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

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 import”, 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.

S

Ranked above its merit

Simple Membership WP user Import shows at wp.org #4 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 15 places. Its 4K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

User Menus – Nav Menu Visibility places #9 on merit, 5.0★ from 1281 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 Import and export users and customers 70K+ · 4.7★ (259) wp.org #1 2 Export and Import Users and Customers 50K+ · 4.8★ (442) wp.org #2 ↑2 3 WP All Import – Drag & Drop Import for CSV, XML, Excel & Google Sheets 100K+ · 4.7★ (1966) wp.org #5 ↓2 2 too low 4 User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor 40K+ · 4.7★ (738) wp.org #8 ↑3 4 too low 5 Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281) wp.org #9 ↑3 4 too low 6 User Role Editor 700K+ · 4.5★ (288) wp.org #6 7 One Click Demo Import 1M+ · 4.3★ (79) wp.org #3 ↓1 4 too high 8 User Registration & Membership – Free & Paid Memberships, Subscriptions, Content Restriction, User Profile, Custom User Registration & Login Builder 50K+ · 4.8★ (832) wp.org #10 ↓3 2 too low 9 User Menus – Nav Menu Visibility 80K+ · 5.0★ (1281) wp.org #19 ↓5 10 too low 10 Customizer Export/Import 100K+ · 4.8★ (115) wp.org #13 3 too low 11 WP All Import – Product Import for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.7★ (276) wp.org #20 ↓1 9 too low 12 Import Users from CSV 10K+ · 4.1★ (44) wp.org #11 ↓1 1 too high 13 WP Import Export Lite 40K+ · 4.0★ (113) wp.org #14 ↑7 1 too low 14 Order Export & Order Import for WooCommerce 50K+ · 4.7★ (337) wp.org #16 ↓1 2 too low 15 User Frontend – Membership, User Registration, User Profile, User Directory & Content Restriction with Frontend Post Submission 20K+ · 4.1★ (537) wp.org #15 ↑7 16 Open User Map – Interactive Leaflet Maps 10K+ · 5.0★ (70) wp.org #23 ↓6 7 too low 17 WP All Import – Import Add-On for ACF 50K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #7 ↑1 10 too high 18 New User Approve 20K+ · 4.3★ (131) wp.org #22 4 too low 19 S Simple Membership WP user Import 4K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #4 ↑1 15 too high 20 Advanced Import 80K+ · 4.4★ (7) wp.org #12 ↓3 8 too high 21 WP All Import – Import SEO Settings for Rank Math SEO 6K+ · 4.5★ (4) wp.org #17 ↓1 4 too high 22 WP All Import – User Import Add-On 4K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 1 too high 23 Ansar Import – One Click Starter Sites – for WordPress Themes 10K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24 ↓1 1 too low 24 Import Users & Customers with Meta | WP Ultimate CSV Importer Add-on 5K+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #18 6 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.