How to Check if a Website Is Built With WordPress

WordPress powers millions of websites worldwide—from personal blogs to major company sites. But if you land on a website and wonder, “Is this built with WordPress?”, how do you actually confirm it? Whether you’re doing competitive research, building client sites, or simply curious, this guide will walk you through simple and effective ways to check if a WordPress website is using the platform — without needing deep technical skills.

In this article, we’ll explain both manual and automated methods, why they work, and what tools you can use so you can tell the difference like a pro.

What Is WordPress (Quick Overview)

Before we jump into the detection methods, let’s clarify what we mean by a WordPress website.

WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that makes building websites easier. It handles page creation, blogging tools, menus, plugins, themes, and more. Because it’s so flexible, many sites use WordPress either as a full frontend system or behind a custom design. But unlike site builders like Wix or Squarespace, WordPress leaves subtle technical fingerprints you can detect.

1. Check the Footer for WordPress Mentions

One of the simplest ways to check if a website is a WordPress site is to scroll down to the bottom and look at the footer text.

Many WordPress themes — especially free or default ones — include a credit line such as:

• “Powered by WordPress”
• “Built with WordPress”
• “Theme by [Developer Name]”

If you see one of these lines, that’s a strong clue the site is running WordPress. However, many professional sites remove this text, so not seeing it doesn’t automatically mean it isn’t WordPress.

2. Try the Standard WordPress Admin URLs

Another quick test is to modify the website’s URL and try to access common WordPress login pages.

In most WordPress installs, the login and admin pages are located at:

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

Just replace example.com with the website’s domain and hit enter. If you’re redirected to a WordPress login screen, chances are high that WordPress powers the site. Even if the site has a custom branded login, WordPress often still shows familiar input fields behind the scenes.

👉 Note: Some sites mask or change these paths for security, so this method isn’t always guaranteed — but it’s a quick first check.

3. View the Page Source for WordPress Clues

This is one of the most reliable manual techniques — and anyone can do it with a web browser.

How to do it:

1. Right-click on the page.
2. Select “View Page Source” (sometimes called Inspect).
3. In the code window, press Ctrl + F (Windows) or Cmd + F (Mac) to open the search box.
4. Look for these common WordPress strings:
   • wp-content
   • wp-includes
   • wp-admin
   • <meta name="generator" content="WordPress">

These terms are part of the default WordPress directory structure. If you find them in the source code, it’s almost certain the site is WordPress-based.

4. Look at the Image or File Paths

Here’s another source code trick that’s less technical but very effective.

Right-click an image on the page, then choose something like “Open image in new tab”. Look at the image’s URL in the browser’s address bar.

If the URL includes something like:

/wp-content/uploads/…

that’s a classic WordPress media file path, because WordPress stores images and files in a wp-content folder by default.

This method works even if WordPress references are hidden elsewhere.

5. Use Browser Extensions and Online Tools

If you want a one-click check, there are tools designed to detect the technologies powering a website — including whether it’s WordPress.

Popular Options

🔹 Wappalyzer: Browser extension that shows CMS, frameworks, analytics, and more in real time.
🔹 BuiltWith: Online scanner where you enter a URL and get a detailed technology report.
🔹 IsItWP: WordPress-focused detector that checks if a site runs WordPress and often lists themes/plugins.
🔹 ScanWP / WPThemeDetector: Helps not only confirm WordPress but also reveals theme and plugin info.

These tools are especially useful for heavily customized sites, where the WordPress footprint might be minimized.

6. Spot Common WordPress Plugin or Theme Signs

Some visual or structural elements on a site can hint toward WordPress:

• CSS classes like elementor, woocommerce, or yoast-schema
• Scripts like admin-ajax.php or wp-emoji
• Widgets, sliders, or modules common to page builders like Elementor or Beaver Builder

Even if a site doesn’t clearly say “WordPress” anywhere, these clues often point to WordPress-based structure behind the scenes.

7. Check RSS Feed URLs

WordPress automatically produces RSS feeds — even if they’re not linked anywhere on the site.

Try adding one of these to the URL:

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

If you see a structured XML page that includes WordPress tags, that’s another confirmation it’s a WordPress site.

8. Check With CMS Detector Sites

If you want a dedicated CMS detection service, websites like WhatCMS.org scan sites and tell you which content management system they detect — WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, etc. — based on patterns, meta tags, headers, and more. They usually support batch testing for multiple sites too.

Putting It All Together: What Does This Mean?

Let’s summarize how to check if a WordPress website:

✔️ Start with the easy checks
Check the footer and WordPress login URLs first — these are quick and require no tools.

✔️ Next, look under the hood
View the page source and image paths for wp- patterns.

✔️ Use smart tools
Browser extensions and online scanners save time and give tech insights.

✔️ Combine clues
If most or all signals point to WordPress, it’s very likely the site uses WordPress — even if customized.

By learning these techniques, you’ll not only confirm a site’s CMS but also gain insights into how sites are built — perfect for web designers, SEO specialists, and digital strategists.

Why Knowing This Matters

Understanding how to check if a website is built with WordPress can help you:

• Analyze competitors’ technology stack
• Prepare client proposals
• Benchmark features and plugins
• Discover design patterns worth emulating
• Plan migrations or rebuilds more effectively

WordPress’s ubiquity means it’s often the first platform professionals learn to identify and work with.

Looking to Build or Redesign a WordPress Website?

If you’re exploring WordPress, Shopify, or custom CMS development for your business — especially in international or cross-border eCommerce — you’re in the right place.

Au AIRSANG, we specialize in cross-border website design and development, including WordPress builds that are SEO-optimized, responsive, and tailored to your target audience. Whether you need a portfolio site, blog, marketplace, or full eCommerce experience, we help businesses create impactful, high-performance digital experiences that drive growth.