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← Rankings

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

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 “superadmin”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 2 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.

A

Ranked above its merit

All Sites Columns for Multisite shows at wp.org #8 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its — 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

Nested Pages places #12 on merit, 4.7★ from 126 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 NinjaFirewall (WP Edition) – Advanced Security Plugin and Firewall 100K+ · 4.9★ (220) wp.org #3 ↓1 2 too low 2 WPTerm 4K+ · 5.0★ (15) wp.org #2 ↑1 3 Change Username 4K+ · 4.6★ (7) wp.org #1 2 too high 4 Adapta RGPD 40K+ · 4.8★ (105) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 Chained Quiz 1K+ · 4.9★ (38) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 Broadcast 1K+ · 4.9★ (214) wp.org #6 7 User Role Editor 700K+ · 4.5★ (288) wp.org #11 4 too low 8 Plugin Notes Plus 9K+ · 5.0★ (62) wp.org #13 ↓1 5 too low 9 Shariff Wrapper 30K+ · 4.9★ (101) wp.org #17 ↓1 8 too low 10 WP OPcache 10K+ · 4.8★ (20) wp.org #12 ↓1 2 too low 11 Disk Usage Sunburst 9K+ · 4.8★ (36) wp.org #14 ↓1 3 too low 12 Nested Pages 90K+ · 4.7★ (126) wp.org #23 ↓3 11 too low 13 Connect Matomo – Analytics Dashboard for WordPress 60K+ · 4.5★ (95) wp.org #20 ↓1 7 too low 14 wp-forecast 4K+ · 4.2★ (23) wp.org #19 ↓1 5 too low 15 Code Profiler – WordPress Performance Profiling and Debugging Made Easy 8K+ · 4.3★ (36) wp.org #24 ↓1 9 too low 16 DP Admin Access Menu 70+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 9 too high 17 Multisite Post Reader 10+ · 4.0★ (6) wp.org #16 ↓1 1 too high 18 Super Admin All Sites Menu — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 9 too high 19 Developersd Visual DB — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 9 too high 20 A All Sites Columns for Multisite — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 12 too high 21 Ressources 60+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #22 1 too low 22 Restricted Site Notifier 70+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #18 ↓1 4 too high 23 Online Indicator For Twitch 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #21 2 too high 24 Creative Commons 700+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 ↓1 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.