How Can You Tell If a Website Is Built on WordPress?

The short and simple way to determine if a website is built on WordPress is to add /wp-admin to the end of the website’s URL. If the site is indeed using WordPress, this action will redirect you to the WordPress login page.

Full Explanation

WordPress websites have a standard and unique administrative login page typically located at /wp-admin. When you append this string to the website’s main URL, the server checks for that directory or path. If the site runs on WordPress, it automatically redirects visitors to the WordPress-specific login screen where site administrators enter their credentials. This is a quick and practical way to identify if WordPress powers the site behind the scenes.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. Open the website you want to check in your browser.
2. Look at the website’s main URL in the address bar.
3. Add /wp-admin to the end of that URL (e.g., example.com/wp-admin).
4. Press Enter to visit the new URL.
5. If the website redirects you to a login page specific to WordPress, then the website is built on WordPress.
6. If you see an error or a different page, the site may not be using WordPress.

Real Examples

When you try visiting https://wordpress.org/wp-admin, you will be taken to the WordPress login screen because this site is built on WordPress. If you try the same on a website not using WordPress, you may get a 404 error or a different result that does not resemble the WordPress login page.

Common Mistakes

• Assuming every redirect to /wp-admin means the site is WordPress: Some web platforms may mimic this path or redirect elsewhere.
• Not adding the slash properly: Forgetting the slash between the URL and wp-admin can lead to incorrect URLs.
• Testing on cached pages or using tools that block redirects: This might produce misleading results.

FAQs

Can every WordPress site be identified this way?

Most WordPress sites use the default login path /wp-admin, so this method works generally well.

What if I get an error page after adding /wp-admin?

This usually means the website is not built on WordPress or the login URL has been customized.

Is this a safe way to check?

Yes, simply appending /wp-admin to a public URL is safe and does not pose any security risk.

Key Takeaways

• Adding /wp-admin to the end of a website URL is a simple, effective way to check if it runs on WordPress.
• If redirected to a WordPress login page, the site is built on WordPress.
• This method relies on default WordPress site structure, so some custom sites might not follow this pattern.
• Understanding this can help quickly identify WordPress sites for SEO or development purposes.