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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “rotate headers”

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 “rotate headers”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 16 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

Sticky Elementor – Sticky Header, Menu Color After Sticky, Logo Swap & Back to Top Button shows at wp.org #6 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 16 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

Simple History – Track, Log, and Audit WordPress Changes places #10 on merit, 4.9★ from 491 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 Sticky Header Effects for Elementor 300K+ · 4.5★ (69) wp.org #1 2 Ad Inserter – Ad Manager & AdSense Ads 300K+ · 4.9★ (2433) wp.org #4 2 too low 3 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) wp.org #3 4 Advanced Ads – Ad Manager & AdSense 90K+ · 4.9★ (1463) wp.org #8 4 too low 5 Element Pack Addons for Elementor – MCP & AI-Ready Elementor Widgets, Elementor Templates, Elementor Addons 100K+ · 4.7★ (284) wp.org #15 ↓1 10 too low 6 Supreme Modules Lite – Divi Theme, Extra Theme and Divi Builder 200K+ · 4.8★ (109) wp.org #12 ↓2 6 too low 7 HappyAddons for Elementor – 160 Elementor Widgets, GSAP Animations & Templates 400K+ · 4.8★ (489) wp.org #10 ↓1 3 too low 8 A Add Custom Header Images 400+ · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #2 6 too high 9 Master Addons for Elementor – Elementor Addons, Widgets, Mega Menu Builder, Popup Builder, Widget Builder & Template Kits 30K+ · 4.5★ (212) wp.org #16 ↓5 7 too low 10 Simple History – Track, Log, and Audit WordPress Changes 300K+ · 4.9★ (491) wp.org #21 ↓1 11 too low 11 Options for Twenty Seventeen 8K+ · 4.8★ (57) wp.org #14 ↓1 3 too low 12 Magical Addons For Elementor ( Theme Builder, Header Footer Builder, Free Elementor Widgets, Elementor Templates Library ) 4K+ · 4.7★ (12) wp.org #7 5 too high 13 AdRotate Banner Manager 20K+ · 4.3★ (655) wp.org #18 ↓1 5 too low 14 Random Content 3K+ · 4.8★ (35) wp.org #20 ↓2 6 too low 15 Atlant Security 700+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #11 ↑10 4 too high 16 Block Animations, Motion & Scroll Effects – Ghost Kit 6K+ · 4.6★ (46) wp.org #22 ↑1 6 too low 17 Jeg Kit for Elementor – Powerful Addons for Elementor, Widgets & Templates for WordPress 300K+ · 3.8★ (79) wp.org #13 ↓1 4 too high 18 F Favicon Rotator 20K+ · 4.3★ (12) wp.org #9 ↓1 9 too high 19 Content Randomizer – Rotate Any Block 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #5 14 too high 20 Announcement & Notification Banner – Bulletin 2K+ · 4.6★ (20) wp.org #17 ↓2 3 too high 21 aThemes Addons for Elementor – Widgets & Elementor Addons 7K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #19 2 too high 22 Sticky Elementor – Sticky Header, Menu Color After Sticky, Logo Swap & Back to Top Button 600+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 16 too high 23 Ultra Addons Lite for Elementor 700+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 My Social Feeds – bring your social content into WordPress 600+ · 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.