce: Automated Shipping, Branded Tracking & Returns 7K+ · 3.0★ (13) wp.org #10 ↑1 8 too high 19 Shiptastic for WooCommerce 10K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #12 7 too high 20 ShipStation for WooCommerce 40K+ · 3.3★ (13) wp.org #13 7 too high 21 Smart Send 300+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #18 3 too high 22 BuddyPilot Withdrawal – Easy Returns for WooCommerce 300+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #15 7 too high 23 Order Cancellation & Returns for WooCommerce 300+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 ↓1 16 too high 24 F4 Simple White Label 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 5 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.