Find Out What WordPress Theme A Site Is Using (3 Methods)
If you’ve spotted a web design you like and want to use on your own site, you might wonder what WordPress theme it’s using. There are thousands of themes on the market. Even with a working knowledge of the most popular options, you might not be able to identify them on the spot.
Fortunately, you don’t have to wonder “What WordPress theme is that?” any longer. With the right tools and techniques, you can identify the product behind a site’s appearance with just a few clicks.
In this article, we’ll introduce you to WordPress themes and explain how they’re used. Then, we’ll take you through how to find what WordPress theme a website is using. Let’s dive right in!
What is a WordPress Theme?
While WordPress plugins add functionality to your site, your theme provides its appearance. It decides your site’s color scheme, navigation, layout, and much more. As such, this is an important part of your website.
You have plenty of options to choose from. The WordPress Theme Directory alone boasts 8,221 free themes:
When you combine this number with those of the countless premium marketplaces online, you may be facing a nearly impossible decision. Seeking out inspiration from other WordPress sites can be a smart idea to help narrow down your choices.
If you find a site with a stellar appearance, you may wonder “What theme is this?”. Answering this question can help you find new designs you didn’t know about or show off the potential of ones you did. Either way, it can be an effective starting point for building your site.
How are WordPress Themes used?
Your WordPress theme gives your site its signature aesthetic. As we already mentioned, it determines how your content is laid out, and specifies key style elements such as fonts, color scheme, and more. In some cases it may also provide specialized functionality through unique widgets or features such as image sliders.
Some themes are even specifically designed for certain types of professionals. For example, if you want to start a travel blog, you could begin your search with WordPress themes designed for that purpose. This can be especially useful if you’re looking for an option that requires minimal customization.
A theme can be a powerful tool for crafting your brand’s online presence. However, you may not always know what you need until you see it on another site. Therefore, figuring out what theme a website is using can help you discover precisely which features you’re looking for.
How to Find What WordPress Theme a Website Is Using (3 Methods)
If you’re lucky, the website whose theme you’re interested in might have design credits displayed in its footer. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Be sure to check before diving in below, but if it’s not as simple as looking in the footer, here are three additional ways to find out what theme a site is using!
Method 1: Use an Online Theme Detector Tool
Figuring out what theme a website is using is a fairly popular pursuit. As such, multiple search engines have been created to answer this question. All you’ll need is the URL of the site you’re curious about.
Your first step will be choosing an online tool that fits your needs. For this walkthrough, we’ll be using What WordPress Theme Is That:
We’re fond of this tool because it also returns a list of the plugins installed on the site as well. This can help you find creative ways to use themes and plugins together. Nevertheless, there are other quality tools available to you, such as WPThemeDetector and BuiltWith.
Once you’ve decided on a tool, enter the URL of the website you want to know the theme of. The results should look something like this:
Within seconds, What WordPress Theme Is That returns substantial information on the site. In addition to its theme’s name, the tool will also try to return other useful details such as the author and home page.
Nevertheless, your results may not always look like those shown above. For instance, searching for a site that uses a highly customized theme or a proprietary solution may not work. In that case, you can always try the other methods below.
Method 2: Search the Site’s Source Code
You can also discover a site’s active theme by examining its source code. This wall of code might be intimidating, but fortunately, you won’t have to do much with it. You can simply access and search it like a text document.
To get started, navigate to the site you’re curious about. Once there, right-click anywhere on the page. Select View page source near the bottom of the menu that appears. This will open a page similar to this one:
Next, search for the line of code that looks like this:
https://website.com/wp-content/themes/themename/style.css?
Here, website.com will be the URL of the site you’re visiting and themename will be the title of the theme it’s currently using. This code will also include a link. You can follow it if you want more information:
You’ll find the theme’s name at the top of the resulting screen. Below it will be some more information, such as the version it’s running on and the license in use.
Method 3: Reach Out to the Site Owner
If you’re not interested in either of the previous methods, or if you’ve tried them without success, there’s also another option – contact the site owner. The WordPress community is full of users who are often happy to share their tricks of the trade. A message is an easy way to get an answer.
Even a simple email with “What theme is this website using?” in the subject line can get the job done. Reaching out can also be a valuable opportunity to network with other professionals in your niche.
Once you’ve found the theme and applied it to your site, you may want to take steps to personalize it as much as possible. Popular designs are often a smart choice, but they can also make it harder to stand out from the crowd. Consider using a custom color scheme or changing your site’s font to mix it up.
Learn More About Themes and Get Answers to Other WordPress Questions From WP Engine
WordPress supports a limitless number of design possibilities. However, this potential for customization can also make it tricky to figure out what theme a site is using. Fortunately, you have several ways to find the answer and switch your WordPress theme for a new look.
In this article, we covered three methods for how to find what WordPress theme a website is using:
- Use an online theme detector tool such as What WordPress Theme Is That.
- View the website’s source code.
- Contact the website owner.
If you have any other WordPress questions, especially about WordPress hosting, we’ve got you covered. Check out our resources page for more walkthroughs and helpful tips!
