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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “url parameters”

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 “url parameters”, 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

Body Class By URL Parameter shows at wp.org #5 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 15 places. Its 50+ 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

Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal places #12 on merit, 4.8★ from 397 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.

merit plugin wp.org
1 URL Params 8K+ · 5.0★ (37) wp.org #1 ↑1 2 Featured Image from URL (FIFU) 60K+ · 4.6★ (264) wp.org #2 ↓1 3 PrettyLinks – Affiliate Link Management, URL Shortener, Link Cloaking, Tracking & Branded Short Links 200K+ · 4.8★ (1322) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 URL Shortify – Simple and Easy URL Shortener 10K+ · 4.7★ (169) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 Premium Addons for Elementor – AI-Ready Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 600K+ · 4.9★ (1680) wp.org #10 ↓2 5 too low 6 WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (759) wp.org #7 ↑10 1 too low 7 Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) wp.org #9 ↓2 2 too low 8 Redirection 2M+ · 4.4★ (703) wp.org #8 ↑3 9 Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423) wp.org #13 ↓1 4 too low 10 Click to Chat – HoliThemes 600K+ · 4.8★ (131) wp.org #11 ↑2 1 too low 11 Advanced Ads – Ad Manager & AdSense 90K+ · 4.9★ (1463) wp.org #17 6 too low 12 Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397) wp.org #19 ↑1 7 too low 13 Ultra Addons for Contact Form 7 60K+ · 4.8★ (107) wp.org #15 ↑3 2 too low 14 Fluent Forms – Customizable Contact Forms, Survey, Quiz, & Conversational Form Builder 800K+ · 4.8★ (807) wp.org #18 ↓2 4 too low 15 PixelYourSite – Your smart PIXEL (TAG) & API Manager 400K+ · 4.3★ (281) wp.org #21 ↓6 6 too low 16 GenerateBlocks 200K+ · 4.9★ (122) wp.org #23 7 too low 17 Visibility Logic for Elementor 20K+ · 4.8★ (58) wp.org #22 ↓1 5 too low 18 Advance Canonical URL 1K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #6 12 too high 19 LinkCentral – URL shortener, Affiliate Links & Custom Link Shortener with Link Tracking 400+ · 5.0★ (19) wp.org #24 ↓2 5 too low 20 Body Class By URL Parameter 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #5 15 too high 21 Noindex Parameters 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 ↓2 9 too high 22 P Pass URL Parameters to Embedded iFrame 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↓7 6 too high 23 Add multiple products to cart via url for Woocommerce 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #20 ↓1 3 too high 24 Url Rewrite Analyzer 400+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #14 10 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.