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How to Know WordPress Website

WordPress powers over 43% of all websites, making it the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world. With its ease of use, flexibility, and customizability, it’s no wonder so many people use WordPress to build their websites.

But how can you tell if a website you visit is actually built with WordPress? Here are some tips.

Check the Source Code

One of the easiest ways to determine if a site is using WordPress is to check the source code.

  • Right click anywhere on the site and choose “View Page Source” or “Inspect Element” depending on your browser.
  • Ctrl+F to search the page source for any references to /wp-content/ or wp-includes. These are WordPress core folders.
  • If you see references to these folders, it’s likely a WordPress site.
<script type='text/javascript' src='https://www.example.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery.js'></script>

This reference to wp-includes indicates WordPress is powering the site.

Look for Common WordPress URLs

WordPress sites often have certain pages and URLs:

  • /wp-login – The login page
  • /wp-admin – The WordPress dashboard
  • /wp-json – The WordPress REST API

Try adding these to the end of a site’s homepage URL. If you get redirected to a login or dashboard, it’s probably WordPress.

Use Browser Extensions

Handy browser extensions can detect the technology stack behind any website:

  • Wappalyzer – Cross-browser extension that detects CMS and other tech
  • BuiltWith – Chrome extension revealing hosting, CMS, and more

Simply install one and navigate to a website to see if WordPress is detected.

Online Detection Tools

For quick checks, online tools can instantly determine if sites use WordPress:

Input a URL and get CMS and WordPress version details.

WordPress Theme Detectors

Specialized tools can identify the specific WordPress theme a site is using:

This confirms WordPress and shows the theme source.

Contact the Site Owner

If all else fails, consider contacting the site owner directly and asking if their site is built with WordPress. Many will gladly share details on the technology behind their website.

Conclusion

Determining whether a website uses WordPress can be helpful for gaining website design inspiration, researching plugins and functionality, or troubleshooting your own WordPress site.

With source code checks, browser tools, online detectors, and contacting site owners, you have several straightforward methods to accurately detect WordPress sites. Give these tips a try the next time you want to find out what’s powering a website.

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