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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “trackable id”

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 “trackable id”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 of the top 20. 2 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

ChitChats Shipping for WooCommerce shows at wp.org #7 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 200+ 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

Contests by Rewards Fuel places #6 on merit, 4.4★ from 65 reviews, but shows at wp.org #15. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Popup Maker – Boost Sales, Conversions, Optins, Subscribers with the Ultimate WP Popup Builder 600K+ · 4.9★ (4514) wp.org #1 2 Simple Download Monitor 20K+ · 4.7★ (158) wp.org #2 3 WPFunnels – Funnel Builder for WooCommerce with Checkout & One Click Upsell 5K+ · 4.9★ (175) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 Affiliate Links – Link Cloaking and Management 3K+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 ThriveDesk – Live Chat, AI Chatbot, Helpdesk & Customer Support Ticket System 100+ · 4.5★ (14) wp.org #6 1 too low 6 Contests by Rewards Fuel 40+ · 4.4★ (65) wp.org #15 ↑1 9 too low 7 WC Affiliate – WooCommerce Affiliate Plugin 300+ · 4.6★ (16) wp.org #9 2 too low 8 EchoRewards – Refer a Friend Rewards Program for WooCommerce 300+ · 3.9★ (8) wp.org #8 9 Legion Integration with WooCommerce 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #4 5 too high 10 DevXpert Lead Dashboard for Forminator & Contact Form 7 — · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #16 ↓1 6 too low 11 Desku.io – Live Chat, Help Desk & Knowledge Base 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #13 ↓1 2 too low 12 Leadite 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 1 too high 13 Markdown for Agents and Statistics 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 ↑1 1 too high 14 Doc Mitayo — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 4 too high 15 ChitChats Shipping for WooCommerce 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 8 too high 16 DMS3 QR Manager 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 ↑8 2 too high 17 Semantic Journey 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 ↓1 1 too low 18 Terovania Game Marketing Widgets for Steam® 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↓2 2 too low 19 PufferSights – AI Crawler Insights 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓2 2 too low 20 GemCRM – CRM, Email Marketing, Newsletter & Marketing Automation 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 ↓3 3 too high 21 Dazzlebirds Smart QR Manager — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓2 2 too low 22 Auripath Embed Helper — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓1 2 too low 23 Yatoon Salon Booking & Appointments — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 4 too high 24 LayerSync – Conversion Tracking, Pixel Manager, and Server-Side API — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↓2 2 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.