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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “simple xml generator”

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 “simple xml generator”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 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

Sitemap Generator shows at wp.org #8 but places #17 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 3K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.7★ average from 23 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall places #12 on merit, 4.5★ from 373 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 XML Sitemap Generator for Google 1M+ · 4.8★ (2233) wp.org #1 2 Dynamic XML Sitemaps Generator for Google 20K+ · 4.7★ (47) wp.org #2 3 All in One SEO – AI SEO Plugin to Boost SEO Rankings & Traffic (Schema, Local SEO, Sitemap & SEO Insights) 2M+ · 4.7★ (5231) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 WPCode – Insert Headers and Footers + Custom Code Snippets – WordPress Code Manager 3M+ · 4.9★ (1916) wp.org #7 ↑1 3 too low 5 Seriously Simple Podcasting 20K+ · 4.7★ (330) wp.org #5 6 Companion Sitemap Generator – Simple, Smart, and SEO-Ready 6K+ · 4.7★ (55) wp.org #6 7 Simply Static – The Static Site Generator 30K+ · 4.5★ (195) wp.org #9 2 too low 8 Simple XML Sitemap Generator 3K+ · 4.6★ (11) wp.org #3 5 too high 9 Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423) wp.org #13 ↑2 4 too low 10 Simple Link Directory – AI Powered 2K+ · 4.8★ (121) wp.org #10 11 Sitemap by BestWebSoft – WordPress XML Site Map Page Generator Plugin 20K+ · 4.3★ (115) wp.org #11 ↑1 12 Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall 100K+ · 4.5★ (373) wp.org #18 6 too low 13 SureRank SEO – Meta Tags, Social Preview, XML Sitemap, Schema & Open Graph 300K+ · 4.8★ (51) wp.org #12 ↑2 1 too high 14 Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408) wp.org #15 ↓2 1 too low 15 SmartCrawl SEO checker, analyzer & optimizer 10K+ · 4.8★ (171) wp.org #21 ↑1 6 too low 16 Team – Team Members Showcase Plugin 10K+ · 4.5★ (67) wp.org #17 ↑4 1 too low 17 Sitemap Generator 3K+ · 3.7★ (23) wp.org #8 ↓1 9 too high 18 WP Hide & Security Enhancer 50K+ · 4.3★ (275) wp.org #16 ↑1 2 too high 19 Get Use APIs – JSON Content Importer 5K+ · 4.9★ (78) wp.org #22 ↓4 3 too low 20 Unbloater 5K+ · 5.0★ (17) wp.org #20 21 affiliate-toolkit – Multi-Network Affiliate & Amazon Product Display 2K+ · 4.5★ (22) wp.org #19 2 too high 22 Disable Everything 30K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #24 2 too low 23 Lightweight Sitemap Generator 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 ↑2 9 too high 24 T TGG – WP Optimizer 700+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #23 1 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.