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

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 “slick”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 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

Slick-Pay Payment Gateway shows at wp.org #7 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 15 places. Its 70+ 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.

Buried gem

Real Media Library: Media Library Folder & File Manager places #7 on merit, 4.8★ from 297 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 Spectra Legacy – Gutenberg Blocks 1M+ · 4.7★ (1872) wp.org #1 2 Logo Showcase – Responsive Logo Carousel, Logo Slider & Logo Grid 5K+ · 4.6★ (10) wp.org #2 3 Slick Popup: Contact Form 7 Popup Plugin 1K+ · 4.7★ (22) wp.org #4 ↓1 1 too low 4 Simple Slider Block – Create Sliders From Core Blocks 600+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #3 ↑1 1 too high 5 Slickstream: Engagement and Conversions 2K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #5 6 WP Directory Kit 2K+ · 4.9★ (35) wp.org #13 ↑1 7 too low 7 Real Media Library: Media Library Folder & File Manager 100K+ · 4.8★ (297) wp.org #23 ↓10 16 too low 8 WooSwipe WooCommerce Gallery 3K+ · 4.5★ (39) wp.org #10 2 too low 9 Simple Blog Stats 4K+ · 4.9★ (38) wp.org #22 ↑2 13 too low 10 Dashboard Widgets Suite 4K+ · 4.9★ (38) wp.org #21 ↑2 11 too low 11 Snow Monkey Blocks 30K+ · 4.4★ (7) wp.org #6 5 too high 12 MaxGalleria 1K+ · 4.4★ (65) wp.org #19 ↓3 7 too low 13 Gutentools 4K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #9 4 too high 14 Free WooCommerce Products Slider/Carousel Pro 2K+ · 4.7★ (17) wp.org #16 ↑3 2 too low 15 S Slick Google Map 50+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #8 7 too high 16 WEN Logo Slider 1K+ · 4.4★ (10) wp.org #15 ↑2 1 too high 17 Announcement & Notification Banner – Bulletin 2K+ · 4.6★ (20) wp.org #18 ↑3 1 too low 18 Awesome Logo Carousel Block 4K+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #12 6 too high 19 Coming Soon Maintenance Mode 6K+ · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #14 ↑1 5 too high 20 Masonry Image Gallery Block 1K+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #20 ↑2 21 YITH Slider for page builders 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #17 ↑3 4 too high 22 Slick-Pay Payment Gateway 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 15 too high 23 Responsive Slick Slider WordPress 500+ · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #11 12 too high 24 Service Box Slider 400+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24

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.