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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “variation label”

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 “variation label”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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

YITH Color and Label Variations for WooCommerce shows at wp.org #8 but places #17 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 9K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.6★ average from 22 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Advanced Product Labels for WooCommerce places #12 on merit, 4.8★ from 252 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Variation Swatches for WooCommerce 300K+ · 4.8★ (926) wp.org #1 2 Variation Swatches for WooCommerce – Color, Image & Size Swatches 200K+ · 4.6★ (51) wp.org #2 3 WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833) wp.org #6 3 too low 4 Variation Swatches for WooCommerce 9K+ · 4.7★ (55) wp.org #4 5 Variation Swatches for WooCommerce 50K+ · 3.7★ (59) wp.org #5 6 Variation Images Gallery for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.7★ (39) wp.org #7 1 too low 7 Variation Swatches for WooCommerce 8K+ · 4.9★ (86) wp.org #9 2 too low 8 WCBoost – Variation Swatches 40K+ · 4.8★ (5) wp.org #3 5 too high 9 Advanced Woo Labels – Product Labels & Badges for WooCommerce 10K+ · 5.0★ (64) wp.org #12 ↓1 3 too low 10 Free Shipping Label and Progress Bar for WooCommerce 5K+ · 5.0★ (43) wp.org #10 11 WebToffee WooCommerce PDF Invoices, Packing Slips, Delivery Notes & Shipping Labels 50K+ · 4.9★ (285) wp.org #18 ↓6 7 too low 12 Advanced Product Labels for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.8★ (252) wp.org #21 ↓2 9 too low 13 Product Labels For Woocommerce (Sale Badges) 10K+ · 4.6★ (54) wp.org #17 4 too low 14 Choosly – Product Variations Swatches for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.7★ (76) wp.org #20 6 too low 15 XT Variation Swatches for WooCommerce 500+ · 4.7★ (32) wp.org #15 16 Swatchly – Product Variation Swatches for WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.5★ (29) wp.org #14 2 too high 17 YITH Color and Label Variations for WooCommerce 9K+ · 3.6★ (22) wp.org #8 9 too high 18 WPC Variation Swatches for WooCommerce 6K+ · 4.3★ (10) wp.org #11 ↓1 7 too high 19 Custom Price Labels for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.3★ (15) wp.org #13 6 too high 20 Variations as Single Product – Display Single Variation for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.8★ (17) wp.org #23 ↓2 3 too low 21 Smart Variation Swatches for WooCommerce – Color & Image Attribute Swatches 3K+ · 3.2★ (13) wp.org #16 5 too high 22 Variation Swatches for WooCommerce – Color & Image Swatches 500+ · 4.0★ (9) wp.org #22 ↑1 23 Variation Swatches for WooCommerce Stores 100+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #24 ↓2 1 too low 24 Product Variation Swatches for WooCommerce – Enhance Your Product Attributes with Elegant Color, Image, and Label Swatches 100+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #19 ↓1 5 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.