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← Rankings

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

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 “adminbar”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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

Tambar – Bottom Admin Bar shows at wp.org #9 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Disable Admin Notices – Hide Dashboard Notifications places #6 on merit, 4.7★ from 367 reviews, but shows at wp.org #23. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Contextual Adminbar Color 500+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #1 2 Hide Admin Bar from Non-Admins 10K+ · 4.3★ (30) wp.org #4 2 too low 3 Disable Everything 30K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #3 4 Role Based Hide Adminbar 60+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 Admin Bar Editor – Toolbar Customization with User Role based access & Custom menus 3K+ · 4.4★ (24) wp.org #5 6 Disable Admin Notices – Hide Dashboard Notifications 100K+ · 4.7★ (367) wp.org #23 17 too low 7 Better Admin Bar 3K+ · 4.8★ (19) wp.org #11 ↓1 4 too low 8 Bottom Admin Toolbar 1K+ · 4.5★ (8) wp.org #6 2 too high 9 WP Accessibility 60K+ · 4.8★ (68) wp.org #24 15 too low 10 Hide WP Toolbar 900+ · 4.9★ (13) wp.org #13 3 too low 11 Remove Admin Bar logo 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #7 4 too high 12 which template file 4K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #14 2 too low 13 Simplify Admin Menus 80+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #8 ↑3 5 too high 14 W WP Adminbar Hiddener Tools Plugin 10+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #16 2 too low 15 Admin Bar Wrap Fix 200+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #21 6 too low 16 Admin Bar Fix 400+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #10 ↓2 6 too high 17 Patternly – Gutenberg Starter Templates, Patterns, WordPress Landing Pages & Sites 60+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #17 18 Hide Front End WP Admin Bar 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #18 19 Tambar – Bottom Admin Bar 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 10 too high 20 S Show Current Width 80+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 5 too high 21 Puddinq Dashboard 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 9 too high 22 Quick Toolbar Links 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 2 too high 23 Quick Edit Post by ID (Admin Bar) — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 1 too high 24 Adminbar Default Menu Manager 20+ · 3.0★ (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.