How The Web is Really Built

My 2020 deep dive into real-world CSS usage, for the Web Almanac's CSS chapter, revealed some surprising truths about web development. It was a stark reminder that the cutting-edge technologies we often focus on are not representative of the majority of websites. The web, it turns out, overwhelmingly prefers established, reliable technologies over the latest innovations.

The data paints a clear picture:

• CSS-in-JS: A mere 2% adoption rate.
• React: Only 4% of websites utilize it.
• Service Workers: Less than 1% implementation.
• Houdini: Practically nonexistent.

Contrary to popular belief, jQuery remains remarkably prevalent, appearing on a staggering 83% of websites. Similarly, the Jamstack architecture and static site generators are far from dominant, with less than 1% usage, while WordPress continues to power a third of the entire web.

Much of the code analyzed could easily have been written a decade ago. The adoption of newer technologies, when it does occur, is often driven by popular libraries or frameworks. This highlights a crucial point: we—standards bodies, browser developers, etc.—are largely building technology for framework and library creators, who in turn build for the average web developer. This shift in perspective is significant and warrants further consideration.

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