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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “whatsapp button”

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 “whatsapp button”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 5 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

Order on Mobile for WooCommerce shows at wp.org #11 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 7K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

MaxButtons – Create buttons places #8 on merit, 4.9★ from 1093 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 Social Chat – Click To Chat App Button 200K+ · 4.9★ (696) wp.org #1 ↑1 2 Click to Chat – HoliThemes 600K+ · 4.8★ (131) wp.org #2 ↑1 3 Floating Chat Widget: Contact Chat Icons, Telegram Chat, Line Messenger, WeChat, Email, SMS, Call Button – Chaty 300K+ · 5.0★ (1244) wp.org #5 ↑4 2 too low 4 Joinchat – Enhanced “click to chat” 700K+ · 4.7★ (189) wp.org #3 ↓2 1 too high 5 WP Chat App 100K+ · 4.9★ (222) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 Call Now Button – The Free Click to Call Button for WordPress 200K+ · 4.8★ (102) wp.org #8 2 too low 7 Chatway Live Chat – AI Chatbot, Customer Support, FAQ & Helpdesk Customer Service & Chat Buttons 30K+ · 5.0★ (775) wp.org #15 8 too low 8 MaxButtons – Create buttons 70K+ · 4.9★ (1093) wp.org #22 ↑2 14 too low 9 AddToAny Share Buttons 300K+ · 4.7★ (1114) wp.org #13 4 too low 10 Simple Chat Button 40K+ · 4.8★ (14) wp.org #7 ↓1 3 too high 11 OneClick Chat to Order 30K+ · 4.8★ (84) wp.org #9 ↓2 2 too high 12 Buttonizer – Floating Menus, Sticky Buttons, & Popup Builder 70K+ · 4.5★ (151) wp.org #10 ↑1 2 too high 13 Chat Button & Custom ChatGPT-Powered Bot by GetButton.io 20K+ · 4.5★ (175) wp.org #18 5 too low 14 Add Chat App Button 2K+ · 4.8★ (13) wp.org #6 ↓1 8 too high 15 Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons 10K+ · 4.9★ (1911) wp.org #23 8 too low 16 Buttonizer – Live Chat, AI Chatbot, Call, Chat, Contact Button 50K+ · 5.0★ (23) wp.org #12 4 too high 17 Cresta Help Chat 10K+ · 5.0★ (15) wp.org #21 4 too low 18 Social Share Buttons 1K+ · 4.8★ (28) wp.org #24 6 too low 19 Animated Floating Chat Button 4K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #14 5 too high 20 Fast Chat Button 1K+ · 4.9★ (7) wp.org #20 21 Bolt CTA Button – Floating Call Button for WordPress 2K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #16 5 too high 22 Order on Mobile for WooCommerce 7K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #11 ↓1 11 too high 23 Simple Webchat 1K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #17 6 too high 24 Pulsating Chat Button 3K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 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.