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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “tailwind css”

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 “tailwind css”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 of the top 20. 6 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

Taily shows at wp.org #7 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 40+ 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

Dark Mode – Improve Accessibility with AI Powered Dark Theme places #3 on merit, 4.5★ from 391 reviews, but shows at wp.org #10. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 WindPress – Tailwind CSS integration for WordPress 3K+ · 5.0★ (37) wp.org #1 2 WSMS (formerly WP SMS): SMS and OTP for WordPress and WooCommerce 7K+ · 4.1★ (107) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Dark Mode – Improve Accessibility with AI Powered Dark Theme 20K+ · 4.5★ (391) wp.org #10 ↓2 7 too low 4 Frontend Dashboard 500+ · 4.9★ (136) wp.org #8 ↓3 4 too low 5 Easy Optimizer – PageSpeed, Cache & Core Web Vitals (Unused CSS, Delay JS, Lazy Load) 1K+ · 4.6★ (18) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 Contact Form to Chat Apps | Click to Chat to Order – FormyChat 3K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #6 ↑3 7 Copy Anything to Clipboard for WordPress – Copy Button, Copy Text & Copy Code 10K+ · 4.5★ (36) wp.org #17 10 too low 8 Draft – Tailwind CSS for WordPress. 600+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #5 ↓1 3 too high 9 Winden — Tailwind CSS Compiler with Full WordPress Integration 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #2 7 too high 10 FlexTable – Data Table Sync with Google Sheets 3K+ · 4.6★ (35) wp.org #19 ↑3 9 too low 11 SmartFrame Images 90+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #16 ↓1 5 too low 12 GoodMeet – Meetings & Classes for Google Meet 90+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #22 10 too low 13 EntryDashboard – Database Addon & Sync for WPForms, CF7, Elementor & More 50+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #20 ↓1 7 too low 14 AI website builder for the block editor and Elementor – Advanced Addons 600+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #13 ↓4 1 too high 15 DC Login Designer 30+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #15 ↑1 16 PressedMail – Email Client, Inbox & Webmail 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #23 7 too low 17 Mox Icons – Icon Pack for Elementor 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #12 ↑1 5 too high 18 CompileKit – Tailwind CSS Compiler 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 7 too high 19 DevDome Malware Scanner – WordPress Malware Removal & Security Scanner 300+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #18 1 too high 20 Taily 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 ↑1 13 too high 21 ska-blocks – TailwindCSS for Block Editor 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 ↓3 12 too high 22 ClassyBlocks — Custom CSS Classes, Design System & Preview for Gutenberg 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓1 1 too high 23 Instant AI Image Generator – Create & Import Images 800+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #14 9 too high 24 Link Invoice Payment for WooCommerce 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24 ↓3

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.