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

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 “skyscraper”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 15. 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

AstroBlob Banners shows at wp.org #4 but places #8 on merit, a gap of 4 places. Its — installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

merit plugin wp.org
1 FlatPM – Ad Manager, AdSense and Custom Code 10K+ · 4.6★ (9) wp.org #5 ↓1 4 too low 2 WP AdCenter – Ad Manager & Adsense Ads 900+ · 4.5★ (10) wp.org #6 ↓1 4 too low 3 SignalKit — Google News Publisher Banners, Lead Generation & Engagement — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #1 2 too high 4 Ad Fuz – AI Ad Manager, Ad Inserter, Popup Ads & Banner Rotator — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 G Google AdSense for Responsive Design – GARD 100+ · 3.8★ (17) wp.org #13 ↓1 8 too low 6 Placeholders — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #3 3 too high 7 Reviewer 10+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #9 ↓1 2 too low 8 AstroBlob Banners — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #4 4 too high 9 W Walmart Affiliate Link 30+ · 3.0★ (7) wp.org #10 ↓1 1 too low 10 SmartSpot Ad Manager — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 ↓1 2 too high 11 AI Soft – AI Auto Post Publisher Lite — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 ↓1 4 too high 12 Woo Simple Ads Server — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 ↓1 1 too high 13 W WP Skyscraper 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 ↓1 2 too low 14 E Easy Peasy Adsense 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 ↓1 2 too high 15 B Block Ads to Bitcoin 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 ↓1 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.