Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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

Posts On This Day shows at wp.org #7 but places #14 on merit, a gap of 7 places. Its 50+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Yeloni Exit Popup | (Free) GDPR Compliance 700+ · 3.9★ (59) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 Super Related Posts – Lightweight, High Performance Algorithm & Increase Traffic! 50+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 Forms for Mailchimp by Optin Cat – Grow Your MailChimp List 2K+ · 4.4★ (77) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 GetResponse Forms by Optin Cat 1K+ · 4.9★ (9) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 European VAT Compliance Assistant for WooCommerce 3K+ · 4.8★ (26) wp.org #10 5 too low 6 Wisepops Popups & Notifications 400+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #6 7 AWeber Forms by Optin Cat 300+ · 3.7★ (18) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 WCAG 2.0 form fields for Gravity Forms 3K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #15 7 too low 9 WP LIST PAGES BY CUSTOM TAXONOMY 100+ · 5.0★ (12) wp.org #13 4 too low 10 R Require Featured Image 3K+ · 3.9★ (16) wp.org #14 4 too low 11 Campaign Monitor Forms by Optin Cat 200+ · 3.9★ (7) wp.org #8 3 too high 12 Campaign Monitor for WordPress 2K+ · 1.7★ (40) wp.org #9 3 too high 13 A Affiliate Link Cloaker 20+ · 4.7★ (7) wp.org #17 4 too low 14 Posts On This Day 50+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #7 7 too high 15 D Dropdown Menus 300+ · 4.4★ (5) wp.org #18 3 too low 16 W WP Publication Archive 400+ · 3.6★ (5) wp.org #23 7 too low 17 Acquired.com for WooCommerce 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 6 too high 18 BigRadar – Free Chatbot, Live Chat, Email Marketing — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 6 too high 19 A All Related Posts 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 3 too high 20 S SpamPot 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 1 too high 21 A ACF WYSIWYG Styling 80+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too high 22 A Advanced Typekit 60+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 1 too high 23 T Targeter App — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 1 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.