wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “disable admin bar”
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 “disable admin bar”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 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
Disable WP Notification shows at wp.org #11 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 10K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.3★ average from 12 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
My Sticky Bar – Floating Notification Bar & Sticky Header (formerly myStickymenu) places #7 on merit, 4.9★ from 1199 reviews, but shows at wp.org #16. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #1 2 
Disable Admin Notices – Hide Dashboard Notifications 100K+ · 4.7★ (367)
wp.org #2 3 
Disable Comments 1M+ · 4.7★ (281)
wp.org #3 4 
Admin Menu Editor 300K+ · 4.6★ (312)
wp.org #6 2 too low 5 
Admin Bar Editor – Toolbar Customization with User Role based access & Custom menus 3K+ · 4.4★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #4 1 too high 6 
WPFront Notification Bar 40K+ · 4.5★ (131)
wp.org #8 ↓1 2 too low 7 My Sticky Bar – Floating Notification Bar & Sticky Header (formerly myStickymenu) 100K+ · 4.9★ (1199)
wp.org #16 9 too low 8 
Disable All WordPress Updates 20K+ · 4.8★ (69)
wp.org #10 2 too low 9 
Disable Comments 100K+ · 3.8★ (25)
wp.org #5 4 too high 10 
Disable Bloat for WordPress & WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.8★ (100)
wp.org #14 4 too low 11 
Auto Hide Admin Bar 3K+ · 4.8★ (32)
wp.org #9 2 too high 12 
Hide Admin Bar Based on User Roles – Disable the WordPress Toolbar by Role or Capability 20K+ · 3.9★ (20) thin reviews
wp.org #7 ↑1 5 too high 13 
Controlled Admin Access 10K+ · 4.8★ (45)
wp.org #15 2 too low 14 
BrikPanel: WooCommerce Dashboard & Analytics, Abandoned Cart Recovery, Order Export, Inventory Management & Bulk Editor 1K+ · 5.0★ (55) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #13 1 too high 15 
View Admin As 9K+ · 4.9★ (49)
wp.org #19 4 too low 16 A Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control 3K+ · 4.7★ (18) thin reviews
wp.org #12 ↓1 4 too high 17 
User Admin Simplifier 10K+ · 5.0★ (31)
wp.org #21 4 too low 18 
EU Cookies Bar for WordPress 9K+ · 4.8★ (26)
wp.org #17 ↑1 1 too high 19 Disable WP Notification 10K+ · 4.3★ (12) thin reviews
wp.org #11 ↑1 8 too high 20 
Speed Contact Bar 4K+ · 4.6★ (56)
wp.org #23 ↓1 3 too low 21 
Mobile Contact Bar 9K+ · 4.6★ (30)
wp.org #20 1 too high 22 
Disable Blog 20K+ · 4.7★ (14) thin reviews
wp.org #18 ↓1 4 too high 23 
MM Admin Bar Manager 100+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #24 1 too low 24 
Remove WP Admin Bar 100+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #22 2 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.