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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “shipping validation”

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 “shipping validation”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 of the top 20. 7 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

WooCommerce Shipping shows at wp.org #3 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 70K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 2.0★ average from 18 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Product Feed PRO for WooCommerce by AdTribes – Product Feeds for WooCommerce places #6 on merit, 4.7★ from 1071 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 Weight Based Shipping Table Rate for WooCommerce – Flexible Shipping 100K+ · 4.9★ (706) wp.org #1 2 Advanced Shipping Validation for WooCommerce 400+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #2 3 Shipping Simulator for WooCommerce 6K+ · 5.0★ (40) wp.org #4 ↑1 1 too low 4 Campos Checkout Brasileiro para WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.9★ (45) wp.org #5 ↑1 1 too low 5 Conditional Shipping for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.6★ (22) wp.org #6 ↑2 1 too low 6 Product Feed PRO for WooCommerce by AdTribes – Product Feeds for WooCommerce 80K+ · 4.7★ (1071) wp.org #23 ↓2 17 too low 7 MultiParcels Shipping For WooCommerce 4K+ · 4.6★ (62) wp.org #13 ↓1 6 too low 8 Free Shipping Bar: Amount Left for Free Shipping for WooCommerce 2K+ · 5.0★ (26) wp.org #15 ↓2 7 too low 9 EU/UK VAT Validation Manager for WooCommerce 7K+ · 4.8★ (39) wp.org #11 2 too low 10 Packlink PRO for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.4★ (263) wp.org #19 ↓2 9 too low 11 Hide Shipping Method For WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.0★ (25) wp.org #8 ↓4 3 too high 12 Shipping Packages for WooCommerce – Dropship from multiple locations like AliExpress, eBay, Amazon, Etsy 900+ · 4.8★ (17) wp.org #21 ↓2 9 too low 13 UK Address Postcode Validation 700+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #9 ↑1 4 too high 14 Colissimo shipping methods for WooCommerce 10K+ · 3.7★ (28) wp.org #18 ↓11 4 too low 15 Multi-Carrier Shippo Shipping Rates & Address Validation for WooCommerce 3K+ · 3.8★ (11) wp.org #10 ↓1 5 too high 16 WooCommerce Shipping 70K+ · 2.0★ (18) wp.org #3 ↓2 13 too high 17 ELEX WooCommerce Address Validation & Google Address Autocomplete Plugin 700+ · 4.2★ (10) wp.org #24 ↓2 7 too low 18 WooCommerce Tax (formerly WooCommerce Shipping & Tax) 500K+ · 2.1★ (106) wp.org #12 ↑4 6 too high 19 GLS Shipping for WooCommerce 2K+ · 3.7★ (6) wp.org #7 ↓4 12 too high 20 Real Time Validation For Gravity Forms 500+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #14 ↑10 6 too high 21 SamedayCourier Shipping 4K+ · 2.7★ (14) wp.org #17 ↓2 4 too high 22 Posti Shipping 1K+ · 3.0★ (4) wp.org #22 ↓2 23 Postcode.eu Address Validation 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 ↓2 3 too high 24 bpost-shipping-platform 500+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #16 ↓2 8 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.