How to Check if a Website Is Built with WordPress (5 Quick Ways)

Q: What is the fastest way to check if a site uses WordPress?

The fastest manual way is to add /wp-admin to the address (yourdomain.com/wp-admin). If it opens or redirects to a WordPress login screen, the site almost certainly runs WordPress. The next fastest is to view the page source and search for wp-content or wp-includes; those paths appear on nearly every WordPress site. If you'd rather not poke around, a free checker like ShiftPress's WP Check tells you in one click by inspecting these same signals for you.

Q: Can a website hide that it uses WordPress?

Partly. A site can remove the generator meta tag and rename or block the login URL, so a single check can come back empty. But WordPress is hard to hide completely: the wp-content asset paths, the wp-json REST API, and common plugin and theme fingerprints usually still show up somewhere. If one method draws a blank, try another before concluding a site isn't WordPress.

Q: Is /wp-admin proof that a site is WordPress?

It's strong evidence, not absolute proof. A working /wp-admin or /wp-login.php that shows the familiar WordPress login is a reliable sign. But some sites move or protect that URL, so a missing login page doesn't rule WordPress out. Combine it with the page source (wp-content) and the wp-json endpoint for a confident answer.

Q: How do I check which theme and plugins a WordPress site uses?

In the page source, theme files load from /wp-content/themes/ / and plugin assets from /wp-content/plugins/ /, so the folder names reveal both. A technology-detection browser extension or online tool can list them more neatly. Knowing the stack matters mostly when you're weighing the upkeep: each premium plugin is an annual licence and a security surface to keep patched.

Maybe you're auditing your own site and can't remember what it was built on, sizing up a competitor, or deciding whether a site you're about to take over is worth keeping on its current platform. Whatever the reason, WordPress leaves fingerprints all over a page, so confirming it takes seconds once you know where to look. Here are five reliable checks, from the fastest to the most thorough.

1. Add /wp-admin to the URL

Type yourdomain.com/wp-admin (or /wp-login.php) into the address bar. If it opens the familiar WordPress login box, or redirects to one, the site is running WordPress. This is the single fastest test. The only caveat: some sites move or password-protect that URL, so a missing login page doesn't rule WordPress out on its own.

2. View the page source and search for "wp-content"

Right-click the page and choose "View Page Source" (or add view-source: before the URL). Use your browser's find (Ctrl/Cmd + F) and search for wp-content or wp-includes. Nearly every WordPress site loads its images, stylesheets and scripts from /wp-content/…, so a match is a dead giveaway. This works even when the login URL has been hidden.

3. Check the generator meta tag

Still in the page source, search for generator. Many WordPress sites include <meta name="generator" content="WordPress 6.x">, which names the platform and sometimes the version outright. It's often removed for tidiness or security, so its absence proves nothing, but its presence is a clear yes.

4. Open the wp-json endpoint

Visit yourdomain.com/wp-json/. WordPress ships a built-in REST API at that address, so if you get back a page of structured data (JSON) instead of a "not found" error, the site is almost certainly WordPress. This is one of the hardest signals to remove, which makes it a good tiebreaker when the other checks are inconclusive. It's part of the official WordPress REST API.

5. Use a one-click checker

If you'd rather not read source code, a detection tool does all of the above for you. Our free WP Check inspects a site for these WordPress signals and reports back in one click, no install needed. General-purpose technology-detection browser extensions work too, and can also list the theme and plugins a site uses.

What the folder names tell you: theme and plugins

Once you know a site is WordPress, the same page source reveals more. Theme files load from /wp-content/themes/<theme-name>/ and plugin assets from /wp-content/plugins/<plugin-name>/, so the folder names name the theme and every plugin doing visible work. That's useful, because the plugin list is really a preview of the site's running costs and its maintenance load.

You found WordPress. Now what?

Confirming a site runs WordPress is often the start of a bigger question: is it the right platform going forward? WordPress is flexible and everywhere, but that flexibility comes from a stack of plugins and a theme that each need updating, renewing and securing. We've broken down where that leads:

What the plugin stack actually costs, in what a WordPress website really costs.
Why outdated plugins are the top way sites get hacked, in WordPress security flaws.
How WordPress compares with code-based and static platforms, in the best CMS platforms.

If the answer is "time to move", a clean migration keeps your content and your Google rankings while dropping the plugin upkeep. That's what migrating WordPress to a static site walks through, and what ShiftPress does for you end to end.

Check any site, then move yours off WordPress

Run a free WP Check to confirm the platform, then let ShiftPress rebuild your WordPress site as clean, fast code you own, with hosting, backups, SEO and an AI editor built in. Start free now.

Migrate my site ↗

Frequently asked questions

What is the fastest way to check if a site uses WordPress?

The fastest manual way is to add /wp-admin to the address. If it opens or redirects to a WordPress login, the site almost certainly runs WordPress. Next fastest is viewing the page source and searching for wp-content. If you'd rather not poke around, a free checker like WP Check tells you in one click.

Can a website hide that it uses WordPress?

Partly. A site can remove the generator tag and rename or block the login URL, so a single check can come back empty. But WordPress is hard to hide completely: the wp-content asset paths, the wp-json API, and common plugin and theme fingerprints usually still show up. If one method draws a blank, try another before concluding a site isn't WordPress.

Is /wp-admin proof that a site is WordPress?

It's strong evidence, not absolute proof. A working /wp-admin or /wp-login.php showing the familiar WordPress login is reliable, but some sites move or protect that URL, so a missing login page doesn't rule WordPress out. Combine it with the page source (wp-content) and the wp-json endpoint for a confident answer.

How do I check which theme and plugins a WordPress site uses?

In the page source, theme files load from /wp-content/themes/<theme-name>/ and plugin assets from /wp-content/plugins/<plugin-name>/, so the folder names reveal both. A technology-detection browser extension lists them more neatly. It matters mostly for the upkeep: each premium plugin is an annual licence and a security surface to keep patched.

The bottom line

WordPress is easy to spot once you know its fingerprints: a /wp-admin login, wp-content paths in the source, a generator tag, and a live /wp-json/ API. Any one hints at it; together they confirm it, and a free WP Check does the lot in a click. The more useful question is usually what comes next: if a site you own turns out to be WordPress and the plugin upkeep has become a chore, that's exactly the moment to weigh a faster, lower-maintenance platform.