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← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “hide admin toolbar”

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 “hide admin toolbar”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 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

MM Admin Bar Manager shows at wp.org #12 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 100+ 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

File Manager places #11 on merit, 4.6★ from 1492 reviews, but shows at wp.org #20. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall 100K+ · 4.5★ (373) wp.org #1 2 Admin Menu Editor 300K+ · 4.6★ (312) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Hide Admin Bar from Non-Admins 10K+ · 4.3★ (30) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 Auto Hide Admin Bar 3K+ · 4.8★ (32) wp.org #4 5 PublishPress Capabilities: User Role Access Control, Admin Area Permissions 90K+ · 4.7★ (143) wp.org #11 6 too low 6 Admin Bar Editor – Toolbar Customization with User Role based access & Custom menus 3K+ · 4.4★ (24) wp.org #6 7 Accessibility Widget by OneTap – Easy One-Click Accessibility Toolbar 60K+ · 4.9★ (80) wp.org #13 6 too low 8 Hide Admin Bar Based on User Roles – Disable the WordPress Toolbar by Role or Capability 20K+ · 3.9★ (20) wp.org #5 3 too high 9 WP Custom Admin Interface 30K+ · 4.7★ (160) wp.org #9 ↓1 10 BrikPanel: WooCommerce Dashboard & Analytics, Abandoned Cart Recovery, Order Export, Inventory Management & Bulk Editor 1K+ · 5.0★ (55) wp.org #8 ↑1 2 too high 11 File Manager 1M+ · 4.6★ (1492) wp.org #20 9 too low 12 Admin Notices Manager 10K+ · 4.9★ (21) wp.org #10 2 too high 13 Adminify – White Label, Admin Menu Editor, Login Customizer 6K+ · 4.3★ (109) wp.org #18 5 too low 14 ACF Frontend Admin by DynamiApps 8K+ · 4.5★ (160) wp.org #17 3 too low 15 Bottom Admin Toolbar 1K+ · 4.5★ (8) wp.org #7 8 too high 16 Hide Dashboard Notifications 20K+ · 3.9★ (33) wp.org #14 2 too high 17 Simple Membership 40K+ · 4.6★ (475) wp.org #24 7 too low 18 Hide WP Toolbar 900+ · 4.9★ (13) wp.org #16 2 too high 19 My WP Customize Admin/Frontend 8K+ · 4.3★ (16) wp.org #15 4 too high 20 WP Frontend Admin – Display WP Admin Pages in the Frontend 400+ · 4.9★ (54) wp.org #22 2 too low 21 Admin Help Docs 600+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #21 22 MM Admin Bar Manager 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #12 10 too high 23 WP Hide Show Featured Image 3K+ · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #19 4 too high 24 W WP Extend Toolbar 100+ · 5.0★ (1) 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.