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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “fixed buttons”

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 “fixed buttons”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 of the top 20. 6 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

Mobile Call Buttons shows at wp.org #9 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 600+ 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

Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons places #6 on merit, 4.8★ from 5333 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Simple Share Buttons Adder 40K+ · 4.3★ (627) wp.org #3 2 too low 2 Fixed Bottom Menu 4K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 Simple Social Media Share Buttons – Social Sharing for Everyone 20K+ · 4.8★ (194) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 MaxButtons – Create buttons 70K+ · 4.9★ (1093) wp.org #8 ↓1 4 too low 5 Floating Chat Widget: Contact Chat Icons, Telegram Chat, Line Messenger, WeChat, Email, SMS, Call Button – Chaty 300K+ · 5.0★ (1244) wp.org #10 ↑8 5 too low 6 Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons 100K+ · 4.8★ (5333) wp.org #21 ↓12 15 too low 7 Chatway Live Chat – AI Chatbot, Customer Support, FAQ & Helpdesk Customer Service & Chat Buttons 30K+ · 5.0★ (775) wp.org #18 ↓3 11 too low 8 Call Now Button – The Free Click to Call Button for WordPress 200K+ · 4.8★ (102) wp.org #11 ↑1 3 too low 9 Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons 10K+ · 4.9★ (1911) wp.org #24 ↓1 15 too low 10 ShareThis Share Buttons 10K+ · 3.5★ (26) wp.org #5 ↑1 5 too high 11 WPC Variations Radio Buttons for WooCommerce 6K+ · 4.4★ (21) wp.org #7 ↑1 4 too high 12 Smooth Page Scroll Up/Down Buttons 2K+ · 5.0★ (21) wp.org #13 ↑1 1 too low 13 Sticky Buttons – Floating Buttons Builder 10K+ · 3.7★ (6) wp.org #4 9 too high 14 Floating Chat Buttons – Click to Call or Chat, Email 1K+ · 4.9★ (54) wp.org #20 ↑1 6 too low 15 Payment Button for PayPal 4K+ · 4.5★ (40) wp.org #17 ↓6 2 too low 16 Floating Button – Easily Create Sticky, Fixed & Floating Buttons 4K+ · 3.0★ (15) wp.org #6 ↓1 10 too high 17 Simple Chat Button 40K+ · 4.8★ (14) wp.org #16 1 too high 18 WooCommerce PayPal Payments 800K+ · 2.9★ (583) wp.org #12 6 too high 19 Button Block – Stylish buttons that get more clicks 5K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #14 5 too high 20 Mobile Call Now & Map Buttons 4K+ · 4.9★ (18) wp.org #19 ↓2 1 too high 21 Superb Social Media Share Buttons and Follow Buttons 6K+ · 4.4★ (11) wp.org #22 ↓3 1 too low 22 PayPal Payment Buttons 500+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #15 7 too high 23 Mobile Call Buttons 600+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 ↑1 14 too high 24 Blog Floating Button 8K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #23 ↓1 1 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.