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← Rankings

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

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 “tld”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20.

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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Advanced Email Domain Restriction shows at wp.org #5 but places #12 on merit, a gap of 7 places. Its 100+ 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

DTX – Dynamic Text Extension for Contact Form 7 places #4 on merit, 4.7★ from 99 reviews, but shows at wp.org #10. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2144) wp.org #1 2 WP24 Domain Check 4K+ · 4.3★ (32) wp.org #2 3 Yoast Test Helper 50K+ · 4.9★ (12) wp.org #3 4 DTX – Dynamic Text Extension for Contact Form 7 100K+ · 4.7★ (99) wp.org #10 6 too low 5 No-Bot Registration 2K+ · 4.4★ (28) wp.org #6 1 too low 6 Block Emails & Addresses for WooCommerce Checkout 700+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #4 2 too high 7 Innovs WPBakery Visual Composer WHMCS Elements 1K+ · 4.6★ (5) wp.org #7 8 Email and Domain Blocker for WooCommerce 300+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #8 9 Powie's WHOIS Domain Check 400+ · 4.0★ (10) wp.org #15 6 too low 10 Dominion – Domain Checker for WPBakery 50+ · 3.5★ (8) wp.org #13 ↑1 3 too low 11 DIYSEO – AI Writer for SEO Content 10+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #21 ↓3 10 too low 12 Advanced Email Domain Restriction 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #5 7 too high 13 Checkout Guard – Block Fake Orders, Spam & Fraud for WooCommerce 90+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #14 ↓1 1 too low 14 Block Accessibility Checks 90+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 5 too high 15 Xtreme Forms – WP Contact Form Builder, Lead Capture, Form to Email & Webhooks 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #19 ↑1 4 too low 16 LukStack Uptime Monitor 50+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #20 ↑1 4 too low 17 WhoKnew Shield — Email, Phone & Address Security 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #11 ↑1 6 too high 18 Domain Search for WHMCS 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 ↓1 6 too high 19 Email Essentials 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 2 too high 20 OWH Domain WHOIS RDAP — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #16 4 too high 21 TLDers Domain Prices — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↓1 1 too low 22 Bolcal Anti Spam 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 1 too low 23 LeadCop Disposable Email Checker — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 ↑1 5 too high 24 Hostingforall Domain Checker 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓1

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.