How to Tell if a Website Uses PHP
Identifying whether a website was built with PHP used to require technical expertise — inspecting source code, tracing network requests in DevTools, and knowing which patterns to look for. Our free scanner automates all of that: it fetches the page, analyzes 1 PHP-specific signals, and returns a verdict with a confidence score.
You might want to detect PHP for competitive research, due diligence before acquiring a site, or simple curiosity. Whatever the reason, this page covers every method — automated and manual.
What is PHP?
PHP is the server-side scripting language underlying a huge share of the web — not a framework itself, but the runtime that WordPress, Laravel, Symfony, and countless custom applications execute on. AIWebsiteDetector surfaces bare PHP as a technology (distinct from any specific framework built on top of it) via the `X-Powered-By: PHP/x.x` response header PHP's built-in web server support sends by default, which reveals the language and often the exact version in use even when no more specific framework fingerprint matches.
It is primarily used for powering websites built by developers using AI coding assistants or modern JavaScript frameworks.
Visit PHP official websiteSigns a Website Is Built With PHP
Our detection engine checks 1 unique PHP fingerprints. Here are the most reliable signals:
HTTP Response Headers
PHP-hosted sites respond with specific HTTP headers that identify the platform or infrastructure. These are visible in DevTools → Network tab.
x-powered-byHow to Manually Detect PHP Websites
Method 1 — View Page Source
- Open the website in your browser
- Press
Ctrl+U(Windows) orCmd+Option+U(Mac) - Search (
Ctrl+F) forphporphp - If found in script src, class names, or meta tags — it's likely PHP
Method 2 — Browser DevTools Network Tab
- Press
F12to open DevTools - Click the Network tab and reload the page
- Filter by
phpin the search box - If you see requests to PHP-specific domains, it's confirmed
How Our PHP Detector Works
When you submit a URL, our engine fetches the page from its server — just like a browser would — then analyzes the response across 1 PHP-specific fingerprints:
Script analysis
We scan all loaded JavaScript files for known CDN paths and runtime names
CDN domain matching
We cross-reference every asset request against known platform CDNs
HTML pattern scanning
We search the DOM for platform-specific class names and data attributes
Header inspection
We read HTTP response headers that identify the server or platform
Meta tag extraction
We check generator and other meta tags in the document head
Confidence scoring
We weight each matched signal and normalize to a 0–99% score
How to Build a Similar Website With PHP
PHP is a developer tool. To build a site with it, install it via npm/yarn, initialize a project, and follow the official documentation at https://php.net.
Other popular frameworks and coding tools include Next.js, Astro, SvelteKit, Remix, and Gatsby.
Get started with PHPFrequently Asked Questions
How can I tell if a website was built with PHP?
The most reliable ways to detect PHP are: (1) open DevTools → Network tab and look for requests to PHP-specific CDN domains, (2) view page source and search for PHP-specific class names or data attributes, (3) use our free scanner — we check 1 detection signals automatically and return a confidence score.
Is your PHP detector free?
Yes, completely free. Paste any URL into our scanner and we'll analyze it for PHP fingerprints immediately. No account required, no limits on scans.
How accurate is the PHP detection?
We check 1 unique PHP fingerprint signals across HTML, JavaScript, CDN domains, meta tags, and HTTP headers. Our confidence score reflects how many signals matched — a score above 70% is a strong indicator. We cap accuracy at 99% to reflect that all fingerprint-based detection is probabilistic.
Can PHP sites be detected if they use a custom domain?
Yes. Custom domains don't hide the underlying platform. The JavaScript files, CDN requests, HTML attributes, and server headers all remain identifiable regardless of the domain name used. Our scanner fetches the page directly and analyzes its technical composition.
What should I do after detecting a PHP website?
If you want to build something similar, visit https://php.net to learn more or sign up. If you're doing competitive research, our scan result also shows the full technology stack — including hosting platform, domain age, and other detected technologies. You can share the result link with your team.