wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “user shortcodes”
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 shortcodes”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20.
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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.
Ranked above its merit
User Access Shortcodes shows at wp.org #15 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.9★ average from 13 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End places #11 on merit, 4.8★ from 913 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.
Shortcodes Ultimate – Content Elements 400K+ · 4.9★ (5925)
wp.org #1 ↑1 2 
User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor 40K+ · 4.7★ (738)
wp.org #3 ↑1 1 too low 3 
User Role Editor 700K+ · 4.5★ (288)
wp.org #2 ↓1 1 too high 4 
User Registration & Membership – Free & Paid Memberships, Subscriptions, Content Restriction, User Profile, Custom User Registration & Login Builder 50K+ · 4.8★ (832)
wp.org #4 ↓1 5 
Ultimate Member – User Profile, Registration, Login, Member Directory, Content Restriction & Membership Plugin 200K+ · 4.4★ (1445)
wp.org #5 6 
Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281)
wp.org #6 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 ↑2 1 too low 9 
Smart User Slug Hider 2K+ · 4.9★ (55)
wp.org #7 2 too high 10 
Login as User: See the Site as Any User 30K+ · 4.8★ (41)
wp.org #8 ↑5 2 too high 11 User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End 10K+ · 4.8★ (913)
wp.org #18 ↓6 7 too low 12 
Import and export users and customers 70K+ · 4.7★ (259)
wp.org #16 ↑2 4 too low 13 
Shortcodes Finder 4K+ · 4.9★ (53)
wp.org #11 ↓2 2 too high 14 
Open User Map – Interactive Leaflet Maps 10K+ · 5.0★ (70)
wp.org #14 ↑5 15 
New User Approve 20K+ · 4.3★ (131)
wp.org #13 ↑4 2 too high 16 
One User Avatar | User Profile Picture 100K+ · 4.7★ (41)
wp.org #12 ↓2 4 too high 17 
ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities 5K+ · 4.6★ (236)
wp.org #24 ↓2 7 too low 18 
ProfilePress – Paid Membership, Online Courses (LMS), Ecommerce, User Registration & Login Form, User Profile & Restrict Content 100K+ · 3.1★ (938)
wp.org #19 ↓3 1 too low 19 
WPFront User Role Editor 30K+ · 4.5★ (65)
wp.org #21 ↓1 2 too low 20 
Arconix Shortcodes 3K+ · 4.6★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #17 ↓2 3 too high 21 User Access Shortcodes 1K+ · 4.9★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #15 ↓1 6 too high 22 
WP User Avatars 20K+ · 4.5★ (29)
wp.org #20 2 too high 23 
Easy Bootstrap Shortcode 6K+ · 4.0★ (50)
wp.org #22 ↓14 1 too high 24 T Themify Shortcodes 7K+ · 3.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #23 1 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.