Table of contents

1. Check the footer2. WordPress login URLs3. View the page source4. Use browser extensions5. Common plugins6. Theme detector7. Look at RSS feedsFAQsGetting startedAdditional resources

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WordPress Guide → Website

How to tell if a website is WordPress

Ever land on a site and wonder, “Is this built with WordPress?” Maybe you want to learn how they built it—or maybe you’re troubleshooting a client’s setup. Either way, there are a few reliable ways to find out.

You don’t need to be a developer or access admin tools to check. A quick scan of the source code or a peek at the login page can usually confirm things. Let’s walk through all the best methods.

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1. Check the footer for WordPress mentions

Some WordPress themes include a line like “Proudly powered by WordPress” in the footer. If the site owner hasn’t deleted it, that’s the fastest and most obvious indicator.

Scroll to the bottom of any page and look for phrases such as:

“Powered by WordPress”
“Built with WordPress”
“Theme by [theme developer]”

Some sites remove this text entirely or replace it with their own branding, so this isn’t always reliable—but it’s a good first step.

2. Try WordPress login URLs

WordPress uses consistent login paths by default, so you can try appending them to the domain.

Type either of these into your browser:

example.com/wp-login.php
example.com/wp-admin

If you’re redirected to a WordPress login page—or get a branded login form that still references WordPress—that’s a strong signal. Some site owners hide these paths, but many don’t.

3. View the page source for WordPress-specific code

The most reliable manual method is to inspect the HTML source code.

Right-click anywhere on the page and choose View Page Source or Inspect.
Use Ctrl + F (or Cmd + F on Mac) and search for:
- wp-content
- wp-includes
- wp-admin
- generator: WordPress

These paths and keywords are baked into WordPress’s structure, and almost every WP site reveals at least one of them unless the source has been heavily optimized or obfuscated.

4. Use browser extensions or online tools

Several free tools can analyze a site’s tech stack—including CMS, CDN, analytics, and plugins.

Popular options:

Wappalyzer (browser extension): Shows CMS, plugins, frameworks, and more in real time.
BuiltWith: Enter any URL to see a breakdown of technologies used.
ScanWP: Tailored to WordPress—can detect themes, plugins, and version info.

These tools are especially helpful for spotting WordPress behind custom designs or headless frontends.

5. Spot common WordPress plugins or themes in use

Sometimes you can recognize WordPress just by how the page behaves or renders.

Here’s what to look for:

Class names like elementor, woocommerce, or yoast-schema in the HTML.
JavaScript files like admin-ajax.php or wp-emoji-release.min.js.
Familiar layouts, sliders, or widgets that match popular WordPress plugins.

If you notice one of these and pair it with a /wp-login.php URL that works, chances are very high it’s WordPress.

6. Use a WordPress theme detector

Want to go a step further and check what theme or builder the site is using? Try one of these dedicated tools:

What WordPress Theme Is That: Finds parent and child themes, along with plugins.
IsItWP: Simple yes/no check that also lists basic theme and plugin details.

Note: These tools work best on small business or blog-style sites and may be less effective on heavily customized builds.

7. Look at RSS feeds

WordPress automatically generates RSS feeds, even if the theme doesn’t advertise them.

Try these two URLs:

example.com/feed
example.com/?feed=rss2

If the browser shows a raw XML file with generator=”WordPress” or references to WordPress-specific feed formats, you’ve found your answer. This works well even on headless or minimalist themes where other clues are stripped out.

WordPress theme check FAQs

Try the login path trick—add /wp-login.php or /wp-admin to the URL and see if it loads. If not, view the source and look for wp-content or wp-includes. Tools like Wappalyzer or BuiltWith can also help.

You can inspect the HTML for clues or use a platform detector like BuiltWith. These tools reveal if the site runs on WordPress, Wix, Shopify, or custom stacks.

WordPress: Look for /wp-admin, wp-content, and common plugin class names.
Wix: Uses wixsite.com, wix-code scripts, and lots of inline JavaScript.BuiltWith can distinguish both instantly.

Some sites include this in their HTML meta tag:

<meta name="generator" content="WordPress 6.5.3">

View the page source and search for generator. You can also use ScanWP to check version info if it’s exposed.

Next steps for identifying WordPress websites

Learning to spot a WordPress site is a helpful skill—whether you’re researching competitors, exploring inspiration, or offering web services.

To get started, try a few of these detection methods on your favorite sites. Use Wappalyzer for quick scanning, or inspect source code manually to sharpen your technical eye.

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