How to find out which WordPress theme a website is using
You’re scrolling through a site, the design just clicks, and suddenly you need to know: what theme is this? Maybe you want something similar for your own project, maybe you’re just nosy about what’s trending. Either way, you don’t need to email the site owner and ask nicely. There are faster ways.
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What’s a theme detector, anyway?
It’s a tool that pokes around a website’s source code and tells you which WordPress theme is running the show. Some go a step further and flag the plugins too, which is handy if you’re trying to reverse-engineer more than just the look.
Why bother figuring this out
If a site’s design catches your eye, tracking down the theme means you can grab the same one (or something close enough) for yourself instead of starting from a blank page. And if you build sites for a living, keeping an eye on what themes are popping up in your niche is a cheap way to stay current and pick up ideas without having to reinvent anything.
First, confirm it’s even built on WordPress
Before you go hunting for a theme name, make sure you’re not wasting your time on a site that isn’t WordPress at all.
- Peek at the source code. Right-click anywhere on the page and hit “View Page Source” (or “Inspect”). If you spot
wp-contentshowing up in the file paths, that’s your answer: it’s WordPress. - Try the readme.html trick. Tack
/readme.htmlonto the end of the site’s URL. If a page actually loads, it’ll usually tell you which WordPress version is running behind the scenes.
Five tools that do the theme digging for you
- WordPress Theme Detector: Drop in a URL, get the theme back. That’s it.
- ScanWP: Pulls both the theme and whatever plugins are active.
- WordPress Theme Search by WPShout: Free, simple, and it’ll show you plugins as well as the theme.
- What WordPress Theme Is That: Reliable and simple to use, plugin info included.
- IsItWP: Tells you whether a site is on WordPress in the first place, and which theme it’s using if so.
Let a Chrome extension handle it
If you use Chrome, there are also several extensions that allow you to find out which WordPress theme a website is using. Here are a few recommendations:
- WordPress Theme and Plugin Detector: Flags theme and plugins in one go.
- BuiltWith Technology Profiler: Goes wider than just WordPress and maps out the entire tech stack behind a site.
Doing it manually
If you’d rather skip the extensions, then you can follow these steps:
- Open the source code with the command
Ctrl+U, or right-click and choose “View Source.” - Search the page for
/wp-content/themes/. - Whatever name shows up right after
/themes/is your theme.
Why doesn’t this always work?
Sometimes you’ll come up empty-handed. A site might be running a custom-built theme with no name to find, or the owner may have deliberately taken steps to hide that information. When that happens, don’t expect the detectors to save you, there’s simply nothing to detect.
Wrapping up
Curious about how a WordPress site pulled off its design? You’ve got three routes: run it through an online detector, install a browser extension, or dig through the code yourself. A few sites will dodge every method you throw at them, but most give up their secrets pretty easily. And once you’ve spotted a theme you like, you’re already halfway to giving your own site a similar glow-up.
Want to keep learning? Check out our WordPress resources and guides for more tips.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it useful to know which WordPress theme a site uses?
It can spark ideas for your own design or help you keep tabs on what’s trending in your niche.
Can I find out which plugins a site is using too?
Yes. Tools like WordPress Theme and Plugin Detector or BuiltWith will surface active plugins along with the theme.
How do I check a site’s code to find the theme myself?
Right-click the page, then click “View Source” and search for `/wp-content/themes/`.
What is the readme.html file in WordPress?
It’s a default file that reveals the WordPress version running on a site. If you can load it, that site is almost certainly built on WordPress.
