wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “wp post api”
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 “wp post api”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20. 2 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 API SwaggerUI shows at wp.org #14 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 2K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 11 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Post Views Counter places #8 on merit, 4.9★ from 1237 reviews, but shows at wp.org #12. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
WP Mail SMTP by WPForms – SMTP for Reliable Email Delivery with Gmail, Outlook, Amazon SES, Brevo, Other SMTP & More 4M+ · 4.8★ (5209)
wp.org #1 2 
WP Fastest Cache – WordPress Cache Plugin 1M+ · 4.9★ (4228)
wp.org #2 ↑4 3 
UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8706)
wp.org #3 ↑2 4 
All-in-One WP Migration and Backup 5M+ · 4.5★ (7676)
wp.org #4 5 
WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617)
wp.org #6 ↑1 1 too low 6 
WP Super Cache 1M+ · 4.3★ (1346)
wp.org #5 ↑3 1 too high 7 
Post SMTP – Complete Email Delivery and SMTP Solution with Email Logs, Alerts, Backup SMTP & Mobile App 300K+ · 4.7★ (528)
wp.org #7 ↓5 8 Post Views Counter 100K+ · 4.9★ (1237)
wp.org #12 4 too low 9 
WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (758)
wp.org #8 ↑1 1 too high 10 
WP Store Locator 40K+ · 4.8★ (312)
wp.org #10 11 
Widgets for Google Reviews 1M+ · 4.9★ (2667)
wp.org #11 12 
WP Reset 300K+ · 4.8★ (1014)
wp.org #16 ↓1 4 too low 13 
WP Popular Posts 100K+ · 4.5★ (249)
wp.org #13 ↓1 14 
Disable WP REST API 30K+ · 4.8★ (36)
wp.org #9 ↑2 5 too high 15 
WP RSS Aggregator – RSS Import, Feed to Post, Autoblogging, AI Content 40K+ · 4.5★ (565)
wp.org #18 ↓2 3 too low 16 
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) 2M+ · 4.5★ (1440) heavy footprint
wp.org #15 1 too high 17 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #19 ↑1 2 too low 18 
WP-Sweep 100K+ · 4.7★ (138)
wp.org #21 ↑2 3 too low 19 
JWT Authentication for WP REST APIs 10K+ · 4.4★ (74)
wp.org #17 2 too high 20 
WP-PageNavi 400K+ · 4.7★ (149)
wp.org #22 ↓9 2 too low 21 
Post Duplicator 200K+ · 4.8★ (80)
wp.org #23 ↑1 2 too low 22 
Ultimate Post Kit – Elementor Post Grid, Post Carousel, Post Slider & Blog Layout Widgets 30K+ · 4.8★ (58)
wp.org #24 2 too low 23 WP API SwaggerUI 2K+ · 5.0★ (11) thin reviews
wp.org #14 9 too high 24 
JWT Authentication for WP REST API 60K+ · 4.4★ (53) not PHP-current
wp.org #20 ↓1 4 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.