wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “floating panels”

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 “floating panels”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 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

Floating Side Tab shows at wp.org #6 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 600+ 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

All-in-one Sticky Floating Contact Form, Call, Click to Chat, and 50+ Social Icon Tabs – My Sticky Elements places #8 on merit, 4.9★ from 542 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 signals wp.org

Simple Floating Menu 10K+ · 5.0★ (38) wp.org #1 2

XT Floating Cart for WooCommerce 4K+ · 4.6★ (149) wp.org #5 3 too low 3

My Sticky Bar – Floating Notification Bar & Sticky Header (formerly myStickymenu) 100K+ · 4.9★ (1199) wp.org #9 6 too low 4

Animated Floating Chat Button 4K+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews wp.org #2 2 too high 5

Floating Chat Widget: Contact Chat Icons, Telegram Chat, Line Messenger, WeChat, Email, SMS, Call Button – Chaty 300K+ · 5.0★ (1244) wp.org #14 9 too low 6

Floating Chat Buttons – Click to Call or Chat, Email 1K+ · 4.9★ (54) wp.org #8 2 too low 7

Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) not PHP-currentheavy footprint wp.org #12 5 too low 8

All-in-one Sticky Floating Contact Form, Call, Click to Chat, and 50+ Social Icon Tabs – My Sticky Elements 40K+ · 4.9★ (542) wp.org #19 ↓1 11 too low 9

Float menu – awesome floating side menu 30K+ · 4.4★ (41) wp.org #10 1 too low 10

Floating Button – Easily Create Sticky, Fixed & Floating Buttons 4K+ · 3.0★ (15) thin reviewslow rating, top placement wp.org #3 7 too high 11

Buttonizer – Floating Menus, Sticky Buttons, & Popup Builder 70K+ · 4.5★ (151) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #11 12

Floating Contact Button 1K+ · 4.6★ (8) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #4 8 too high 13

Floating Contact Button for MAX and Telegram 1K+ · 5.0★ (7) thin reviews wp.org #7 6 too high 14

Floating Social Share Icons and Social Share buttons – Next Previous Post Links – FL 200+ · 4.7★ (73) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #15 ↑9 1 too low 15

Dashboard To-Do List 1K+ · 5.0★ (8) thin reviews wp.org #21 ↓2 6 too low 16

Modern Cart – WooCommerce Side Cart & Popup Cart 60K+ · 4.9★ (16) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #22 ↓1 6 too low 17

Side Menu Lite – Sticky Floating Side Menu 7K+ · 4.0★ (12) thin reviews wp.org #20 3 too low 18

Floating Cart Product For WooCommerce 300+ · 4.3★ (7) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #13 5 too high 19

Bolt CTA Button – Floating Call Button for WordPress 2K+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews wp.org #17 ↓1 2 too high 20

Floating Side Tab 600+ · 5.0★ (2) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #6 14 too high 21

Sticky Buttons – Floating Buttons Builder 10K+ · 3.7★ (6) thin reviews wp.org #18 ↓1 3 too high 22

Floating Action Button 900+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews wp.org #24 ↓2 2 too low 23

Floating Minicart for WooCommerce 200+ · 3.6★ (7) thin reviews wp.org #16 ↓1 7 too high 24

OffCanvas / Drawer – add sleek slide-in panels to any page 900+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews wp.org #23 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.