jQuery Detector

What is jQuery?

jQuery is a fast, small, and feature-rich JavaScript library.

It simplifies things like HTML document traversal and manipulation, event handling, and animation with an easy-to-use API that works across browsers.

How can you detect if a website uses jQuery?

Detecting whether a website uses jQuery can be done by checking for specific signs and code patterns in the page source. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

1. Open the Page Source: Right-click on the webpage and select “View Page Source” or press Ctrl+U (Windows) or Cmd+Option+U (Mac) to open the page’s source code.
2. Search for jQuery Initialization: Use Ctrl+F (Windows) or Cmd+F (Mac) to open the search function and look for the following keywords:
   • jQuery: Look for instances where jQuery is called. For example: jQuery(document).ready(function() { ... });
   • $(document).ready: This is a common pattern for initializing jQuery scripts. For example: $(document).ready(function() { ... });
3. Look for jQuery Script Tags: Search for the jQuery library being included in the source code. Look for tags like:
   • <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.x.x.min.js"></script>
   • <script src="//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.x.x/jquery.min.js"></script>
4. Check for jQuery Version Comments: Sometimes developers add comments indicating the version of jQuery being used. For example, you might find a comment: .
5. Examine the JavaScript Function Calls: Look for JavaScript functions that are specific to jQuery, like .ajax(), .fadeIn(), .slideUp(), and .animate().
6. Inspect the Browser Console: Open the browser’s developer tools (usually by pressing F12 or right-clicking and selecting “Inspect”). Go to the “Console” tab and type jQuery or $.fn, and then press Enter. If jQuery is defined, it will return the jQuery function or object; otherwise, you’ll see an error.
7. Look for jQuery Plugins or Extensions: Check if any plugin scripts are included that are known to rely on jQuery, such as jquery-ui.js or other jQuery plugins.

Check out our full guide on how to find the jQuery version number on any website.