How to find out which WordPress theme a website is using

When you come across a WordPress site that inspires you, the first question that often comes to mind is, “Which theme is it using?” I ask myself the same thing regularly, whether it’s to find new design ideas, understand a competitor’s approach, or simply satisfy my curiosity. Fortunately, there are several simple ways to discover the theme behind a site without needing to be a development expert.

In this article, I’ll show you different methods to identify the WordPress theme a website is using. We’ll look at how to do it manually through the source code, which online tools you can try in just a few seconds, and even which handy browser extensions can make your life easier.

Is it really a WordPress site?

Before looking for the theme a site is using, it’s essential to check one simple thing: is the site really running on WordPress? It might seem obvious, but believe me, you can sometimes be surprised. Some designs look almost identical to WordPress themes, even though they are custom-built or created with other CMS platforms like Joomla, Drupal, or Shopify.

Why check the CMS first?

I always recommend starting with this step because it saves you time and prevents you from using tools or methods that simply won’t work if the site isn’t on WordPress. It’s also a good habit to sharpen your technical eye: the faster you can identify a CMS, the more efficient you become.

Visible clues in the source code

The first trick is to open the page’s source code (right-click → View Page Source or Inspect). Once inside, do a quick search (CTRL+F or CMD+F) for keywords such as:

• /wp-content/: the typical folder where WordPress stores themes and plugins.
• /wp-admin/: the URL of the WordPress admin area. If you see it, you’re almost certain the site is on WordPress.
• References to wp- in scripts or CSS classes.

In general, if you spot any of these elements, you can be 99% confident that the site is running WordPress.

Tools to confirm quickly

If you don’t want to dig into the code, you can use online detectors like WhatWPTheme, IsItWP, or BuiltWith. They automatically analyze the site and tell you which CMS it’s using, often providing additional information such as the hosting provider or associated technologies.

Manual method to detect a WordPress theme

If you enjoy understanding what’s “under the hood” of a site, the manual method is for you. It requires a bit more curiosity than automatic tools, but it has the advantage of being reliable and showing you exactly what WordPress is displaying.

Access the site’s source code

The first step is very simple: open the site you’re interested in, then right-click and select “View Page Source” (or use the inspector with Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows or Cmd+Option+I on Mac). You’ll see a bunch of code lines, but don’t worry—we’ll go straight to what matters.

Locate the theme folder

In the source code, do a quick search (CTRL+F / CMD+F) for the word themes. You’ll usually find a path like this:

/wp-content/themes/theme-name/

The folder name corresponds to the theme in use. This is the first clue and often enough to know if the site is using a popular theme (like Astra, OceanWP, Divi, etc.) or a custom theme.

Explore the style.css file

To go further, copy the URL pointing to the theme’s style.css file. For example:

https://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/theme-name/style.css

Opening this file gives you access to the theme’s metadata. You’ll find valuable information such as:

• The exact name of the theme
• The author or agency that developed it
• The theme version
• The official page URL (often on WordPress.org or ThemeForest)
• And sometimes the Template: line if it’s a child theme (meaning it depends on a parent theme).

Child theme or parent theme?

This distinction is important. Many sites use a child theme to customize a parent theme without risking losing changes during updates. In this case, you might see something like:

Template: astra

This means the site is using a child theme based on Astra. The analysis then gives you double information: the active theme (child) and the original theme (parent).

Online tools to find out a WordPress site’s theme

If you don’t want to dig into the source code or are looking for a faster way to identify a WordPress theme, online tools are your best allies. In just a few clicks, they analyze a site and give you the theme name, sometimes along with additional information such as installed plugins or the hosting provider.

What WordPress Theme Is That?

This is one of the most well-known detectors. You simply enter the URL of the site you want to analyze, and the tool shows the parent theme and child theme if there is one. I like its simplicity: no registration is required, and the results appear within seconds.

WordPress Theme Detector

Another handy tool that doesn’t just provide the theme name. It also shows details such as:

• The theme version
• The author or publisher
• Sometimes even a description and a link to the official page

It’s ideal if you want to quickly find a theme to install on your own site or just learn more about its origin.

Scan WP

This tool provides even more information. Scan WP doesn’t stop at the theme: it can also identify installed plugins, the hosting provider, and even the theme’s price if it’s a premium version available on a marketplace like ThemeForest. It’s a goldmine if you want to analyze a WordPress site’s structure in depth.

Limitations to keep in mind

Even though these tools are very convenient, they are not foolproof. Some sites use custom themes or techniques to hide their setup. In these cases, detectors may return nothing or display approximate results. When that happens, I automatically switch to the manual method to be sure of the information.

The Chrome extension WhatWPTheme

Among all the solutions to detect a WordPress theme, there is one I particularly appreciate for its simplicity: the Chrome extension WhatWPTheme. It’s a small, free tool that you can add to your browser in just a few seconds, allowing you to identify the theme and plugins used by a WordPress site effortlessly.

How does it work?

Once the extension is installed, you’ll see its icon in your browser’s toolbar. Simply visit the site that interests you, click the icon, and instantly the extension displays:

• The name of the theme in use
• Detected plugins
• Sometimes a direct link to the theme or plugin page for more information

There’s no need to enter the URL on an external site or dig through the source code—everything happens with a single click.

Advantages of WhatWPTheme

What I like about this extension is how practical and immediate it is. It has several benefits:

• Fast: No long loading times; the analysis is instant.
• Reliable: The database is regularly updated to track changes in WordPress themes and plugins.
• Comprehensive: In addition to the theme, it gives you an overview of the plugins used, which is valuable when you want to understand a site’s structure.

Who is it useful for?

In my opinion, WhatWPTheme is a real time-saver for:

• Web designers looking for inspiration
• Marketers wanting to analyze a competitor’s technical setup
• Developers curious about the tools behind a particular functionality

In short, whether you’re curious or a web professional, this extension quickly becomes a go-to tool to have on hand.

Special cases & useful tips

Even with the best methods and most powerful tools, detecting a WordPress theme isn’t always as simple as we’d like. Some sites use particular configurations that make the task a bit more complicated. Here are some situations to be aware of, along with my advice on how to handle them.

Custom or renamed themes

Many agencies and developers create custom themes or change the name of an existing theme. In these cases, online tools may sometimes just display “custom theme” or a name that leads nowhere.

If you encounter this situation, check the style.css file. Even if the theme has been renamed, you will often find a reference to the author or the parent template (for example, “Template: Astra”). This gives you a reliable clue.

Sites protected by security plugins

Some site owners choose to hide sensitive folders like /wp-content/ to limit hacking attempts. As a result, automatic detectors may find nothing, or you might come across obscure paths.

Try multiple methods. Sometimes, a browser extension like WhatWPTheme will succeed where an online detector fails. And if nothing works, the source code remains the ultimate solution.

False positives

It also happens that a site isn’t running WordPress at all but imitates its design or uses a theme converted for another CMS. In such cases, all tools will remain silent.

Always start by checking that the site is actually running WordPress before launching your search (this is step 2 I showed you). It will save you a lot of frustration.

Don’t forget the footer

It may seem almost too simple, but some sites still leave a “Theme by…” mention or a direct link to the theme creator in their footer. It doesn’t always work, but when it does, you save time.