10 Proven Ways to Identify if a Website Is Built on WordPress
Ever found a website and asked yourself, “Is this on WordPress?” Or you just are curious about what powers your favorite websites? If you’ve ever wondered how to see if a site was made on WordPress, you’re not alone.
WordPress runs nearly 43% of all websites around the globe. But how can you be sure that a website runs on WordPress? Here’s a comprehensive guide with actionable methods, tools, and tips to do it without a hassle.
Why Do So Many Websites Use WordPress?
Before we proceed further, let’s briefly touch upon why WordPress is popular. What makes it the favorite among developers and businesses?
a. Easy to use
Even nontechnical users can handle content very easily.
b. Themed Customization
Provided thousands of themes and thousands of plugins.
c. Scalability
Good for anything from a small blog to an e-commerce giant.
d. Community Support
A dynamic global community provides for constant advancements and sources.
These factors explain why WordPress is powering such a large percentage of websites today.
Why Should You Know if a Website is Built on WordPress?
It would be very helpful to web designers, developers, and casual users to know if a site is made on WordPress. Here’s why:
a. For Inspiration
Knowing the themes and plugins behind a WordPress site could help in designing your own site.
b. For Security
To identify a platform can help detect vulnerabilities.
c. To Connect with Developers
Understanding who developed a website could inspire a partnership or hiring.
Now, let’s get into the steps to determine if a site is using WordPress.
Table of Contents
1. Look for Common WordPress Traits
The easiest way to figure this out is by checking some common characteristics of the site.
a. URL Structure
WordPress sites have very predictable structures for URLs:
Login Page
Try appending /wp-admin or /wp-login.php to the URL. If it redirects you to a login page, it's almost certainly a WordPress site.
Media URLs
Attached images and media files at WordPress sites are located within /wp-content/uploads/. Check the image URL and see if this folder comes up.
b. Footer Credits
Most WordPress themes already include default footer credits such as:
- “Powered by WordPress”
- “Designed by [Theme Name]”
Not all developers remove these credit links, so it would still be worth checking in.
2. Inspect the Website's Source Code
More on the HTML source code might expose telltale WordPress markers.
View Source Code
- Right click somewhere on the page, then click "View Page Source"
- Look for the following keywords:
Why Does It Work?
WordPress uses a very peculiar file structure, with directory like /wp-content/, containing themes, plugins, uploads. The identifiers are hard to cover completely.
3. Use Online Tools to Detect WordPress
If manually checking a site seems too cumbersome, several online tools can verify if a site is built on WordPress.
Recommended Tools
BuiltWith
Provides further details about the technology stack of the website.
WhatCMS
Definitely identifies whether a site uses WordPress or some other CMS.
IsItWP
A simple tool that can detect websites powered by WordPress.
4. Check HTTP Headers
So, HTTP headers may hint at some kind of backend regarding the site’s CMS.
Checking HTTP Headers
- Use your browser's developer tools, such as Chrome DevTools.
- Click on the Network tab and refresh the page.
- Seek out headers such as x-powered-by: WordPress.
While some websites keep those headers hidden for security, still, it is a handy practice.
5. Analyze Themes and Plugins
a. Detecting Themes
If you like the design of a WordPress website, you can usually pinpoint its theme.
Find the name of the theme by using the tools on WPThemeDetector.
b. Spotting Plugins
WordPress uses plugins to extend functionalities on its websites.
Search the source code for keywords such as /wp-content/plugins/.
6. Check the CMS with Browser Extensions
Browser extensions can make detection easier.
Wappalyzer
Determines the CMS as well as other technologies.
BuiltWith Chrome Extension
Easily shows up WordPress usage.
7. Look for a Sitemap
WordPress websites often have auto-generated sitemaps at /sitemap.xml or /wp-sitemap.xml. Just append them to the website URL to view.
8. Investigate Hosting Details
Most WordPress sites are hosted at WordPress-specific hosting platforms, such as Bluehost or Kinsta. Use something like Hosting Checker to get the hosting provider.
9. Search for Trademarks in Robots.txt
Most sites operating WordPress have special, website-specific WordPress-related directives for the robots.txt. Watch for lines that feature phrases like:
- Disallow: /wp-admin/
- Disallow: /wp-includes/
10. Contact the Website Owner
If everything else fails, you can try contacting the website owner directly to ask. You can also find information about the developer or agency in the footer or About Us section. Secondary keywords to use are:
- “how to find out who built a website”
- “how to find who owns a website”
These techniques can enable you to collect information about the makers and the platforms.
How to Find Out Who Made a Website
Sometimes, though, you might want to know more than just the platform—such as how to find who designed a website. A few ways to do so are as follows:
a. Check Developer Credits
See if you can find anything like "Developed by [Name or Agency]" on the bottom or in an About Us section.
b. Use WHOIS Tools
WHOIS databases contain information about who registered domains, which may even include the creator or agency.
c. Investigate Social Media and Blog Content
Sometimes, developers share their product on social media or blogs. Look for the name of the website online for such publications.
d. Hire WordPress Developers
If you have motivation to develop a WordPress-based website, hire wordpress developers who are proficient in designing WordPress-based sites.
How to Know When the Website Was Created?
Use WHOIS Databases
WHOIS tools will disclose not just ownership information but also who registered a domain when.
Look up the Wayback Machine
The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine gives you a historical view of websites. You can track when the site first appeared online.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to check if a website was made on WordPress, you’re ready to detect and evaluate websites like a pro. From source code inspections to using browser extensions, each technique covered here is precise and straightforward.
If you feel inspired to create your own WordPress site or need some professional guidance, you are always free to explore professional WordPress development services to turn your idea into reality.