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← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “unordered list”

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 “unordered list”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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

List Child Pages Shortcode shows at wp.org #3 but places #12 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 600+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

WP Table Builder – Drag & Drop Table Builder places #8 on merit, 4.8★ from 681 reviews, but shows at wp.org #23. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 List categories 5K+ · 4.5★ (15) wp.org #1 2 Authors List 5K+ · 5.0★ (22) wp.org #2 3 The Events Calendar 600K+ · 4.2★ (2461) wp.org #7 4 too low 4 HTML Page Sitemap (Block and Shortcode) 10K+ · 4.4★ (24) wp.org #4 5 Arconix Shortcodes 3K+ · 4.6★ (24) wp.org #5 6 WP Header Images 4K+ · 4.4★ (35) wp.org #6 7 CC Child Pages 9K+ · 4.9★ (49) wp.org #10 3 too low 8 WP Table Builder – Drag & Drop Table Builder 50K+ · 4.8★ (681) wp.org #23 15 too low 9 Options for Twenty Seventeen 8K+ · 4.8★ (57) wp.org #13 4 too low 10 Ninja Forms – Contact Form Builder with Calculators, Quizzes, Signatures & AI Form Builder 500K+ · 4.4★ (1397) wp.org #22 ↓1 12 too low 11 Getwid – Gutenberg Blocks 50K+ · 4.7★ (115) wp.org #19 8 too low 12 List Child Pages Shortcode 600+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #3 9 too high 13 Link Library 10K+ · 4.7★ (97) wp.org #15 2 too low 14 Stock Ticker 2K+ · 4.4★ (21) wp.org #12 2 too high 15 Pay For Post with WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.7★ (53) wp.org #14 1 too high 16 Super List Block 700+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #8 8 too high 17 LLM Markdown – Markdown Endpoints for AI Agents 700+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #9 8 too high 18 Simple Google Calendar Outlook Events Widget 1K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #11 7 too high 19 Nested Ordered Lists 700+ · 4.5★ (8) wp.org #18 1 too high 20 Mattytap Sermons 60+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #16 4 too high 21 List Post Tags Shortcode 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 4 too high 22 HBmarkdown For Editors 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 2 too low 23 Sitekit 3K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 3 too high 24 RC Site Map Plugin 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 ↑1 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.