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

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 “tourism”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 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

Panorama Block – immerse visitors in 360 degree views shows at wp.org #7 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 700+ 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

WP Event Aggregator: Import Eventbrite events, Meetup events, social events and any iCal Events into Event Calendar places #9 on merit, 4.6★ from 54 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Booking Activities 3K+ · 5.0★ (121) wp.org #1 2 WP TripAdvisor Review Slider 8K+ · 4.8★ (135) wp.org #2 3 Maps Plugin using Google Maps for WordPress – WP Google Map 10K+ · 4.8★ (172) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 Location Weather – WordPress Weather Forecast, Air Quality & Weather Widget 10K+ · 4.5★ (103) wp.org #8 4 too low 5 WPVR – 360 Panorama viewer and Virtual Tour Builder for WordPress 10K+ · 4.7★ (133) wp.org #12 ↓3 7 too low 6 Currency Converter Calculator 1K+ · 4.4★ (7) wp.org #4 2 too high 7 WP Directory Kit 2K+ · 4.9★ (35) wp.org #10 ↑1 3 too low 8 Bulk Page Generator – LPagery 3K+ · 5.0★ (31) wp.org #15 ↓1 7 too low 9 WP Event Aggregator: Import Eventbrite events, Meetup events, social events and any iCal Events into Event Calendar 1K+ · 4.6★ (54) wp.org #17 ↓1 8 too low 10 Exchange Rates Widget 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #3 7 too high 11 Chatbot for WordPress by Collect.chat ⚡️ 6K+ · 4.4★ (38) wp.org #18 7 too low 12 Rezgo Online Booking 300+ · 3.3★ (6) wp.org #6 6 too high 13 TuriTop Booking System 500+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #9 ↑1 4 too high 14 Spexo Addons for Elementor – Elementor Widgets, Mega Menu, Popup Builder, Template Kits and Starter Templates for Elementor 6K+ · 4.8★ (4) wp.org #19 5 too low 15 Tour Operator 30+ · 3.8★ (6) wp.org #14 ↓2 1 too high 16 Panorama Block – immerse visitors in 360 degree views 700+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 9 too high 17 Bukza 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #16 ↓1 1 too high 18 AI ChatBot for WordPress by AI BotKit – Live in 2 Minutes, No Code 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #20 2 too low 19 Flockler – Social Media Embeds for WordPress 500+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 6 too high 20 Wetu Content Importer 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #11 ↑6 9 too high 21 ITI Digital AI-Ready Events & Places 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓1 2 too low 22 TourTask — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 2 too low 23 WeatherBot Weather Widget 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↑1 1 too high 24 DirectoryPress – Business Directory And Classified Ad Listing 600+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #21 3 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.