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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “widget context”

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 “widget context”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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

Exchange Rates Widget shows at wp.org #12 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 1K+ 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

TablePress – Tables in WordPress made easy places #11 on merit, 5.0★ from 4625 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Premium Addons for Elementor – AI-Ready Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 600K+ · 4.9★ (1680) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 Widget Context 30K+ · 4.5★ (98) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962) wp.org #3 4 Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails 100K+ · 4.8★ (215) wp.org #4 5 Widget Options – Advanced Conditional Visibility for Gutenberg Blocks & Classic Widgets 100K+ · 4.9★ (1516) wp.org #7 2 too low 6 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) wp.org #5 1 too high 7 Ultimate Addons for Elementor – Widgets, Templates, WooCommerce & Header Footer Builder 2M+ · 4.9★ (2528) wp.org #8 ↑1 1 too low 8 Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281) wp.org #14 6 too low 9 SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle 400K+ · 4.9★ (134) wp.org #9 ↓1 10 WPVibe – MCP Server for WordPress, works with Claude, ChatGPT & other AI MCP agents 100K+ · 5.0★ (195) wp.org #13 3 too low 11 TablePress – Tables in WordPress made easy 600K+ · 5.0★ (4625) wp.org #19 ↑2 8 too low 12 Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Sidebar Classic Widget Area Manager 100K+ · 4.7★ (1028) wp.org #17 ↓1 5 too low 13 AI Engine – MCP Server & AI Chatbot for WordPress, with Claude, ChatGPT & Gemini 90K+ · 4.9★ (874) wp.org #22 9 too low 14 GR Widget – Google Reviews Widget 900+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #6 8 too high 15 Modula Image Gallery – Photo Grid & Video Gallery 100K+ · 4.7★ (616) wp.org #23 8 too low 16 Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots 10K+ · 4.8★ (142) wp.org #20 ↓3 4 too low 17 Widget CSS Classes 80K+ · 4.9★ (74) wp.org #21 ↓1 4 too low 18 WDesignKit – AI Templates, Widget Builder & MCP Workflow 30K+ · 4.8★ (12) wp.org #10 8 too high 19 Better Post & Filter Widgets for Elementor 4K+ · 5.0★ (18) wp.org #16 ↓1 3 too high 20 Social Media Icon Widget – Social Profile Links with Gutenberg Block 4K+ · 4.1★ (16) wp.org #18 2 too high 21 Cryptocurrency Price Widget 200+ · 4.4★ (7) wp.org #15 ↓1 6 too high 22 Inline Context – Footnotes, Tooltips & Glossary Notes 40+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #11 11 too high 23 Widget Post Slider 1K+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 Exchange Rates Widget 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #12 12 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.