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

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 “scrollspy”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 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 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

Imran Table of Contents shows at wp.org #8 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its — installs carry it up the search order; its 2.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Knowledge Base documentation & wiki plugin – BasePress Docs places #3 on merit, 4.8★ from 75 reviews, but shows at wp.org #14. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Side Menu Lite – Sticky Floating Side Menu 7K+ · 4.0★ (12) wp.org #1 2 ElementsCSS Addons for Elementor (Elementor Widgets Extender & Addons) 200+ · 4.4★ (18) wp.org #2 3 Knowledge Base documentation & wiki plugin – BasePress Docs 2K+ · 4.8★ (75) wp.org #14 11 too low 4 Table of Contents (TOC) Block – Fast & SEO Friendly 10+ · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 ExtenderX – Accessibility Toolbar, Dark Mode & Site Tools 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 H HND FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #5 1 too high 7 Jump Links Block (SEO 44) 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 1 too high 8 Free Widgets For Elementor 40+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #13 5 too low 9 NexIndex – Auto Table of Contents & SEO Links — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 10 Link to Headline – Anchor Link Generator — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 3 too high 11 cclin Smart Table of Contents — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 1 too high 12 DIG Local SEO & AI Post Booster — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 1 too high 13 Echelon Widgets for SiteOrigin 800+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #17 4 too low 14 Search Appearance Toolkit (SEO 44) — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 2 too high 15 ZMPlugin 70+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 1 too low 16 MinervaKB Lite 40+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #23 7 too low 17 Taco Table of Contents — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 1 too low 18 DailyBuddy — Free All-in-One Toolkit 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 3 too high 19 FlexiTOC – Flexible Table of Contents — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 Rawnaq – Elementor Widgets, Gutenberg Blocks & Divi Modules — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 1 too low 21 iTech Doc — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 1 too low 22 Safan Doc — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 3 too high 23 W Wp Scrollspy Menu 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 Imran Table of Contents — · 2.0★ (1) wp.org #8 16 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.