How This WordPress Theme Detector Works

Our detector analyzes the HTML source code, HTTP headers, and asset paths of any website to determine if it runs WordPress. When WordPress is detected, we identify the active theme by scanning wp-content/themes/ paths and pull detailed info from the theme's stylesheet and the WordPress.org API.

What We Detect

Active theme — name, version, author, and screenshot from WordPress.org
Child themes — automatically detects child/parent relationships via the Template header
Plugins — identified through asset paths, HTML comments, CSS classes, and REST API namespaces
WordPress version — extracted from the meta generator tag when available

Detection Methods

We use 7 independent signals to confirm WordPress is running on a site. These include the meta generator tag, wp-content and wp-includes asset paths, the REST API link header, X-Pingback header, wp-emoji scripts, and wp-block CSS classes. Three or more signals give a high-confidence result.

Plugin detection goes beyond simple path scanning. We match known HTML comment signatures (like Yoast SEO and WP Rocket), identify plugins by their CSS class prefixes (Elementor, WooCommerce, Contact Form 7), and check REST API namespaces for additional matches.

Why Can't I See All Plugins?

WordPress plugins only appear in the HTML if they add frontend assets, scripts, styles, or HTML comments to the page. Backend-only plugins (like backup or security plugins) won't be visible from the outside. Our detector typically finds 40-70% of installed plugins depending on the site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I detect custom WordPress themes?

Yes. Custom themes are identified by their slug in wp-content/themes/. We fetch the theme's style.css header to get the name, version, and author. The only difference is custom themes won't have a WordPress.org listing or screenshot.

How accurate is the detection?

Theme detection is highly accurate — if the site runs WordPress and doesn't heavily obfuscate its assets, we'll find the theme. Plugin detection covers the most popular plugins but can't detect backend-only plugins that don't output anything to the frontend HTML.

Is this tool free?

Completely free with no limits. Enter as many URLs as you want. No signup, no API key, no restrictions.

What if the site has Cloudflare protection?

Sites behind Cloudflare's bot protection challenge pages can't be scanned. We detect this automatically and let you know. Most WordPress sites don't have aggressive bot protection enabled on their public pages.

Can I detect the theme of a non-WordPress site?

No. This tool only works with WordPress-powered websites. If the site uses Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, or another platform, we'll tell you it's not running WordPress.