WordPress is now one of the most popular tools for managing content on websites, and it runs a big part of the internet. Many websites use this platform because it’s easy to use, allows a lot of customization, and has many available plugins.
Whether you’re a developer wanting to know what tools other sites use, a marketer seeking information about your field, or just someone who’s interested in websites, there are a few ways to check if a site uses WordPress.
So, how can you find out if a website is made with WordPress? In this post, we’ll look at 10 different ways about “how to find if a site is WordPress” like checking the source code and using special online tools.
10 Ways to Find Out if a Website Uses WordPress
There are several ways to check if a website is built with WordPress. Most of them are fast and simple to check. Let’s look at them, starting with the simplest ones.
Tools to Detect the CMS of a Website
What CMS?
What CMS? shows you what content management system a website uses. Just paste the website’s link in the search box and click on Detect CMS. If the website is built with WordPress, the details of it will be displayed. If it can’t find the CMS, you will see a message, saying it couldn’t find the CMS.
IsItWP
IsItWP is a tool that helps you find out if a website is made using WordPress. Type the website’s address in the search box and click on Analyze website. If the website uses WordPress, you will see a success message. You can scroll down a little and see details about the WordPress theme used by the site.
CMS Detect
CMS Detect works like “What CMS?” Just put the website link in the search box to find out if the site is using WordPress.
CMS Detector
You can use Sitechecker’s CMS Checker just like you used the other tools. Type the website’s address into the search box on CMSChecker to find out the details.
Also Read: The 11 Best Analytics & Traffic WordPress Plugins
Use a Browser Extension
Browser extensions are a nice option instead of online tools, but you need to install them first. Once you do this, you’ll be able to see the CMSs for every website you visit. Here are some of the most popular add-ons for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox that help find CMSs.
CMS Detect (Edge, Chrome)
CMS Detect lets you find out which content management system a website uses with just one click. Install it on your browser, pin it where you want, and just click it to see the inspection results.
Library Sniffer (Edge, Chrome)
Library Sniffer is an easy-to-use tool that shows you the different technologies used to build a website. Sometimes, it can find different technologies used on a website, but it might not identify the CMS.
BuiltWith (Firefox)
BuiltWith is an option for people who use Firefox. Visit the webpage you want and click on the extension to see a detailed overview of the technologies used on that site. For the CMS, scroll down until you see the Content Management System part.
Wappalyzer (Edge, Chrome, Firefox)
Wappalyzer is a helpful tool you can add to your web browser that looks at websites to see what technology they use. It looks at a website and shows a simple list of different parts, such as content management systems, online store platforms, web servers, and tools for tracking website data.
Check the Footer
An easy way to check if a website is made with WordPress is to scroll down to the bottom of any page. At the bottom, you might see a message like “Powered by WordPress” or “Designed with WordPress”.
Third-party themes, like Astra, indicate that the website is having WordPress as its content management system. Remember, these are the standard messages included with each theme.
You can change your footers by going to Appearance > Customize on the dashboard. If a website doesn’t have “WordPress” at the bottom, it might be because a developer made a special footer.
Also Read: How To Develop Custom WordPress Themes!
Check the Source Code
Inspecting the source code is a more complicated topic, but you can still understand it with some basic computer knowledge. Go to the page you want to check and click the right mouse button on it.
Don’t highlight any text or right-click on an image, as this will change what you can do. Click on “View Page Source”. To find this, you can use the shortcuts CMD + Option + U on a Mac or CTRL + U on a Windows computer.
Right-click to open the menu, then click on “View Page Source” to see the page’s code. In the page’s source code, you’ll find a lot of HTML.
You don’t need to know the meaning of the HTML code. Press CMD + F or CTRL + F and type “wp-“. If you see matches for terms like “wp-content/themes” or “wp-content/uploads”, it means the site is made with WordPress.
Check the URL Structure
Sometimes, website managers don’t change the URL format, so you can tell a site is built with WordPress just by looking at the URL. In the blog or post section, you might find a link like http://domain-name.com/2024/sample-post.
If the website is on WordPress.com (a service that takes care of hosting and uses WordPress) and it is using the free plan, the website address will look like this: http://domain-name.wordpress.com/2024/sample-post.
Look for the Default Login Page
Another way to see if a website uses WordPress is to add /admin/ to the web address. By default, the admin login link for a WordPress site is https://domain-name.com/admin/.
Now, if you add /wp-admin/ or /admin/ to the main URL of a website and get the WordPress login page, it means the site is made with WordPress.
You can change the admin login URL in WordPress, and you should do it. Changing the admin login URL helps keep hackers from getting to the login page, which lowers the risk of security problems.
Go to the “license.txt” Address
Just like the earlier method, you just need to add /license.txt/ to the website’s main URL. If the link takes you to a .txt file that talks about WordPress’s terms, then the site was made using WordPress.
Go to the “readme.html” Address
Add /readme.html/ to the main web address of the site. Websites built with WordPress will take you to the installation page. You might see a 403 Forbidden error page if the admins have blocked you from accessing it.
Find WordPress Signatures
When you look at the code of a website, search for certain folders and files that are linked to WordPress. For example, you might see a folder like /wp-includes/, which has important WordPress files.
Also, WordPress usually has scripts and stylesheets with special names, like wp-emoji-release.min.js or style.css, found in a theme’s folder. By learning these patterns, you can easily tell if a website is using WordPress.
Meta Generator Tag
The meta generator tag is a small piece of code in a website’s HTML that shows if the site is built with WordPress. When you check a website’s source code, look for a tag that has the word “generator”.
If the site uses WordPress, you will usually find a tag like <meta name=”generator” content=”WordPress 5.7″ /> in the head part of the HTML. This tag shows that WordPress is being used and gives details about which version it is.
Some website managers might take out or change this tag to keep their site secure and stop potential attackers from finding out about the software they use. Even so, the meta generator tag is still an easy and simple way to find WordPress websites.
To Conclude
Finding out if a website is made with WordPress can be interesting and helpful. You can find out what content management system is used by looking at the website’s code, using online tools, or checking a specific tag in the website’s code.
These strategies are very helpful for developers who want to know what technology their competitors are using, marketers who want to learn more about the industry, or anyone interested in web technologies.
Finding out if a site uses WordPress not only feeds your curiosity but also gives you useful information for different work and personal projects. The next time you find a website that catches your attention, you’ll have the right tools to check if it’s using WordPress.
FAQs
How can I find WordPress URLs and link formats?
WordPress websites often use different URL styles, like /?p=123 or /category/post-name/. Finding these patterns can help check if a site is using WordPress. Also, links to common WordPress files, like /wp-json/ for the REST API, can show that a site is using WordPress.
It also has scripts with special names, like wp-emoji-release.min.js or style.css, found in a theme’s folder.
What are some easy ways to check if a website uses WordPress?
You can check if a website is made with WordPress by looking at its source code, using online tools, or by checking for common WordPress themes, plugins, and how the URLs are set up. Visiting links like /readme.html or looking at parts of popular plugins can give you more proof. Using methods can be very helpful for people who like to learn more about web technologies.
Can the footer of the website give hints about whether it uses WordPress?
Yes, some WordPress websites have a note like “Powered by WordPress” at the bottom, showing that they use this CMS. You can usually find these credits in standard themes and templates, but they might be missing in custom designs. They are a simple way to recognize WordPress sites.
Why do some websites keep their WordPress signs and meta generator tags hidden?
Website managers might remove or change WordPress signatures and meta generator tags to keep their site safe and stop attackers from learning about their website’s software. Keeping this information secret can make it tougher for hackers to take advantage of weaknesses in certain WordPress versions or plugins.
