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How To Tell What A Website Is Built On (5 Effective Ways & Tools)
Learn how to tell what a website is built on using 5 effective tools and methods for quick technology identification.
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When making a B2B sales prospecting list, it's a good idea to research each company before reaching out. Checking out a prospect's website can tell you a lot about them, including what kind of products or services they offer, their pain points, and what industry they operate in. But what if you could learn even more? What if you could find out what technology a prospect's website was built on? This information can tell you what tools and resources a business uses. This data can be incredibly valuable for personalizing your outreach. This post will outline exactly how to identify what technology a website is using and why it can help you with B2B sales prospecting.
One of the best ways to tell what a website is built on is to use a website technology checker, like NUMI's. This tool will help you quickly gather information about a prospect’s website. Instead of spending hours combing through code, you can get the data you need in seconds to inform your B2B sales prospecting efforts.
Top 10 Tools For Checking What A Website is Built On
1. Aomni: The AI-Powered Sales Intelligence Software for B2B Sales Teams
Aomni is an AI agent platform designed specifically for B2B sales intelligence software. Our solution empowers enterprise and strategic account executives to execute account-based sales and marketing strategies with unprecedented efficiency and effectiveness. Our key features include:
- AI-powered prospect and account research
- Comprehensive account mapping and planning
- Data-driven sales strategy development
- Automated call preparation
- Personalized AI agents for sales optimization
- AI chat interface for streamlined sales processes
- AI-assisted Account Based Sales/Marketing campaign execution tool
AI-Powered Sales Enablement for Better Results
Aomni addresses critical pain points for sales managers whose Account Executives, Account Managers, and Customer Success Managers must perform better and include quotas. By leveraging our advanced AI technology, sales professionals can significantly enhance their preparation for customer conversations, leading to the following:
- Larger deal closures
- Increased promotion opportunities
For individual sales professionals, Aomni provides the tools and insights needed to:
- Elevate their performance
- Close more substantial deals
- Accelerate career progression
Try Aomni Today
Our platform transforms the way B2B sales teams operate, ensuring they enter every customer interaction:
- Fully prepared
- Strategically positioned for success
Try our sales intelligence software for free today!
2. Netcraft: Solid Site Reports for Understanding Website Technologies
Netcraft Site Report is one of the oldest tools in the market, which helps you find various useful information as follows:
- Background
- First seen date
- Title
- Ranking
- Language
- Description
- Network Information
- IPv4/IPv6 address
- Domain registrar
- Network owner
- Hosting country
- SSL/TLS Vulnerability Status
- POODLE and Heartbleed vulnerabilities
- SSL certificate details
- Protocol negotiation
- Public key
- Certificate type & chain details
- Hosting Details
- Hosting provider information
- SPF details
- Security
- Risk rating
- Blocklist status
- Site Technologies
- CDN
- CMS
- Software
- RSS
- Compression
- Character encoding
- Much more...
3. BuiltWith: Find Website Technology and Trends
BuiltWith, an online Internet research tool, is quite impressive in letting you know technologies are used to make a website, and it also provides you with related technology trend statistics in a beautiful chart. Along with technology, it also lets you know if any advertising is used. It is interesting to see how it tracks the website at the broader level to reveal each component.
4. Wappalyzer: Discover Competitor Website Technologies
Easily figure out what technology your competitor’s websites are utilizing with the help of Wappalyzer. This solution specializes in peeking through technologies like:
- Advertising networks
- CMS
- Analytics
- Others while also reporting them back to you instantly, so you never get left behind.
You can look up any website on the internet and also make a list of them within the solution. This helps you:
- Research
- Stay organized
- Take the required action on your projects
To save a massive amount of time, you can check up to 1,000 websites at once. Simply upload your list of websites and upload them for bulk research.
You can also use their API for programmatic access. The best thing about Wappalyzer is that it notifies you whenever your competitor’s website’s technology changes. For example, when they move to a new eCommerce platform or content management system, you’ll be the first to know about it.
Apart from all these fantastic features, this solution also has a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge to get a quick view of the technologies used by the websites you visit.
5. Whatruns: A Free Chrome Extension to Discover Website Technologies
Whatruns is a free Chrome browser extension that reveals the technologies used on a website. The fact that this is just a browser extension makes things much simpler and less to worry about. It makes every website on the internet as transparent as glass, allowing you to view everything, such as their:
- Fonts
- CDN platform
- Analytical tool
- Much more
You can follow/unfollow websites and be notified whenever they stop using or start using any technologies. Whatruns has thousands of apps and technologies to help you instantly recognize who might be using them. The interesting thing is that you don’t even need to register an account to use their service. Just download the Chrome extension and get started.
6. PageXray: A Simple Chrome Extension for Website Technology Lookup
Another Chrome extension that serves the same purpose, PageXray, displays a website’s plugins and other technologies in an organized manner. Just click a button, and there you’ll have the icons displayed, indicating what the website uses. It’s free, seamless, and does the job pretty well. It’s not the fanciest solution, but you can be sure you’ll get what it advertises.
7. W3Techs: A Detailed Overview of a Website’s Technology
W3Techs Site Info tool lets you know the following detailed information in tabular format. This consists of the following:
- Popularity ranking
- CMS used like WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, etc.
- The programming language used is PHP, Node.js, JavaScript, etc.
- Markup and Character Encoding
- Image File Formats
- Site elements:
- External CSS
- Inline CSS
- Compression
- SPDY
- HTTP/2
- HSTS
- SSL cert details.
Additional Details
- Analytics tools
- Web server information
- Reverse proxy details
Technology Score: A final score based on the site’s popularity and traffic.
8. SimilarTech: Profile Website Technologies
SimilarTech gives technologies scores and lists like:
- Advertisement
- Analytics
- Widget
- Social sharing
- Mobile
- CDN
- CMS
- Media
- Open graph
- Schema
- Meta tags details
You can also install their extensions in the browser for quick website profiling.
9. RESCAN: A Simple Tool to Find Out Website Technologies
Simple but easy way to find out the technologies stack used on a particular website with RESCAN. It only lists the technology but also the respective categories like:
- CMS
- Widgets
- Font scripts
10. WhatCMS: Find Out Which CMS a Website Uses
WhatCMS doesn’t give you all the technologies but just the CMS being used, like:
- WordPress
- Joomla
- Drupal
- Blogger and 138 more
Once you understand the technology, attend web development courses to make a similar or better website. These tools help you get an understanding of the technologies that are required to create a website that works towards your goals. By studying competitor sites and choosing what you like, you will have at least a starting point for your ideas that can be further built upon.
Related Reading
How To Tell What a Website is Built On: 5 Other Effective Ways
1. Look at the URL Extension
One of the most straightforward clues lies in the URL extension of a webpage. Specific file extensions indicate the core technologies in use:
- .php: The site is likely built with PHP, a widely used server-side scripting language.
- .jsf: This points to JavaServer Faces, often used for Java-based web applications.
- .do: Indicates Apache Struts, another Java-based framework.
- .asp: Signals the use of. NET-based Active Server Pages.
As web development practices have evolved, many websites mask these extensions to improve security and aesthetics. Extensions like .html are commonly used even if the site runs on more complex frameworks.
For instance, the Texas House of Representatives website reveals its PHP foundation through its .php URLs—a rare glimpse into its backend. While this method can be a quick win, it’s less effective on modern, well-optimized websites where URL extensions are deliberately obfuscated.
2. Test Common Admin Login URLs
If you want to find out what CMS a website is built on, this is an easy way out. CMS platforms often have default admin login URLs. For example, adding “/wp-admin/” to a domain name typically leads to the WordPress login page, while “/administrator/” is commonly used for Joomla. Visiting these URLs can help you identify the CMS.
3. View the Page Source
For a DIY approach, viewing a website’s source code can unveil a wealth of information. This method is straightforward: right-click anywhere on the webpage and select "View Source" (or "Inspect" for a deeper dive). Once you’re in, here’s what to look for:
- CSS and JavaScript Files: External libraries like jQuery, Bootstrap, or React are often linked in the source code.
- Meta Tags: These tags might reveal the name of a WordPress theme, the CMS in use, or even the template vendor.
- Embedded Scripts: Tools like Google Tag Manager and third-party integrations often leave a clear trail. For example, viewing the source code of a webpage might show references to Google Fonts, LineIcons, or Lightbox scripts. This method provides hands-on insight into the front-end technologies shaping the website.
4. Explore the GitHub Repository
You're in luck if the website’s code is hosted on a public repository, such as GitHub or GitLab. These repositories often offer the most detailed look at a website’s build. Key areas to investigate include:
- Build Files: Files like package.json (for JavaScript projects) or pom.xml (for Java) reveal the exact libraries and frameworks in use.
- Programming Language Breakdown: GitHub automatically lists the primary programming languages used in a repository. .gitignore File: The entries in this file often correlate with specific technologies (e.g., *.jar for Java or __pycache__ for Python).
For instance, examining the package.json of a JavaScript-based repository might show that it uses React, Redux, and Axios, which are key components for a modern web app. While this method works best for open-source projects, it highlights how transparent some websites can be about their technologies.
5. Check the Website Footer
Many websites include CMS information in their footer, often with phrases like “Powered by WordPress” or “Built with Drupal.” Although this attribution might be removed on custom sites, it’s always worth scrolling down to check.
Empowering Sales Teams with AI-Driven Insights
Aomni is an AI agent platform designed specifically for B2B sales intelligence software. Our solution empowers enterprise and strategic account executives to execute account-based sales and marketing strategies with unprecedented efficiency and effectiveness. Our key features include:
- AI-powered prospect and account research
- Comprehensive account mapping and planning
- Data-driven sales strategy development
- Automated call preparation
- Personalized AI agents for sales optimization
- AI chat interface for streamlined sales processes
- AI-assisted Account Based Sales/Marketing campaign execution tool
AI-Powered Sales Enablement for Better Results
Aomni addresses critical pain points for sales managers whose Account Executives, Account Managers, and Customer Success Managers must perform better and include quotas. By leveraging our advanced AI technology, sales professionals can significantly enhance their preparation for customer conversations, leading to the following:
- Larger deal closures
- Increased promotion opportunities
For individual sales professionals, Aomni provides the tools and insights needed to:
- Elevate their performance
- Close more substantial deals
- Accelerate career progression
Try Aomni Today
Our platform transforms the way B2B sales teams operate, ensuring they enter every customer interaction:
- Fully prepared
- Strategically positioned for success
Try our sales intelligence software for free today!
Related Reading
- Lead Qualification Tools
- B2B List Building
- Sales Prospecting Tools
- Technographics
- Sales Prospecting Automation
- How to Tell What Framework a Website Uses
- How to Find Out What Website Builder Was Used
- How to Find Prospects
Why You Might Want To Check What A Website Was Built On
Websites continuously evolve. A solid way to improve your website is to check out the cool features on other sites. Investigating a site’s tech stack can help you understand how those features were built so you can recreate or improve upon them for your website. For instance, you can reverse engineer features you admire to see how they work. You might also discover new tools or libraries you weren’t previously aware of.
Stay Competitive by Analyzing Your Competitors' Tech Stack
Understanding the tech stack of competitors’ websites gives you valuable insight into their technological capabilities. This knowledge can help you benchmark your site against competitors and decide if upgrades or changes are necessary to stay competitive. For example, you can learn about their:
- Content Management Systems (CMS): Whether they use WordPress, Drupal, or a headless CMS like Contentful.
- Third-Party Integrations: Tools like chatbots, analytics platforms, or CRMs they’ve integrated.
- Plugins and Frameworks: Specific WordPress plugins, JavaScript frameworks, or e-commerce platforms (e.g., WooCommerce, Shopify).
Improve Your Own Website
As your skills grow or your website’s needs change, understanding how other sites operate can inspire better design, improved accessibility, and more innovative functionality. For example, you might learn about new accessibility tools or frameworks that will enhance user experience.
You could also discover performance optimization techniques by analyzing the tech powering fast-loading sites. You can also understand how to implement features like:
- Server-side rendering (SSR)
- Advanced animations
Evaluate Hosting and Performance Solutions
Knowing a site's hosting service can provide insights into reliability and scalability. For example, if a site is speedy, check whether a Content Delivery Network (CDN) like Cloudflare can give you ideas for your hosting setup. Alternatively, if a site manages high traffic well, the server type or cloud infrastructure they rely on (e.g., AWS, DigitalOcean) might be worth exploring.
Learn Without Backend Access
Most of the information you need about a website’s tech stack is embedded in its source code or visible through network requests. Tools and services like BuiltWith, Wappalyzer, or browser developer tools make extracting this information legally and ethically easy. You can uncover:
- Programming Languages and Frameworks: E.g., React, Angular, Ruby on Rails.
- Plugins, libraries, and APIs
- Analytics Tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Hotjar).
- Payment processors or marketing automation platforms.
Enhance Your Technical Knowledge
For developers and designers, analyzing tech stacks is a great way to expand your technical expertise. By investigating a site’s structure, you’ll gain insights into:
- Code Organization: Best practices for structuring frontend and backend code.
- Emerging Technologies: Staying ahead of trends by identifying popular libraries and tools.
- Performance Optimization: Techniques like lazy loading, minification, and caching.
Validate Your Ideas or Tools
If you’re considering a specific tool or technology for your site, analyzing a live example can help you validate its effectiveness. For instance, let’s say you’re interested in using a particular JavaScript library. You can see its real-world applications by checking out a high-traffic site that uses it. Alternatively, if you’re considering a move to a headless CMS, examining how it powers the flexibility of another site can help you understand its capabilities.
How To Use Website Builder & Entire Tech Stack Information
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Analyzing the platform or technology a website is built on can provide valuable insights to help you make informed decisions about your:
- Website's design
- Development
- Strategy
Here’s how to effectively use this information:
Understanding the tools and platforms used by a website you admire can guide your own website development decisions. For example:
- CMS (Content Management System: If you discover a site was built on a CMS like WordPress, Webflow, or Shopify, you can explore these platforms to determine if they fit your needs.
- Design Elements: Analyzing the fonts, layouts, and interactive features can inspire your site's visual and functional aspects. This insight helps you align with industry trends or stand out by enhancing popular design choices.
Conducting Market Research to Get Ahead of the Competition
Examining websites in your industry reveals trends in the following:
- Features: Identify specific functionalities that resonate with users, like chatbots, responsive designs, or integrated payment systems.
- Content Strategies: Study how competitors structure their content, from blog posts to landing pages, and adapt or improve these ideas to suit your goals.
This research informs your development and uncovers opportunities to add unique features that differentiate your platform.
Streamlining Your Website's Architecture
Learning about the structure and user flow of a competitor’s website can inspire how you organize your own:
- Navigation: Streamline your menu and links for a better user experience.
- Performance Optimization: Study how fast and responsive the site is, noting what tools (like caching plugins or CDNs) might contribute to its performance.
This process ensures you build a site that’s both user-friendly and competitive.
Staying Updated with Industry Trends Through Website Analysis
By regularly analyzing websites in your niche, you’ll gain insights into:
- New Technologies: Discover emerging tools and platforms that others are adopting.
- User Preferences: Identify trends in design and functionality that are gaining traction with audiences.
These updates keep your website modern and aligned with customer expectations.
Applying Website Technology Information Strategically
Once you’ve gathered details about a website’s technology stack, structure, and design:
- Experiment with Tools: If a site was built on a promising CMS, create test sites to explore its capabilities.
- Adapt and Innovate: Instead of copying, use the knowledge as a foundation to build something uniquely yours.
- Plan Enhancements: Improve your existing website by incorporating better designs, tools, or user experience features you’ve identified.
The information gleaned from checking a website’s technology and structure is a treasure trove for innovation. Using these insights, you can refine your website's functionality, align with current trends, and differentiate your offering. With a strategic approach, you’ll turn market research into actionable improvements that elevate your digital presence.
Related Reading
- WhatRuns
- Cognism Alternatives
- Wappalyzer Alternative
- AI Sales Prospecting Tools
- List Building Tools
- BuiltWith Alternatives
- SimilarWeb Alternatives
Try Our Website Technology Checker for Free Today
Aomni is an AI agent platform that enhances the efficiency of account-based sales and marketing strategies for B2B sales teams. Aomni achieves this by automating tedious tasks like account research and calls prep for sales teams so that they can focus on what matters most: closing deals.
Aomni’s data-driven insights ensure sales teams have the comprehensive information they need to personalize their approach to individual prospects and accounts. With Aomni, sales teams can:
- Optimize performance
- Enhance deal sizes
- Improve career progression
AI for Sales Prospecting Research and Preparation
Sales prospecting is one of the most challenging aspects of B2B sales. Researching target accounts and individual prospects to find optimal openings for engagement takes time. Preparing for sales calls with stakeholders and decision-makers requires even more time. AI sales prospecting tools like Aomni can help sales teams automate these processes to reduce the time it takes to:
- Find
Research
- Prepare for sales calls with prospects
Aomni’s AI can quickly analyze massive data sets to provide valuable insights about target accounts, organizational structure, individual stakeholders, and unique pain points. Using these insights, sales teams can:
- Optimize their performance
- Enhance deal sizes
- Improve career progression
AI for Account Mapping and Sales Strategy Development
Account-based sales and marketing require a deep understanding of target accounts and a strategic approach to engagement. Aomni helps sales teams gather and organize key information about target accounts and individual stakeholders to develop comprehensive account maps. These account maps can help sales teams identify key areas of focus for personalization and create actionable strategies for engaging prospects and closing deals.
AI for Call Preparation and Personalization
Aomni’s AI technology can significantly reduce the time sales teams take to prepare for calls with prospects. Aomni’s automated sales call preparation features deliver personalized insights and actionable recommendations for sales reps to enhance their performance on calls with individual prospects.
This means that rather than spending hours preparing for calls with prospects, sales teams can leverage Aomni to optimize their performance and personalize their approach to individual prospects and accounts.
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