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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “scroll header”

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

Fixed And Sticky Header shows at wp.org #12 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.3★ average from 7 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) places #11 on merit, 4.9★ from 8869 reviews, but shows at wp.org #23. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Ultimate Addons for Elementor – Widgets, Templates, WooCommerce & Header Footer Builder 2M+ · 4.9★ (2528) wp.org #1 2 Sticky Menu & Sticky Header 90K+ · 4.7★ (763) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Sticky Header Effects for Elementor 300K+ · 4.5★ (69) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051) wp.org #5 ↑1 1 too low 5 My Sticky Bar – Floating Notification Bar & Sticky Header (formerly myStickymenu) 100K+ · 4.9★ (1199) wp.org #8 3 too low 6 Royal Addons for Elementor – Addons and Templates Kit for Elementor 600K+ · 4.8★ (612) wp.org #11 ↓2 5 too low 7 MouseWheel Smooth Scroll 90K+ · 4.5★ (44) wp.org #6 ↓1 1 too high 8 Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) wp.org #13 5 too low 9 The Plus Addons for Elementor – Mega Menu, Header Footer, Post Grid, AI Widgets & Templates 100K+ · 4.6★ (388) wp.org #15 6 too low 10 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) wp.org #14 4 too low 11 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #23 12 too low 12 Header Footer Builder for Elementor 30K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #4 8 too high 13 WP Sticky Sidebar – Floating Sidebar On Scroll for Any Theme 10K+ · 4.9★ (153) wp.org #20 ↓1 7 too low 14 Hash Link Scroll Offset 1K+ · 5.0★ (14) wp.org #9 ↑1 5 too high 15 Infinity23 (Formerly Tag Manager) – One Plugin That Replaces All The Rest 20K+ · 4.7★ (53) wp.org #17 2 too low 16 Click to Chat – HoliThemes 600K+ · 4.8★ (131) wp.org #22 ↓1 6 too low 17 Block Animations, Motion & Scroll Effects – Ghost Kit 6K+ · 4.6★ (46) wp.org #18 ↑5 1 too low 18 Sticky Header 2020 600+ · 4.3★ (7) wp.org #7 11 too high 19 All-in-One Sticky Anything – Click to Call, Fixed Widget, Sticky Header, Menu & Sidebar 1K+ · 4.9★ (15) wp.org #24 ↓2 5 too low 20 Animated Blocks on Scroll 2K+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #21 ↓1 1 too low 21 F Fast Smooth Scroll 800+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #10 ↑1 11 too high 22 X-Scroll To Top – Responsive 200+ · 4.1★ (8) wp.org #19 3 too high 23 Dynamic Header & Navigation for Block Themes 200+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #16 7 too high 24 Fixed And Sticky Header 1K+ · 3.3★ (7) wp.org #12 12 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.