How to find out what CMS a website uses with 7 tools
To find out what CMS a website uses, enter its URL into a detector such as WhatCMS or Wappalyzer, then cross-check the result with another tool or the page source. If the site runs on WordPress, you can also look for clues about its theme and some of its plugins.
These checks are useful when assessing a project before taking over its maintenance or researching design ideas. However, an external detector only sees public signals, so it cannot provide a complete inventory of the installation.
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What a CMS is and what you can identify externally
A content management system lets you publish and manage pages, posts or products. WordPress, Drupal and Joomla are examples of CMS platforms, while Shopify, Wix and Webflow offer different approaches to building and managing websites.
The CMS is distinct from the theme, which controls aspects of the design, and plugins or extensions, which add functionality. Detecting a JavaScript library, analytics service or CDN is not enough to identify the content management system.
7 tools for identifying a website’s technology
1. WhatCMS
WhatCMS checks a URL for public fingerprints that can identify its CMS and other technologies. It is a useful starting point when you want to know which platform powers a site. If it does not return a CMS, that does not necessarily mean the website has none.
2. Wappalyzer
Wappalyzer identifies web technologies, including content management systems, analytics tools and external services. Use it to build an initial picture of a project and compare that picture with another source. Check each result’s technology category so you do not confuse a front-end framework with the CMS.
3. BuiltWith
BuiltWith provides technology profiles that can include CMS platforms, analytics, advertising and hosting services. It is useful when you need more context than a platform name. Check when the data was collected and distinguish current technologies from historical detections.
4. W3Techs
The W3Techs Site Info service reports technologies such as a website’s CMS, web server and hosting provider. It can serve as a second reference. Its broader technology usage statistics are separate from the analysis of an individual URL.
5. What WordPress Theme Is That?
What WordPress Theme Is That? focuses on WordPress themes, including parent and child themes, and can identify some plugins. Use it when you already have evidence that the site runs on WordPress. Custom themes or renamed files can make identification difficult.
6. Scan WP
Scan WP looks for WordPress theme and plugin signals. It can help identify a theme or an extension that loads publicly visible files. Treat the results as partial detections rather than a list of every plugin installed on the site.
7. Netcraft
Netcraft’s site report complements the review with technical information about a website and its infrastructure. Use it to investigate the site’s environment, rather than expecting it to replace a dedicated WordPress theme or plugin detector.
How to check a website’s CMS manually
Inspect the page source
Open a public page, right-click and select “View page source”. In Chrome on Windows, you can also press Ctrl + U. Use Ctrl + F to look for references such as these.
/wp-content/or/wp-includes/are common WordPress clues./wp-content/themes/may reveal a theme directory./wp-content/plugins/may identify plugins whose files load on that page.- A
metatag withname="generator"may name the software that generated the content.
These are clues, not definitive proof. A site may retain old assets, load files from another installation or change its usual paths. Missing references do not rule out WordPress either.
Check other pages and the footer
The blog, store and main website may run on different platforms. Check the section you are interested in and look for a technology credit in its footer. Credits can be edited or become outdated, so compare them with other signals.
Why CMS detectors sometimes disagree
Results depend on the pages checked, when the data was collected and which resources the site exposes. Caching or a CDN can change those signals. In a headless architecture, the CMS can be separate from the front end visitors see.
Many plugins also work only on the server or in the administration area. An external detector cannot identify them from a page that exposes no trace of them. To establish the actual inventory, you need authorized access to the installation and its components.
What to do if the website uses WordPress
If you are taking responsibility for the project, move from external clues to an internal review with authorized access. Confirm the active themes and plugins, their licenses, pending updates and backup status before proposing changes or pricing the maintenance work.
Modular DS helps you centralize WordPress website maintenance, including updates, backups and monitoring, in one dashboard. It fits the next stage when you already manage those sites and need to organize their maintenance; it does not reveal private plugins on other people’s websites.
When preparing a client proposal, base the scope and price on the actual installation and the service it requires. Knowing the CMS alone is not enough to estimate the work involved.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if a website uses WordPress?
Check a detector and look for references such as /wp-content/ in the page source. Combine several signals and, if you have authorized access, confirm the platform through its administration area.
Can I detect every plugin a website uses?
No. External tools only recognize plugins that leave detectable public signals. A complete inventory requires authorized access to the installation.
How can I find out which theme a website uses?
For a WordPress site, try a theme detector and inspect its stylesheet paths. A custom, renamed or modified theme may not be identified correctly.
What does it mean if no CMS is detected?
The site may be static, custom-built, headless or simply expose signals the tool does not recognize. The result alone does not prove that no CMS is involved.
