Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “separated”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 3 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

Essential Content Types shows at wp.org #5 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 20K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.7★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Loading Page with Loading Screen places #12 on merit, 4.6★ from 124 reviews, but shows at wp.org #23. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 P Page-list 30K+ · 4.7★ (89) wp.org #1 2 Orphans 50K+ · 5.0★ (164) wp.org #2 3 R Really Simple CSV Importer 40K+ · 4.9★ (107) wp.org #3 4 HTML Page Sitemap (Block and Shortcode) 10K+ · 4.4★ (24) wp.org #4 5 WP All Export – Drag & Drop Export to Any Custom CSV, XML & Excel 100K+ · 4.5★ (415) wp.org #10 5 too low 6 Leaflet Map 30K+ · 4.9★ (58) wp.org #8 2 too low 7 Super RSS Reader – Add attractive RSS Feed Widget 9K+ · 4.6★ (67) wp.org #7 8 Export and Import Users and Customers 50K+ · 4.8★ (442) wp.org #13 ↓2 5 too low 9 Iks Menu – WordPress Category Accordion Menu & FAQs 10K+ · 5.0★ (27) wp.org #12 3 too low 10 Popup Builder – Create highly converting, mobile friendly marketing popups. 200K+ · 4.7★ (2215) wp.org #18 ↓1 8 too low 11 T Throws SPAM Away 10K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #6 5 too high 12 Loading Page with Loading Screen 10K+ · 4.6★ (124) wp.org #23 ↑1 11 too low 13 Gravity Forms Email Blacklist 10K+ · 4.3★ (15) wp.org #9 4 too high 14 Taxonomy Switcher 2K+ · 5.0★ (24) wp.org #15 1 too low 15 Alt Text Tools 800+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #11 ↑2 4 too high 16 Quick and Easy FAQs 10K+ · 4.6★ (36) wp.org #14 2 too high 17 CSV Importer 3K+ · 4.2★ (28) wp.org #22 ↑1 5 too low 18 Shop Page WP 2K+ · 5.0★ (22) wp.org #21 ↑1 3 too low 19 Essential Content Types 20K+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #5 14 too high 20 TWB Woocommerce Reviews 600+ · 4.8★ (26) wp.org #24 4 too low 21 Advanced Category and Custom Taxonomy Image 1K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #16 5 too high 22 Email Address Obfuscation 2K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #17 ↑1 5 too high 23 D Display HTML Sitemap 1K+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #20 ↑1 3 too high 24 Stock Market Overview 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #19 ↑1 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.