How to check which website platform is used?

A website’s platform is the main technology it’s built on.

That could be a CMS like WordPress or Drupal, a website builder like Wix or Squarespace, an ecommerce platform like Shopify or Magento, or a frontend framework like React, Vue, Next.js, or Angular.

Knowing this can be useful when you’re researching competitors, planning your own website, reviewing client sites, or trying to understand how a specific design or feature was built.

In this article, we will explore different methods for evaluating a website’s platform.

What does “website platform” actually mean?

When we talk about the website platform, we mean the website’s primary platform. It isn’t necessarily the answer to what the website platform is, but more about what the website is built with.

We can, e.g., talk about the:

• CMS: A content management system (CMS) can be part of the website platform. This can e.g. be WordPress, Drupal, Ghost, or Joomla.
• Website builder: Website builders are popular and often provide a complete website platform, including a CMS, a frontend, and hosting. This can be, for example, Wix, Squarespace, Framer, or Webflow.
• E-commerce platform: If a website acts as a store, the website platform can be Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, or BigCommerce.
• Frontend framework: A frontend framework can be a bit more technical, as it’s more about how a website’s front end is built. Examples include React.js, Vue, Next.js, and Angular.
• Other technologies: The website platform may also fall outside the above criteria. Then it can host a website or a CDN.

The fastest way: use a website platform checker

There are many different tools for this purpose, and I would check with more than one tool to ensure it gives the correct answer.

Let’s dig into the list by starting with website tools.

Recommended tools

1. Stackcrawler: Go to the front page and type the website you’re curious about. This tool is completely free; you can analyze as many websites as you like.

2. BuiltWith: You go to their website, type in the website address you’re curious about, and voila! It tells you the platform and other tech stuff the site uses.
3. Wappalyzer: another super tool. It works as a browser extension to add it to your web browser. When you visit a website, you can click the Wappalyzer icon to see the technology behind the site.
4. WhatCMS: From the name, you can guess it tells you about a CMS (Content Management System) like WordPress. Just type in the website’s address to find out if it’s using a CMS and which one.
5. SimilarTech: This one’s cool because it explains the tech and provides stats and insights about the website’s usage and popularity.
6. Sitechecker: This tool is excellent for a quick peek into a website’s platform and offers extra goodies like SEO (Search Engine Optimization) analysis.

Use a browser extension for quick checks

Chrome extensions

You can install extensions in Chrome for users who love exploring the tech behind websites. These extensions make it possible to determine which platform a website is built on.

Here are a few you might want to check out:

1. Stackcrawler: Stackcrawler is a technology profiler that helps developers, designers, and tech enthusiasts uncover the technology stack behind any website. It can detect CMS, e-commerce platforms, WordPress themes, Squarespace themes, Shopify Apps, etc.
2. TechStack: This extension provides a quick view of a website’s technology stack. It’s simple to use; click on the TechStacks icon on a site, and it’ll show you the tech it’s built with.
3. BuiltWith Technology Profiler: Like Wappalyzer, this extension gives you a rundown of all the tech behind a website. Click the BuiltWith icon to view a detailed list of the website’s technology stack.
4. WhatRuns: Want to know the platform, plugins, and themes a website uses? WhatRuns can tell you that. Just click on the WhatRuns icon to get a detailed report on what’s running on the site.
5. Wappalyzer: Click on the Wappalyzer icon in your browser, and it’ll show you the technologies used on your website, from the platform to the analytics tools and everything in between.

Firefox Addons

Firefox fans who want to learn about the tech behind websites can also use cool add-ons.

Here are some great ones to try:

1. Wappalyzer: Just like in Chrome, Wappalyzer is also available for Firefox. It’s super easy to use. When you’re on a website, click the Wappalyzer icon, and it’ll tell you all about the tech the site is using, from the platform to other excellent tools.
2. BuiltWith: Yep, BuiltWith is here for Firefox users too! Install this add-on, and with a simple click on the BuiltWith icon, you’ll get a detailed list of all the technologies powering the website you’re visiting.
3. WhatRuns: This add-on is like having detective eyes for your browser. When you click the WhatRuns icon on a website, it reveals the platform and any plugins and themes the site uses.
4. New Library Detector: This one’s a bit more specific. It’s great for discovering what JavaScript libraries are used on a website. Click the icon to show you libraries like jQuery, React, and Angular.

Use an API if you need to check many websites

If you’re a developer or have some technical understanding, using an API can be a fast and reliable way to detect technologies used on a website.

These APIs can be used to detect a website platform:

• Stackcrawler API: The Stackcrawler API provides users with an instant answer on which technologies and tools are used on any website.

Check the source code

Here’s how you can check a website’s source code:

1. Open the Website: First, visit the website you’re curious about.
2. View the Source Code: Right-click anywhere on the webpage (but not on images or videos) and select “View Page Source” or something similar. This opens up a new tab with the website’s HTML code.
3. Look for Clues:
   • CMS Clues: For websites built with popular Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal, you might see specific comments in the HTML, like <!-- This is WordPress --> or similar lines that mention the CMS.
   • JavaScript Libraries: If the site uses JavaScript libraries like jQuery or frameworks like React, you can find references in the <script> tags. Look for lines that include links or names of these libraries.
   • Theme and Plugin Hints: Sometimes, you can tell if a site uses WordPress or another CMS by looking for theme or plugin names in the URLs within the source code. URLs might include /wp-content/themes/ or /wp-content/plugins/, indicating WordPress themes and plugins.
4. Search for Specific Patterns: Use the browser’s search feature (usually Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) to find keywords like “WordPress,” “wp-content,” “Joomla,” “Drupal,” “Shopify,” “Magento,” or any other platform you suspect the site might be using.
5. Check the CSS: Sometimes, the CSS file names or comments within them can reveal the platform or theme being used. Look for links to CSS files and check if they contain any platform-specific terms.

One tip: Some websites might minify their HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files (compressing them to load the website faster), making it harder to read the source code. But don’t worry; even in minified code, you can still search for keywords or the patterns mentioned above.