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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “sub categories”

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 “sub categories”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 5 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

WPB Category Slider for WooCommerce – Responsive Product Category Carousel & Enhanced UX shows at wp.org #10 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 700+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.1★ average from 9 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager places #8 on merit, 5.0★ from 1526 reviews, but shows at wp.org #20. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962) wp.org #1 2 Polylang 900K+ · 4.7★ (3004) wp.org #5 3 too low 3 Remove Category URL – Remove ‘category’ base from category permalinks 40K+ · 4.3★ (61) wp.org #3 4 Category Order and Taxonomy Terms Order 500K+ · 4.5★ (162) wp.org #4 5 Automatically Hierarchic Categories in Menu 2K+ · 4.6★ (13) wp.org #2 3 too high 6 Max Mega Menu 300K+ · 4.8★ (882) wp.org #9 3 too low 7 PublishPress Taxonomies – Tag, Category, and Taxonomy Manager – Autotagger Automatically Add Terms 40K+ · 4.6★ (195) wp.org #12 5 too low 8 Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager 90K+ · 5.0★ (1526) wp.org #20 ↑2 12 too low 9 JS Categories List Widget 1K+ · 4.8★ (15) wp.org #6 ↓2 3 too high 10 No Category Base (WPML) 100K+ · 4.5★ (34) wp.org #8 2 too high 11 Custom Permalinks 100K+ · 4.1★ (116) wp.org #11 ↓1 12 FG Joomla to WordPress 7K+ · 4.7★ (336) wp.org #17 ↑6 5 too low 13 Collapsing Categories 4K+ · 4.1★ (57) wp.org #7 ↓1 6 too high 14 Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP 100K+ · 4.5★ (252) wp.org #13 ↑1 1 too high 15 Iks Menu – WordPress Category Accordion Menu & FAQs 10K+ · 5.0★ (27) wp.org #16 1 too low 16 Widget Context 30K+ · 4.5★ (98) wp.org #18 ↓1 2 too low 17 Tabbed Category Product Listing for Woocommerce 1K+ · 4.9★ (28) wp.org #14 ↓1 3 too high 18 Link Library 10K+ · 4.7★ (97) wp.org #23 ↓3 5 too low 19 WPB Category Slider for WooCommerce – Responsive Product Category Carousel & Enhanced UX 700+ · 4.1★ (9) wp.org #10 ↑1 9 too high 20 Rearrange Products for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.6★ (58) wp.org #22 ↓4 2 too low 21 CatFolders – WordPress Media Library Folders & Categories 6K+ · 4.3★ (22) wp.org #24 3 too low 22 Product Category Slider for WooCommerce 700+ · 4.0★ (20) wp.org #19 3 too high 23 Ultimate Store Kit – Store Builder Addons for Elementor, WooCommerce Store Builder, EDD Store Builder 3K+ · 4.5★ (10) wp.org #21 2 too high 24 CookieAdmin – Cookie Consent Banner 400K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #15 9 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.