What is WordPress?
WordPress is an open-source content management system, used for everything from blogs to company sites.
Signs a site uses WordPress
- /wp-content/ and /wp-includes/ in file addresses. Themes, plugins and images load from these folders on almost every WordPress site.
- A generator tag naming WordPress. Many themes print it in the page head, often with the version number.
- A /wp-json/ link. WordPress exposes its REST API at this address unless it has been turned off.
How to check by hand
Open the site, press Ctrl+U or ⌘+Option+U to view the source, and search for wp-content. You can also try opening /wp-login.php on the domain, because many sites leave the default login page in place.
What can hide it
Security plugins can rename these folders, remove the generator tag and move the login page. A headless WordPress site that sends its content to a separate front end shows none of these signs. A negative result doesn’t prove a site isn’t using WordPress, because the checker reads the page source and response headers, and tools loaded later by JavaScript may be missed.
Check the rest of the stack
Paste the address into the Website Technology Checker to see the platform, framework, analytics and more in one report. To see where the site runs, use Who Is Hosting.