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

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 “symbol”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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

SL Currency Symbol Changer shows at wp.org #3 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 17 places. Its 300+ 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

WPML Multilingual & Multicurrency for WooCommerce places #10 on merit, 4.2★ from 454 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 Gulf currencies Symbols for WooCommerce – رمز الريال السعودي والدرهم الإماراتي 1K+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #1 ↑1 2 Product Filter for WooCommerce by WBW 50K+ · 4.8★ (325) wp.org #6 ↑1 4 too low 3 Current Year, Symbols and IP Shortcode 10K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #2 ↓1 1 too high 4 Cyrlitera – Transliteration of Links and File Names 40K+ · 4.6★ (62) wp.org #7 ↓1 3 too low 5 wp-Typography 10K+ · 4.6★ (71) wp.org #8 3 too low 6 Price Based on Country for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.8★ (262) wp.org #10 ↓2 4 too low 7 WP Recipe Maker 50K+ · 5.0★ (356) wp.org #17 ↑4 10 too low 8 Widget Context 30K+ · 4.5★ (98) wp.org #9 ↑14 1 too low 9 R Restrict Usernames Emails Characters 1K+ · 4.5★ (25) wp.org #11 ↓2 2 too low 10 WPML Multilingual & Multicurrency for WooCommerce 100K+ · 4.2★ (454) wp.org #24 ↓4 14 too low 11 Cyr to Lat Reloaded – Transliteration of Links and File Names 30K+ · 4.5★ (15) wp.org #12 ↓1 1 too low 12 JS Categories List Widget 1K+ · 4.8★ (15) wp.org #14 ↓4 2 too low 13 JS Archive List 3K+ · 4.8★ (45) wp.org #21 ↓5 8 too low 14 Crypto Converter ⚡ Widget 1K+ · 4.6★ (24) wp.org #16 ↓1 2 too low 15 Currency Switcher for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.2★ (43) wp.org #20 ↓2 5 too low 16 Chart Block – Visualize Data with Bar, Line, Pie Charts 1K+ · 4.8★ (10) wp.org #13 ↓1 3 too high 17 Stock Ticker 2K+ · 4.4★ (21) wp.org #23 ↓6 6 too low 18 Donation Thermometer 2K+ · 4.4★ (12) wp.org #18 ↓5 19 ingenidev, UAE – AED Currency Symbol Changer | مغير رمز عملة الدرهم الإماراتي 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #4 15 too high 20 SL Currency Symbol Changer 300+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #3 17 too high 21 Simple Mortgage Calculator 1K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #19 2 too high 22 YM BYN Symbol 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #5 17 too high 23 Stock Market Overview 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #15 ↓1 8 too high 24 EMI Calculator 600+ · 5.0★ (1) 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.