wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “track orders”
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 “track orders”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 15 of the top 20. 8 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
Track Orders for WooCommerce – Multi Carrier WooCommerce Shipping shows at wp.org #1 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 200+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.7★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
AfterShip Tracking – All-In-One WooCommerce Order Tracking (Free plan available) places #9 on merit, 4.8★ from 633 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.
Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed 5M+ · 4.2★ (1012)
wp.org #2 1 too low 2 
Simple History – Track, Log, and Audit WordPress Changes 300K+ · 4.9★ (491)
wp.org #3 1 too low 3 
CWILL (Formerly ParcelPanel) – Shipment Tracking, Tracking & Order Tracking for WooCommerce 7K+ · 4.9★ (538)
wp.org #6 3 too low 4 
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2144)
wp.org #9 5 too low 5 
Sequential Order Number for WooCommerce 50K+ · 4.9★ (146)
wp.org #7 2 too low 6 
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint
wp.org #10 4 too low 7 
Trakoo – Orders Tracking for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.5★ (58) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #4 3 too high 8 
WP Activity Log 300K+ · 4.7★ (490)
wp.org #15 7 too low 9 AfterShip Tracking – All-In-One WooCommerce Order Tracking (Free plan available) 7K+ · 4.8★ (633)
wp.org #19 10 too low 10 
BrikPanel: WooCommerce Dashboard & Analytics, Abandoned Cart Recovery, Order Export, Inventory Management & Bulk Editor 1K+ · 5.0★ (55) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #8 2 too high 11 
Code Snippets 1M+ · 4.7★ (510) not PHP-current
wp.org #12 1 too low 12 
Custom Order Numbers for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.2★ (25) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #5 7 too high 13 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #18 5 too low 14 
Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408)
wp.org #17 3 too low 15 Track Orders for WooCommerce – Multi Carrier WooCommerce Shipping 200+ · 3.7★ (3) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #1 14 too high 16 
Smart Online Order for Clover 1K+ · 4.9★ (34) throws errorsnot PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #11 5 too high 17 
Order On Mobile for WooCommerce 2K+ · 4.9★ (66)
wp.org #23 6 too low 18 
Activity Log – Monitor User and Agent Changes 200K+ · 4.3★ (74)
wp.org #24 6 too low 19 
TrackShip for WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.7★ (52) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #21 2 too low 20 
Contact Form to Chat Apps | Click to Chat to Order – FormyChat 3K+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #22 2 too low 21 
Order Tracker for WooCommerce – Track Customer Order 900+ · 4.3★ (6) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #13 8 too high 22 
BD Courier Order Ratio Checker 2K+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #14 8 too high 23 
Live Carts for WooCommerce: Track Active, Abandoned, and Converted Carts & Wishlists in Real Time! 900+ · 5.0★ (4) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #20 3 too high 24 
Export Orders for WooCommerce – AI & MCP for Claude and ChatGPT 500+ · 3.7★ (6) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #16 8 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.