Ever stumbled upon a website and wondered, “Is this a WordPress website?” Whether you’re a curious internet user, a business owner, or a blogger, knowing how to identify a WordPress site can be surprisingly useful. This post will show you some tried-and-true methods and explain why it matters.
Why Even Bother? The Benefits of Identifying WordPress Sites
Before diving into the how-to, let’s explore why identifying WordPress sites is beneficial. WordPress powers a significant portion of the web, offering various advantages.
Identifying WordPress sites helps with design inspiration. Seeing how others use WordPress can inspire your own site design. You can discover new design patterns and potential plugin combinations.
Another advantage is competitive analysis. If your competitors use WordPress, and you are using a platform requiring custom integrations, switching to WordPress could save time and money.
How to See If a Site Was Made on WordPress: Tried-and-True Methods
Now, let’s explore how to check if a website uses WordPress. We will look at several different methods that involve checking different parts of a website.
1. The Classic Footer Check
Scroll to the website footer. It sometimes says “Powered by WordPress.” However, many site owners customize this for design or security reasons, so this method is not foolproof.
2. Delving into the Site’s Source Code
Inspecting the site’s source code offers more clues. Use Ctrl+U or Cmd+Option+U to view it. Then, use Ctrl+F or Cmd+F to search for terms like “wp-content,” “wp-includes,” or “wp-admin.”
These folders typically exist in a site check for WordPress installations. Seeing JavaScript loading from the /wp-content/ directory is often a giveaway. Mention of WordPress plugins, like Yoast SEO plugin, also suggests a site runs on WordPress.
Sophisticated sites might disguise these elements for security. Examine the site’s URL structure, as this can sometimes reveal WordPress use. Look at the theme WordPress to check. Try adding /license.txt or /readme.html to the main URL.
If the website uses the WordPress CMS, these additions might display WordPress license information.
3. Automated Tools & Extensions
Online tools and browser extension browser extensions help identify a website’s CMS. These are good options if you are trying to check specific wordpress theme usage on multiple websites.
Websites like isitwp.com offer instant WordPress detection. Other platform identifiers, like BuiltWith and WhatCMS?, provide broader CMS information and even additional site details.
Theme detectors, like WhatWPThemeIsThat, can identify the specific WordPress themes used on a site. Browser extensions offer a convenient method to detect CMS on the fly.
Chrome’s Library Sniffer extension and Firefox’s BuiltWith extension are examples. Enter URL WordPress to see if the website is built using WordPress.
4. WordPress-Specific Tricks
Some methods rely on WordPress’s unique structure. One is to add /wp-admin/ to the site’s URL. This is talked about in a WordPress post at wpdatatables.com. If you’re redirected to a default WordPress login or admin page, you’ve likely found a WordPress site. If this add /wp-admin/ method works, then it can show the site’s source.
However, security best practices advise against easily accessible login URLs. Many site owners hide the default WordPress login. Checking the default WordPress login URL remains a quick way to check many smaller sites, as they often neglect this security measure. The default WordPress admin login can show that the website is powered by the WordPress CMS.
Conclusion
Learning how to identify if a site uses WordPress is valuable for website owners, bloggers, developers, and other digital professionals.
This guide outlines a range of techniques. From the simple footer check to examining the site’s source code or using specialized online tools and browser extensions. Specific WordPress tricks, like checking the /wp-admin/ URL or default login URL, can also be helpful.
SEO Locale can help you identify website platforms and help with WordPress SEO services if you are looking. Don’t forget to contact us if you have any questions.
Knowing if a site uses the popular CMS WordPress helps you gather design inspiration, understand your competition, or simply satisfy your curiosity about how the web is built.
