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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “user column”

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 “user column”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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

Manage User Columns shows at wp.org #2 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.2★ average from 5 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Import and export users and customers places #11 on merit, 4.7★ from 259 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Make Column Clickable for Elementor 100K+ · 4.9★ (53) wp.org #1 ↑21 2 Admin Columns 100K+ · 4.9★ (1652) wp.org #5 ↓4 3 too low 3 User Role Editor 700K+ · 4.5★ (288) wp.org #3 4 User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor 40K+ · 4.7★ (738) wp.org #6 ↓1 2 too low 5 Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281) wp.org #7 ↓1 2 too low 6 Login as User: See the Site as Any User 30K+ · 4.8★ (41) wp.org #8 ↑2 2 too low 7 WP User Manager – Registration Form, Login Form, User Profile Builder & Member Directory 10K+ · 4.7★ (350) wp.org #10 ↓3 3 too low 8 User Frontend – Membership, User Registration, User Profile, User Directory & Content Restriction with Frontend Post Submission 20K+ · 4.1★ (537) wp.org #9 ↑4 1 too low 9 New User Approve 20K+ · 4.3★ (131) wp.org #12 3 too low 10 Users Registration Date – Sortable Users Column 3K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #4 6 too high 11 Import and export users and customers 70K+ · 4.7★ (259) wp.org #18 ↓4 7 too low 12 One User Avatar | User Profile Picture 100K+ · 4.7★ (41) wp.org #11 ↓3 1 too high 13 Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423) wp.org #22 ↓2 9 too low 14 User Access Manager 10K+ · 4.4★ (112) wp.org #15 ↓4 1 too low 15 Open User Map – Interactive Leaflet Maps 10K+ · 5.0★ (70) wp.org #17 2 too low 16 Manage User Columns 1K+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #2 14 too high 17 ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities 5K+ · 4.6★ (236) wp.org #21 ↓3 4 too low 18 Activity Log – Monitor User and Agent Changes 200K+ · 4.3★ (74) wp.org #16 ↑3 2 too high 19 WPFront User Role Editor 30K+ · 4.5★ (65) wp.org #19 ↓4 20 Export and Import Users and Customers 50K+ · 4.8★ (442) wp.org #23 3 too low 21 Make Section & Column Clickable For Elementor 10K+ · 4.8★ (11) wp.org #13 ↓4 8 too high 22 User Notes 800+ · 4.8★ (15) wp.org #24 ↓1 2 too low 23 Genesis Widget Column Classes 5K+ · 4.5★ (8) wp.org #14 9 too high 24 User Login History 10K+ · 4.6★ (29) wp.org #20 ↓4 4 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.