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← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “sub nav”

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 “sub nav”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 5 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

WP Better Sub Menus shows at wp.org #11 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 10+ installs carry it up the search order; its 1.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Options for Twenty Seventeen places #11 on merit, 4.8★ from 57 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 Max Mega Menu 300K+ · 4.8★ (882) wp.org #1 2 ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Options for Twenty Twenty-One 6K+ · 4.9★ (64) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 Sticky Menu & Sticky Header 90K+ · 4.7★ (763) wp.org #4 5 Nested Pages 90K+ · 4.7★ (126) wp.org #6 1 too low 6 Ultimate Addons for Elementor – Widgets, Templates, WooCommerce & Header Footer Builder 2M+ · 4.9★ (2528) wp.org #9 3 too low 7 Logo Slider – Logo Showcase, Logo Carousel, Logo Gallery and Client Logo Presentation 30K+ · 4.7★ (252) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 A Adminimize 100K+ · 4.7★ (254) wp.org #8 9 WP Encryption: Easy HTTPS / SSL & Free SSL certificate, HTTPS redirect 50K+ · 4.9★ (1146) wp.org #17 8 too low 10 Announcement & Notification Banner – Bulletin 2K+ · 4.6★ (20) wp.org #7 3 too high 11 Options for Twenty Seventeen 8K+ · 4.8★ (57) wp.org #23 12 too low 12 Rearrange Products for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.6★ (58) wp.org #16 4 too low 13 My WP Customize Admin/Frontend 8K+ · 4.3★ (16) wp.org #13 14 Options for Twenty Nineteen 700+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #19 5 too low 15 Bulk menu creator 1K+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #18 3 too low 16 Tabbed Category Product Listing for Woocommerce 1K+ · 4.9★ (28) wp.org #24 8 too low 17 Merge Menus 300+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #12 5 too high 18 Advanced Menu Manager Pro – Built for Content-heavy WordPress Sites to Add, Filter, Lock, and Edit Menus Easily 400+ · 3.7★ (22) wp.org #20 2 too low 19 Floating Button – Easily Create Sticky, Fixed & Floating Buttons 4K+ · 3.0★ (15) wp.org #15 4 too high 20 RTMKit for Elementor – Modular Addons, Widgets, Templates, Icon Library, GSAP Animations, MCP & Store Ready 40K+ · 2.7★ (16) wp.org #21 1 too low 21 Shift8 Full Nav 30+ · 3.3★ (4) wp.org #10 11 too high 22 Bricksed – Mega Menu & Mobile Menu for Bricks Builder 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 8 too high 23 A Alphabetical Pagination 30+ · 2.3★ (3) wp.org #22 1 too high 24 WP Better Sub Menus 10+ · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #11 13 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.