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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “vacancy”

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 “vacancy”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20. 6 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

WP-HR Manager: The Human Resources Plugin for WordPress shows at wp.org #11 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 200+ installs carry it up the search order; its 2.0★ average from 5 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Job Postings 10K+ · 4.4★ (58) wp.org #1 2 GeoDirectory – WP Business Directory Plugin and Classified Listings Directory 10K+ · 4.8★ (716) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 JobWP – Job Board Plugin for WordPress | Job Listings, Career Page & Applications 1K+ · 5.0★ (20) wp.org #6 3 too low 4 Job Manager & Career – Manage job board listings, and recruitments 1K+ · 4.7★ (7) wp.org #4 5 OTYS Plugin 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 3 too high 6 Jobit Vacancies for Multiposter — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #5 1 too high 7 Vacancy Scraper UA — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 8 Apprenticeship Connect — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 9 HireCurrent – Recruitment & Automated Job Listings by Jayanta — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 ↑1 10 Cliptakes 40+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #20 10 too low 11 HireHive Job Plugin 40+ · 3.5★ (6) wp.org #22 11 too low 12 Artemis Stellenanzeigen 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 1 too low 13 LeaseFox — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 2 too low 14 H Holiday Homes Vacancy — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 15 SpreadSimple Integration 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 ↓1 5 too high 16 Job Board by BestWebSoft 70+ · 3.0★ (7) wp.org #23 7 too low 17 R Recruit So Simple Jobs — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 1 too high 18 Trionix Recruitment Manager — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 1 too high 19 Chameleoni Jobs 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 7 too high 20 J Jobs Integration For Taleo API — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 2 too high 21 Company vacancies 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 2 too high 22 B BNE – Vagas 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 1 too high 23 Property Management Software | UnitConnect 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 WP-HR Manager: The Human Resources Plugin for WordPress 200+ · 2.0★ (5) wp.org #11 13 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.