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

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 “sharethis”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 15 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

Simple Follow Buttons shows at wp.org #8 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 20+ 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

iubenda | All-in-one Compliance for GDPR / CCPA Cookie Consent + more places #7 on merit, 4.7★ from 397 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 ShareThis Share Buttons 10K+ · 3.5★ (26) wp.org #1 2 Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons 10K+ · 4.9★ (1912) wp.org #5 3 too low 3 ShareThis Dashboard for Google Analytics 80K+ · 3.6★ (138) wp.org #3 4 Simple Share Buttons Adder 40K+ · 4.3★ (627) wp.org #9 5 too low 5 Social Media Feather 10K+ · 4.6★ (506) wp.org #11 6 too low 6 Highlight Search Terms 6K+ · 5.0★ (40) wp.org #7 1 too low 7 iubenda | All-in-one Compliance for GDPR / CCPA Cookie Consent + more 200K+ · 4.7★ (397) wp.org #18 11 too low 8 DSGVO All in one for WP 10K+ · 4.0★ (165) wp.org #12 4 too low 9 ShareThis Reaction Buttons 600+ · 3.8★ (5) wp.org #2 7 too high 10 Smart Cookie Kit 3K+ · 5.0★ (40) wp.org #21 11 too low 11 ShareThis Follow Buttons 400+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #4 7 too high 12 MyBookTable Bookstore by Stormhill Media 1K+ · 3.8★ (41) wp.org #15 3 too low 13 Socicon 200+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #10 3 too high 14 Social Web Suite – Social Media Auto Post, Social Media Auto Publish 500+ · 3.4★ (13) wp.org #20 6 too low 15 ShareThis Reviews — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 9 too high 16 ShareThis Privacy Policy Generator — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 3 too high 17 GDPR Consent Management Platform 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 3 too high 18 Simple Follow Buttons 20+ · 4.0★ (2) wp.org #8 10 too high 19 SKT Cookie Consent 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 2 too high 20 Cookie Rocket, Cookie Consent Banner and Script Blocker for GDPR, CCPA and LGPD 60+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 1 too high 21 Simple Custom Content Adder 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #16 5 too high 22 M Multilpe Social Media 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 1 too low 23 S SinoShare 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 S Social Monster 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 2 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.