How to Tell if a Website is WordPress (Complete Guide)

If you’ve ever landed on a site and wondered “is this built with WordPress?”, the quick answer is: you can tell if a website is WordPress by looking at its source code, theme files, login URL, or using online tools that detect CMS platforms.

WordPress leaves behind certain identifiable footprints—like /wp-content/, /wp-admin/, and plugin directories—that reveal the CMS behind the website.

In this guide, we’ll break down multiple methods so you can confidently check if a site is powered by WordPress.

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Why Should You Know if a Website is WordPress?

Before diving into the detection methods, it’s important to understand why people check this.

• Competitor analysis: See what CMS your competitors are using.
• Learning web design: Find inspiration by identifying WordPress themes or plugins.
• Security awareness: Verify if a site uses WordPress to understand potential vulnerabilities.

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What Are the Signs That a Website Uses WordPress?

The most common WordPress indicators include:

• WordPress-specific directories like wp-content, wp-includes.
• Default login page usually at /wp-admin/ or /wp-login.php.
• Meta generator tag in the HTML source code that says “WordPress”.

If you see any of these signs, chances are high the website is running on WordPress.

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How to Check if a Website is WordPress Using the Source Code?

One of the simplest ways is to view the page source code:

1. Right-click on the page and select View Page Source (or press Ctrl+U).
2. Look for WordPress footprints such as:
   • wp-content/uploads/ (media uploads folder)
   • wp-includes/ (core WordPress files)
   • A <meta name="generator" content="WordPress"> tag

If you see these, you’ve found your answer.

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Can the Login URL Reveal if a Website is WordPress?

Yes. Most WordPress sites have a default login page at:

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

If the page loads and shows a WordPress login screen, then the website is definitely WordPress-based.
(Note: Some site owners change the login path for security reasons, so this method is not 100% reliable.)

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What Tools Can Detect if a Website is Built on WordPress?

Several CMS detection tools make it easy:

• BuiltWith – Identifies CMS, hosting, and plugins.
• Wappalyzer – Browser extension that detects WordPress and other technologies.
• IsItWP – Quick WordPress detection tool.

These tools scan the site and tell you whether it’s powered by WordPress.

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How Do Themes and Plugins Give Away WordPress?

Another reliable method is by inspecting the site’s CSS and JavaScript files, which often reveal WordPress paths. Here’s how you can check:

1. View the Page Source Code
   • Right-click on the webpage and select View Page Source (or press Ctrl+U).
   • Use the search function (Ctrl+F) and look for “wp-content/themes” or “wp-content/plugins”.
   • If found, you’ll see something like:

     /wp-content/themes/astra/style.css
     /wp-content/plugins/contact-form-7/
     

   • The part after /themes/ shows the theme name (e.g., “astra”), while the part after /plugins/ shows which plugin is used.
     
2. Check the Browser Address Bar
   • Sometimes, when browsing a site, media files like CSS or JS load directly in the browser.
   • For example:
     https://example.com/wp-content/themes/twentytwenty/style.css
   • This directly reveals the theme folder name.
3. Use Developer Tools (Inspect Element)
   • Press F12 or right-click → Inspect.
   • Open the Network or Sources tab to see all loaded files.
   • Look under CSS or JS files — if you see paths with /wp-content/, the site is powered by WordPress.
     

👉 This method not only confirms that the site is WordPress, but also tells you the exact theme and some of the plugins being used, which can give valuable insights into the site’s design and functionality stack.

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Can Every WordPress Site Be Detected?

Not always. Advanced users may:

• Hide WordPress footprints using security plugins.
• Change default directories.
• Disable generator tags.

But even with these measures, most sites still leave subtle WordPress traces that experienced users or tools can detect.

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Conclusion: How to Tell if a Website is WordPress in Seconds

To summarize, the fastest ways to tell if a website is WordPress are:

1. Check for /wp-content/ or /wp-admin/ in the URL.
2. Look at the source code for “WordPress” tags.
3. Use tools like BuiltWith or Wappalyzer.

If you find even one of these signs, it’s very likely that the site is built on WordPress.

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• How to Check if a 301 Redirect is Working?
• What is a Redirect Chain?