How to Easily Determine if a Website is Built with WordPress

• Victor Duse
• Nov 10, 2023
• Tutorials, WordPress
• 0 comments

Have you ever wondered if a website you’ve come across is built using WordPress? Maybe you’re curious about the underlying technology or looking to assess the platform for your own project.

Determining a website’s CMS (Content Management System) can be straightforward with the right tools and tricks. In this tutorial, we’ll explore five methods to help you identify if a website is built with WordPress.

1. Add /wp-admin to the Site Address

One of the simplest ways to check if a website is using WordPress is by adding “/wp-admin” to the end of the site’s URL (for example divimundo.com/wp-admin). If the site is built on WordPress, you’ll be redirected to the WordPress login page.

Pros:

• Simplicity: This method is extremely straightforward and requires no additional tools or extensions.
• Quick results: If the website is built with WordPress, you’ll be redirected to the login page instantly.

Cons:

• Not foolproof: Some website owners may change the login URL, rendering this method unreliable.
• Inconvenient: You may not want to expose your intentions to the website owner by attempting to access their admin page.

💡 Pro tip: Use the free plugin WPS Hide Login to change the URL to the login page to a custom URL.

2. Use an Online WordPress Detection Tool

Use a WordPress detection site like IsItWP. It’s a handy online tool designed specifically for this purpose. Simply enter the URL of the website you want to check, and IsItWP will analyze the site and provide information about its CMS, including whether it’s built with WordPress or not. It’s a quick and user-friendly option.

Pros:

• User-friendly: IsItWP is easy to use and provides quick results.
• Reliable: It’s designed specifically for this purpose and is usually accurate in detecting WordPress.

Cons:

• Dependent on a third-party service: You’ll rely on the availability and accuracy of IsItWP.It could be blocked out: Services like IsItWP can be blocked by firewalls and security plugins.

💡 Pro tip: Use a plugin like Hide My WP Ghost to block WordPress detection from scanning your website.

3. Search the Page Source for “WordPress” or “wp-“

If you’re comfortable exploring a website’s code, you can check the page source for references to “WordPress” or “wp-“. To do this, right-click on the webpage, select “View Page Source” (or similar, depending on your browser), and search for these keywords. You may find them in CSS classes, JavaScript files, or HTML comments, indicating WordPress usage.

Pros:

• Independence: You don’t need external tools or websites to perform this check.Detailed insight: You may find additional information in the source code about WordPress plugins and themes in use.

Cons:

• Technical knowledge required: This method can be challenging for those who are not comfortable with code.
• Might not work for dynamic content: Some websites load content dynamically, making it harder to find direct references in the source code.

💡 Pro tip: Use a plugin like Wordfence, Solid Security (formerly known as iThemes Security) or Hide My WP Ghost to hide the WordPress version “meta name=”generator” content=”WordPress X” from your source code.

4. Right-Click an Image to Check the File Path

WordPress stores uploaded images and media files in the “wp-content” folder. To determine if a website is built with WordPress, right-click on an image on the webpage and select “Open image in a new tab.” Examine the URL of the image to see if it includes “/wp-content/.” If it does, it’s a strong indication that the website is powered by WordPress.

Pros:

• Fast and straightforward: This method is easy to understand, as it relies on inspecting images and doesn’t demand code knowledge.
• Reveals media storage: If you see “/wp-content/” in an image URL, it’s a strong indication of WordPress usage.

Cons:

• Limited confirmation: It only confirms the use of WordPress for media storage and may not identify other CMS components.
• Not applicable for text-only sites: Websites without images won’t provide this clue.

💡 Pro tip: You can easily change the default media file upload folder in WordPress by adding this little snippet in functions.php:

define( ‘UPLOADS’, ‘my-custom-folder’ );

define( ‘UPLOADS’, ‘my-custom-folder’ );

5. Use the Wappalyzer Browser Extension

Wappalyzer is a browser extension available for Chrome and Firefox that can detect the technologies used by a website. After installing the extension, visit the website you’re interested in, click on the Wappalyzer icon in your browser, and it will display information about the CMS, web server, and other technologies in use. If WordPress is detected, it will be listed.

Pros:

• Comprehensive: Wappalyzer can detect various technologies, not just WordPress.
• Convenient: It’s a browser extension, so you can easily check websites while browsing.

Cons:

• Requires installation: You need to install the extension, which may not be suitable for everyone.
• Browser dependent: You must use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox to be able to install the extension.

💡 Pro tip: Looking for something else? Here are 10 powerful alternatives to Wappalyzer.

That’s all for today!

Identifying whether a website is built with WordPress can be quite simple, thanks to these techniques and tools. Whether you prefer to use online services like IsItWP, inspect the page source, or rely on browser extensions like Wappalyzer, you now have multiple ways to uncover the underlying technology of the websites you encounter.

👉 Related post: How to Determine if a Website is Built with Divi

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