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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “smart showcase”

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 “smart showcase”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 of the top 20. 4 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

Smart Showcase for Google Reviews shows at wp.org #1 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 100+ 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

Simple Custom Post Order places #10 on merit, 4.8★ from 588 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) wp.org #2 ↑1 1 too low 2 YMC Filter 4K+ · 4.8★ (34) wp.org #3 ↓1 1 too low 3 Team – Team Members Showcase Plugin 10K+ · 4.5★ (67) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Smart Variations Images & Swatches for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.7★ (142) wp.org #5 ↑3 1 too low 5 Premium Addons for Elementor – AI-Ready Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 600K+ · 4.9★ (1680) wp.org #12 ↑2 7 too low 6 Smart Post – Post Grid, Post Carousel, Post Slider Gutenberg Blocks for Blog & News 20K+ · 4.7★ (210) wp.org #10 ↑1 4 too low 7 Responsive Team Members Showcase, Team Grid, Team Slider, and Staff List – Smart Team (formerly WP Team) 5K+ · 4.7★ (92) wp.org #9 ↑1 2 too low 8 Custom Product Tabs for WooCommerce & WordPress Tabs Builder – Smart Tabs 10K+ · 4.9★ (134) wp.org #13 ↓8 5 too low 9 All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720) wp.org #16 7 too low 10 Simple Custom Post Order 300K+ · 4.8★ (588) wp.org #21 11 too low 11 FiboSearch – Ajax Search for WooCommerce 100K+ · 4.9★ (1815) wp.org #18 7 too low 12 MoreConvert Wishlist for WooCommerce 8K+ · 4.9★ (120) wp.org #17 5 too low 13 Books Gallery – Book Showcase, Library & Affiliate Plugin 2K+ · 4.8★ (92) wp.org #15 2 too low 14 Easy Accordion – AI-Powered FAQ & Accordion Blocks, Product FAQ 70K+ · 4.9★ (358) wp.org #24 10 too low 15 Smart Showcase for Google Reviews 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #1 14 too high 16 MonsterInsights – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Made Easy) 2M+ · 4.5★ (3157) wp.org #20 4 too low 17 Product Variation Swatches for WooCommerce – Smart Swatches 700+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #7 ↓1 10 too high 18 RS WP Book Showcase – A Complete Book Catalogue & Library System 1K+ · 3.9★ (25) wp.org #11 ↑1 7 too high 19 HappyAddons for Elementor – 160 Elementor Widgets, GSAP Animations & Templates 400K+ · 4.8★ (489) wp.org #23 4 too low 20 Logo Showcase – Carousel, Slider, Grid & List for WordPress 400+ · 4.5★ (6) wp.org #6 ↑1 14 too high 21 Products Showcase – Shopify Integration 100+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #8 ↑1 13 too high 22 Smart Online Order for Clover 1K+ · 4.9★ (34) wp.org #19 3 too high 23 Smart Brands for WooCommerce 300+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #14 ↓1 9 too high 24 Track Geolocation Of Users Using Contact Form 7 800+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #22 2 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.