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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “sidebar shortcode”

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 “sidebar shortcode”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 of the top 20. 2 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

Shortcode Preview Block shows at wp.org #13 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 900+ 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

Modula Image Gallery – Photo Grid & Video Gallery places #10 on merit, 4.7★ from 616 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Sidebar Login 9K+ · 4.5★ (78) wp.org #1 2 Shortcode Redirect 10K+ · 4.3★ (31) wp.org #3 ↓1 1 too low 3 The Events Calendar Shortcode & Block 10K+ · 4.7★ (101) wp.org #6 3 too low 4 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) wp.org #8 ↑2 4 too low 5 Shortcode for Current Date 10K+ · 5.0★ (116) wp.org #9 ↓1 4 too low 6 Content Aware Sidebars – Fastest Widget Area Plugin 30K+ · 4.9★ (724) wp.org #10 ↑10 4 too low 7 Latest Post Shortcode 4K+ · 4.8★ (46) wp.org #7 ↓2 8 Login Widget With Shortcode 5K+ · 3.8★ (29) wp.org #5 ↓1 3 too high 9 The Post Grid – Shortcode, Gutenberg Blocks and Elementor Addon for Post Grid 100K+ · 4.8★ (265) wp.org #16 7 too low 10 Modula Image Gallery – Photo Grid & Video Gallery 100K+ · 4.7★ (616) wp.org #19 9 too low 11 PDF.js Viewer 20K+ · 4.4★ (53) wp.org #14 3 too low 12 S Shortcodes in Sidebar 400+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #2 ↓1 10 too high 13 SMK Sidebar Generator 10K+ · 4.4★ (5) wp.org #4 ↓1 9 too high 14 Fuse Social Icons 10K+ · 4.6★ (58) wp.org #12 ↓1 2 too high 15 Off-Canvas Sidebars & Menus (Slidebars) 1K+ · 4.8★ (38) wp.org #17 2 too low 16 Events Shortcodes For The Events Calendar 10K+ · 4.9★ (214) wp.org #23 ↓10 7 too low 17 Joli Table Of Contents – Table of Contents with Gutenberg Block & Shortcode 7K+ · 4.9★ (43) wp.org #21 4 too low 18 Easy Bootstrap Shortcode 6K+ · 4.0★ (50) wp.org #18 ↓11 19 Ultimate Floating Widgets – Make popup sidebars 3K+ · 4.9★ (14) wp.org #15 4 too high 20 WPB Accordion Menu – Collapsible Vertical Sidebar Responsive Mobile Menu – WooCommerce Category Accordion 10K+ · 4.4★ (54) wp.org #24 ↓3 4 too low 21 MachForm Shortcode 300+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #11 ↓2 10 too high 22 Display During Conditional Shortcode 200+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #20 2 too high 23 Profile Box Shortcode And Widget 1K+ · 3.7★ (7) wp.org #22 ↓4 1 too high 24 Shortcode Preview Block 900+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #13 11 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.