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

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 “verification”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 3 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

Make Disable Admin Email Verification Prompt shows at wp.org #5 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 15 places. Its 2K+ 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

Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) places #7 on merit, 4.9★ from 8869 reviews, but shows at wp.org #22. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Customer Email Verification for WooCommerce 8K+ · 4.8★ (47) wp.org #1 2 miniOrange OTP Login, Verification and SMS Notifications 5K+ · 4.7★ (439) wp.org #2 3 Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7519) wp.org #9 ↑2 6 too low 4 Widgets for Google Reviews 1M+ · 4.9★ (2667) wp.org #12 8 too low 5 Customer Email Verification for WooCommerce – OTP Verification, Block Fake Signups 2K+ · 4.2★ (20) wp.org #3 ↑1 2 too high 6 Anti-Spam, Spam FireWall by CleanTalk 200K+ · 4.8★ (3220) wp.org #19 ↓7 13 too low 7 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #22 15 too low 8 OTP Login With Phone Number, OTP Verification 1K+ · 4.9★ (81) wp.org #10 ↓5 2 too low 9 Two Factor 100K+ · 4.7★ (209) wp.org #21 ↑1 12 too low 10 SMS Alert – SMS Notifications & OTP Login, COD Verification, Abandoned Cart Recovery 3K+ · 4.6★ (35) wp.org #11 ↑2 1 too low 11 Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution 100K+ · 4.4★ (590) wp.org #24 ↓9 13 too low 12 Orion SMS OTP Verification. 200+ · 4.8★ (119) wp.org #23 ↓4 11 too low 13 Advanced Age Verification Popup 700+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #4 ↓1 9 too high 14 Fastest Age Verification 400+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #6 ↑3 8 too high 15 Identity Verification for WooCommerce 100+ · 5.0★ (12) wp.org #14 1 too high 16 CPS | Age Verification 800+ · 4.4★ (7) wp.org #8 ↑2 8 too high 17 W WP Site Verification tool 1K+ · 3.7★ (6) wp.org #7 10 too high 18 Double Opt-In for Contact Form 7 – Secure, GDPR-Compliant Email Verification 1K+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #18 ↓2 19 Blacklist Manager – WooCommerce Anti-Fraud, Blacklist & Checkout Verification 2K+ · 3.6★ (14) wp.org #13 ↓5 6 too high 20 Make Disable Admin Email Verification Prompt 2K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #5 ↑1 15 too high 21 ZeroBounce Email Verification & Validation 900+ · 4.8★ (4) wp.org #17 4 too high 22 Age Verification for your checkout page. Verify your customer’s identity 600+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #20 ↑1 2 too high 23 Academic Certificate Verification – Certificate Management & Certificate Validator 70+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #16 ↑4 7 too high 24 Speedx – Disable Login Verification Required Emails for Wordfence 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 ↑3 9 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.