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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “status update”

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

Order Status Control for WooCommerce shows at wp.org #8 but places #17 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 4K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Modular DS: Monitor, update, and backup multiple websites places #9 on merit, 5.0★ from 133 reviews, but shows at wp.org #24. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Schedule Post Changes With PublishPress Future: Unpublish, Delete, Change Status, Trash, Change Categories 100K+ · 4.5★ (172) wp.org #1 2 Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) wp.org #2 ↑1 3 Easy Updates Manager 300K+ · 4.8★ (726) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Custom Order Status Manager for WooCommerce 30K+ · 4.7★ (117) wp.org #3 ↓1 1 too high 5 Companion Auto Update 40K+ · 4.8★ (105) wp.org #6 ↓1 1 too low 6 Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27821) wp.org #13 7 too low 7 Archive Content with Archived Post Status 5K+ · 4.9★ (36) wp.org #5 ↑3 2 too high 8 bbPress 100K+ · 3.9★ (343) wp.org #18 ↓2 10 too low 9 Modular DS: Monitor, update, and backup multiple websites 40K+ · 5.0★ (133) wp.org #24 15 too low 10 Scheduled & Automatic Order Status Controller for WooCommerce 2K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #9 1 too high 11 Content Update Scheduler 2K+ · 4.3★ (12) wp.org #7 4 too high 12 Advanced Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce 70K+ · 4.5★ (355) wp.org #22 ↑1 10 too low 13 Extended Post Status 1K+ · 4.5★ (11) wp.org #10 3 too high 14 Disable Updates – Updates Manager, Disable Automatic Updates, Disable All Updates 9K+ · 4.5★ (24) wp.org #15 1 too low 15 Advanced Custom Stock Status 8K+ · 4.2★ (37) wp.org #19 4 too low 16 Custom Order Status for WooCommerce 10K+ · 3.3★ (32) wp.org #14 2 too high 17 Order Status Control for WooCommerce 4K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #8 ↓2 9 too high 18 Post Status Notifier Lite 700+ · 3.9★ (17) wp.org #20 ↑1 2 too low 19 WP-Cron Status Checker 5K+ · 3.5★ (8) wp.org #11 8 too high 20 N Ni WooCommerce Custom Order Status 2K+ · 4.1★ (16) wp.org #17 ↑1 3 too high 21 Additional Custom Order Status for WooCommerce 800+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #12 9 too high 22 Pending Status 200+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #16 ↑1 6 too high 23 Advanced Custom Order Status for WooCommerce 500+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #23 ↓1 24 Bulk Post Status Update 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓1 3 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.