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

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 “shortocode”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20. 6 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

Apollo13 Framework Extensions shows at wp.org #6 but places #11 on merit, a gap of 5 places. Its 20K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

merit plugin wp.org
1 AidWP – Donation & Payment Forms (Stripe Powered) 800+ · 4.8★ (28) wp.org #1 2 Shortcodes Finder 4K+ · 4.9★ (53) wp.org #2 3 CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes 200K+ · 4.7★ (326) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 Compact WP Audio Player 20K+ · 4.1★ (69) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 Simple Author Box 90K+ · 4.3★ (115) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 Toocheke Companion 1K+ · 4.6★ (8) wp.org #8 ↑1 2 too low 7 Simple Cookie Control 100+ · 4.6★ (5) wp.org #11 4 too low 8 S Simple Text Shortcodes 100+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #12 4 too low 9 C Custom progress bar 100+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #21 12 too low 10 Meks Easy Maps 800+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 3 too high 11 Apollo13 Framework Extensions 20K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 5 too high 12 Polls CP 400+ · 2.6★ (5) wp.org #9 ↓1 3 too high 13 User Local Date and Time 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 3 too high 14 Wpit Easter 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 15 RB Simple FAQs 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 16 Albnet Shortcodes — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 17 SKPP – Widget — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 2 too low 18 Form print pay 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 5 too high 19 Cart66 Cloud Members 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 WP Geoloc 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 3 too high 21 Q Quick Quiz — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 1 too low 22 M MeemiInWorpress — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 1 too low 23 E Easy menus 60+ · 2.3★ (3) wp.org #18 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.