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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “remove admin widgets”

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 “remove admin widgets”, 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Astra Widgets shows at wp.org #5 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 200K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.9★ average from 17 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Widget Options – Advanced Conditional Visibility for Gutenberg Blocks & Classic Widgets places #10 on merit, 4.9★ from 1516 reviews, but shows at wp.org #22. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423) wp.org #1 2 ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051) wp.org #2 3 Premium Addons for Elementor – AI-Ready Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 600K+ · 4.9★ (1680) wp.org #3 4 Disable Admin Notices – Hide Dashboard Notifications 100K+ · 4.7★ (367) wp.org #4 5 Ultimate Addons for Elementor – Widgets, Templates, WooCommerce & Header Footer Builder 2M+ · 4.9★ (2528) wp.org #9 4 too low 6 BrikPanel: WooCommerce Dashboard & Analytics, Abandoned Cart Recovery, Order Export, Inventory Management & Bulk Editor 1K+ · 5.0★ (55) wp.org #7 1 too low 7 WP Custom Admin Interface 30K+ · 4.7★ (160) wp.org #10 3 too low 8 Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7520) wp.org #15 7 too low 9 Remove "Powered by WordPress" 20K+ · 4.4★ (21) wp.org #6 3 too high 10 Widget Options – Advanced Conditional Visibility for Gutenberg Blocks & Classic Widgets 100K+ · 4.9★ (1516) wp.org #22 12 too low 11 Controlled Admin Access 10K+ · 4.8★ (45) wp.org #11 12 Widget Context 30K+ · 4.5★ (98) wp.org #14 2 too low 13 Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Sidebar Classic Widget Area Manager 100K+ · 4.7★ (1028) wp.org #24 11 too low 14 PublishPress Capabilities: User Role Access Control, Admin Area Permissions 90K+ · 4.7★ (143) wp.org #17 3 too low 15 Dashboard Widgets Suite 4K+ · 4.9★ (38) wp.org #12 3 too high 16 Astra Widgets 200K+ · 3.9★ (17) wp.org #5 11 too high 17 Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools 8K+ · 4.1★ (15) wp.org #8 9 too high 18 Cryptocurrency Widgets Pack 600+ · 4.8★ (28) wp.org #21 3 too low 19 Church Admin 900+ · 4.7★ (17) wp.org #18 1 too high 20 Hide Admin Bar Based on User Roles – Disable the WordPress Toolbar by Role or Capability 20K+ · 3.9★ (20) wp.org #16 4 too high 21 Slash Admin 500+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #19 2 too high 22 Admin Bookmarks 500+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #20 2 too high 23 Admin Help Docs 600+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #23 24 Customize Admin 3K+ · 3.6★ (5) wp.org #13 11 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.