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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “text box”

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 “text box”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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

Marquee Running Text shows at wp.org #9 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 5K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.6★ average from 5 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets places #9 on merit, 4.9★ from 4132 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Meta Box – A Framework for Dynamic Websites 500K+ · 4.8★ (165) wp.org #1 2 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Simple Author Box 90K+ · 4.3★ (115) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 Popup Box – Create Countdown, Coupon, Video, Contact Form Popups 50K+ · 4.6★ (82) wp.org #4 5 Text To Speech TTS Accessibility 4K+ · 4.8★ (92) wp.org #6 1 too low 6 Popup Box – Easily Create WordPress Popups 6K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #5 1 too high 7 DTX – Dynamic Text Extension for Contact Form 7 100K+ · 4.7★ (99) wp.org #8 ↑1 1 too low 8 Co-Authors, Multiple Authors and Guest Authors in an Author Box with PublishPress Authors 20K+ · 4.9★ (114) wp.org #11 ↓1 3 too low 9 Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) wp.org #19 10 too low 10 Noptin – Newsletter, New Post Notifications & Email Automation 10K+ · 4.5★ (120) wp.org #12 2 too low 11 Author Box WP Lens 900+ · 5.0★ (12) wp.org #10 ↑3 1 too high 12 Text Unfold For Elementor 3K+ · 4.6★ (7) wp.org #7 ↑1 5 too high 13 ResponsiveVoice Text To Speech 7K+ · 3.9★ (34) wp.org #15 2 too low 14 Easy Social Like Box – Popup – Sidebar Widget 6K+ · 4.4★ (18) wp.org #16 2 too low 15 Coupzy Coupon Box for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.6★ (37) wp.org #18 3 too low 16 AI Alt Text Generator 2K+ · 4.9★ (7) wp.org #13 ↓6 3 too high 17 Gallery Box 1K+ · 4.1★ (18) wp.org #14 3 too high 18 Marquee Running Text 5K+ · 4.6★ (5) wp.org #9 ↑2 9 too high 19 Keep Emoticons as Text 700+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #23 4 too low 20 Sitelinks Search Box 2K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #21 ↓1 1 too low 21 Text to Speech – TTSWP 200+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #24 3 too low 22 Iconic Copy Text Blocks 400+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #22 23 BOX NOW Delivery 6K+ · 2.4★ (16) wp.org #17 6 too high 24 Alert Box Block – Grab Attention with Eye-Catching Notices 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 ↑1 4 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.