How to Identify the CMS of a Website: Methods and Tools

In the digital era, knowing the Content Management System (CMS) of a website can provide valuable insights, especially for developers, marketers, and webmasters. Whether you want to analyze your competitors or draw inspiration for your own website, here are effective methods and tools to identify the CMS used by a site.

Why Identify a Website's CMS?

Knowing which CMS a website is using offers several advantages. It allows you to understand the technical structure, evaluate security vulnerabilities, and even assess the ease of content management. Popular CMS platforms like WordPress, Shopify, Joomla, and Drupal each have distinct features and functionalities that affect site performance, design, and SEO.

Methods to Identify the CMS of a Website

1. Check the Website's Source Code

One of the simplest ways to identify the CMS is by examining the site's source code. Here’s how you can do it:

Right-click on the page and select "View Page Source" or press Ctrl + U (Windows) or Cmd + U (Mac).
Look for comments, meta tags, or scripts that mention CMS-related terms like "wp-content" (for WordPress) or "drupal-settings" (for Drupal).
Some CMSs add specific HTML classes or IDs to the page, which can hint at the platform used.

2. Use Browser Extensions or Add-ons

There are several browser extensions that automatically detect the CMS of any site you visit. Here are some of the best tools:

Wappalyzer: A Chrome and Firefox extension that reveals not only the CMS but also the web server, JavaScript libraries, and other technologies.
WhatRuns: Similar to Wappalyzer, WhatRuns identifies the CMS, plugins, and analytics tools used by a website.

These extensions are easy to install and offer real-time identification without the need to view the source code.

3. Use Online CMS Detection Tools

If you don't want to install a browser extension, online tools can also detect the CMS of a website. Some of the best online CMS checkers include:

BuiltWith: Simply enter the URL of the website, and BuiltWith provides detailed information on the CMS, analytics tools, advertising platforms, and more.
WhatCMS: This tool specializes in CMS identification and supports more than 1,000 different CMS platforms.
CMS Detector: A straightforward tool that detects CMS, frameworks, and e-commerce platforms.

These tools are fast and accessible from any device.

4. Look for Clues in the URL or Admin Login Page

Some CMSs have recognizable URL patterns for their admin login pages:

WordPress: /wp-admin/
Joomla: /administrator/
Drupal: /user/

If you add these extensions to the site's URL and get a login page, it's a strong clue about the CMS.

5. Check HTTP Headers

Using developer tools in your browser, you can view the HTTP headers sent by the server. Sometimes, these headers contain CMS-specific details. For instance, WordPress often includes “X-Powered-By: WordPress” in the response header.

6. Use WHOIS and Hosting Information

Although not as direct, knowing the hosting provider can give clues about the CMS. For instance, many Shopify sites are hosted on Shopify's servers, and WHOIS lookup may reveal this.

Conclusion

Knowing the CMS of a website is not as complicated as it seems. By using tools like Wappalyzer, BuiltWith, and WhatCMS, or simply by inspecting the source code, you can quickly identify the CMS. Understanding which platform a website uses can provide valuable insights for competitive analysis, SEO strategy, or web development projects.