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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “reusable blocks”

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 “reusable blocks”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20. 4 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

Blocks: Reusable Content, Shortcodes & Site Variables shows at wp.org #17 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 7 places. Its 600+ installs carry it up the search order; its 1.8★ average from 5 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Shortcodes Ultimate – Content Elements places #9 on merit, 4.9★ from 5925 reviews, but shows at wp.org #20. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Reusable Blocks Extended 10K+ · 4.8★ (40) wp.org #1 2 Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page Builder for Gutenberg Blocks & Patterns 100K+ · 4.9★ (216) wp.org #2 3 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) wp.org #3 4 PublishPress Blocks – Block Controls, Block Visibility, Block Permissions 20K+ · 4.7★ (204) wp.org #4 5 Custom Block Builder – Lazy Blocks 20K+ · 4.9★ (80) wp.org #6 ↓1 1 too low 6 Greenshift – animation and page builder blocks 70K+ · 4.8★ (107) wp.org #5 ↑1 1 too high 7 Code Snippets 1M+ · 4.7★ (510) wp.org #8 1 too low 8 BlockArt Blocks – Gutenberg Blocks, Page Builder Blocks ,WordPress Block Plugin, Sections & Template Library 10K+ · 4.9★ (16) wp.org #7 1 too high 9 Shortcodes Ultimate – Content Elements 400K+ · 4.9★ (5925) wp.org #20 ↑4 11 too low 10 Table of Contents Plus – Automatic Table of Contents for Posts & Pages 200K+ · 4.5★ (187) wp.org #19 ↓2 9 too low 11 Custom Post Type UI 1M+ · 4.6★ (276) wp.org #18 7 too low 12 SimpleTOC – Table of Contents Block 10K+ · 4.9★ (77) wp.org #21 9 too low 13 Conditional Blocks – Advanced Content Visibility Control for WordPress 2K+ · 4.9★ (15) wp.org #9 4 too high 14 GutSlider – All in One Slider and Carousel Blocks for Gutenberg 6K+ · 4.9★ (14) wp.org #10 ↑1 4 too high 15 Blocks for ACF Fields — Display Custom Fields in the Block Editor 2K+ · 4.9★ (13) wp.org #14 ↓6 1 too high 16 Easy MCP AI – Connect Claude to WordPress: MCP Server for ChatGPT & AI Agents 30K+ · 4.9★ (16) wp.org #16 17 Blocks to Shortcode – Use blocks everywhere: in page templates, Elementor, etc. 600+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #11 ↓1 6 too high 18 Fabrica Synced Pattern Instances 300+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #12 6 too high 19 Insert Blocks Before or After Posts Content 1K+ · 4.7★ (6) wp.org #13 6 too high 20 bBlocks – Essential Gutenberg Blocks & Patterns Collection 700+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #15 ↓1 5 too high 21 Table Of Contents Block 10K+ · 4.3★ (7) wp.org #23 ↓3 2 too low 22 Snap Blocks 60+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #24 ↓2 2 too low 23 Tabs Block – Responsive Gutenberg Tabs for Block Editor 700+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↓3 1 too high 24 Blocks: Reusable Content, Shortcodes & Site Variables 600+ · 1.8★ (5) wp.org #17 ↓2 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.