Ever wondered what makes a website tick? The answer lies in its code. Learning how to see the code of a website opens up a world of insights for website owners, curious minds, and aspiring developers. This skill helps you understand how websites work, troubleshoot issues, and even learn new design techniques.
Whether you’re a WordPress site owner trying to fix a small problem, a blogger curious about a cool feature on another site, or simply wanting to understand websites better, this guide will help you. We’ll show you simple ways to peek behind the digital curtain and start making sense of what you find there.
At Fixmysite.com, we help website owners solve technical problems every day. Many issues can be quickly identified by looking at the underlying code. Don’t worry if you’ve never seen code before. This guide is designed specifically for beginners with no technical background.
Why You Should Learn to View Website Code
Understanding what’s behind a website gives you valuable insights. It’s like being able to look under the hood of a car – you don’t need to be a mechanic to benefit from knowing what’s there. The global web development market is projected to reach $104.31 billion by 2030, growing at a 6.91% CAGR. (Source: Mordor Intelligence)
For business owners and bloggers, viewing code helps you make informed decisions about your website. You can identify potential issues, understand how certain features work, or even find ideas to improve your own site. This knowledge becomes particularly valuable when working with developers or trying to communicate website problems.
Website security is another compelling reason to learn this skill. By examining code, you can spot suspicious elements that might indicate security issues. This basic knowledge acts as your first line of defense against potential problems.
The ability to inspect code also helps you communicate more effectively with developers or support teams. Rather than saying “my site looks broken,” you can provide specific details about what’s happening in the code.
5 Easy Ways to View a Website’s Source Code
You don’t need special software or technical skills to see a website’s code. Modern browsers make it simple with built-in tools. Here are five easy methods to view source code, even if you’re a complete beginner.
| Method | How to Use | Best For | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right-Click Method | Right-click on webpage > Select “View Page Source” | Quick views of entire page code | Shows only HTML, not dynamically generated content |
| Keyboard Shortcut | Press Ctrl+U (Windows/Chrome) or Cmd+Option+U (Mac) | Fast access for regular use | Same limitations as right-click method |
| Browser Developer Tools | F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I (Windows) or Cmd+Option+I (Mac) | Detailed inspection and live editing | More complex interface for beginners |
| View Source Extensions | Install browser extension like “View Source” | Enhanced viewing features | Requires installing additional software |
| Online Code Viewers | Use services like “View Page Source” websites | Viewing without browser tools | Often limited functionality |
Each method has its advantages depending on what you’re trying to accomplish. For most beginners, the right-click method or keyboard shortcuts offer the simplest starting point.
The Right-Click Method: Simplest Way to View Code
The right-click method works in almost every browser. Simply right-click on any empty area of a webpage and look for “View Page Source” in the menu that appears. This opens a new tab or window showing the entire HTML code of the page.
This method shows you the raw HTML sent to your browser. It’s perfect for getting a quick overview of how a page is structured. You’ll see all the HTML tags, text content, links, and references to images and other resources.
The limitation is that you only see the initial HTML. Any content added by JavaScript after the page loads won’t appear in this view.
Using Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts provide the fastest way to view source code. They vary slightly between browsers and operating systems. Here are the most common combinations:
| Browser | Windows/Linux | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome | Ctrl+U | Cmd+Option+U |
| Firefox | Ctrl+U | Cmd+U |
| Edge | Ctrl+U | Cmd+Option+U |
| Safari | N/A | Cmd+Option+U |
| Opera | Ctrl+U | Cmd+Option+U |
These shortcuts open the same view as the right-click method. They’re helpful if you frequently check code or if right-clicking is disabled on certain websites.
Browser Developer Tools: The Professional Approach
Developer tools offer the most powerful way to inspect website code. They show not just HTML, but also CSS, JavaScript, network requests, and more. To open developer tools:
- Press F12 on most browsers (Windows)
- Press Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Option+I on Mac
- Use the browser menu: More tools > Developer tools
Unlike the simple view source options, developer tools show the “live” state of the page. This means you see the code as it currently exists in the browser, including any changes made by JavaScript after the page loaded.
For WordPress site owners, this is particularly useful for troubleshooting issues with plugins or themes that modify the page after loading.
Browser Extensions for Code Viewing
Several browser extensions enhance your ability to view and analyze code. These tools often add features like syntax highlighting, code formatting, and specialized views for different code types.
Popular extensions include “Web Developer” for Chrome and Firefox, “VisBug” for Chrome, and “HTML Validator” for multiple browsers. These tools can make code easier to read, especially for beginners.
Extensions are useful once you’re comfortable with basic code viewing and want more specialized features for particular tasks.
Online Code Viewers
If you can’t install software or extensions, online code viewers provide an alternative. Websites like “View Page Source” or “Source Viewer” let you enter a URL and view its source code.
These services work without special browser features or permissions. They’re helpful in restricted environments like company computers or public terminals where you can’t install tools.
The downside is they typically offer fewer features than built-in browser tools and may not show the most current version of dynamically updated sites.
Understanding Different Types of Website Code
When you view a website’s code, you’ll encounter several different languages working together. Each has a specific purpose in creating the complete experience. Understanding these basics helps you make sense of what you’re seeing.
HTML: The Building Blocks
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) forms the foundation of every website. It defines the structure and content of web pages using elements enclosed in tags. When you view source code, HTML is the primary language you’ll see.
HTML tags look like <tagname> and usually come in pairs with opening and closing tags. The content goes between them: <tagname>Content goes here</tagname>.
Here are some common HTML elements you’ll encounter:
| HTML Tag | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| <html> | Root element of the page | <html>…entire page content…</html> |
| <head> | Contains metadata about the page | <head><title>Page Title</title></head> |
| <body> | Contains visible page content | <body><p>Hello World</p></body> |
| <p> | Paragraph of text | <p>This is a paragraph.</p> |
| <div> | Container for other elements | <div class=”container”>…content…</div> |
| <a> | Hyperlink to another page | <a href=”https://example.com”>Link text</a> |
| <img> | Image | <img src=”image.jpg” alt=”Description”> |
When inspecting WordPress sites, you’ll often see many nested <div> tags and class names that relate to theme or plugin functions. This helps identify which part of your site might be causing issues.
CSS: The Style Elements
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) controls how HTML elements display on screen. It handles colors, fonts, spacing, layout, and responsive design. Without CSS, websites would look like plain text documents.
You’ll find CSS in three places:
- External stylesheets – Linked from the HTML using <link> tags
- Internal styles – In the <head> section inside <style> tags
- Inline styles – Applied directly to elements using the style attribute
CSS uses selectors to target HTML elements and properties to set their appearance:
selector { property: value; }
For example: p { color: blue; font-size: 16px; } makes all paragraph text blue and 16 pixels tall.
In WordPress, themes and plugins add their own CSS files. When troubleshooting display issues, examining the CSS often reveals the source of the problem.
JavaScript: The Interactive Components
JavaScript makes websites interactive. It handles everything from simple animations to complex functionality like contact forms, sliders, and dynamic content loading.
Like CSS, JavaScript appears in three places:
- External files loaded with <script src=”file.js”></script>
- Internal scripts within <script> tags
- Inline event handlers like onclick=”function()”
JavaScript is responsible for most interactive elements on modern websites. When features don’t work correctly on your WordPress site, JavaScript errors are often the cause.
The Console tab in browser developer tools displays JavaScript errors, making it valuable for diagnosing problems with how to troubleshoot JavaScript problems with forms, sliders, or other interactive elements.
Other Code Types You Might Encounter
Beyond the big three (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript), you might see other code types when inspecting websites:
PHP: Powers WordPress and other content management systems. You won’t see PHP directly in your browser because it runs on the server and generates HTML.
JSON: A data format often used to transfer information between the browser and server. Look for it in the Network tab of developer tools.
SVG: A code-based image format. You might see SVG code embedded directly in HTML for icons or simple graphics.
XML: Used for various data exchange purposes including RSS feeds and sitemaps.
For most website owners, focusing on understanding HTML, CSS, and JavaScript provides the most practical benefits when inspecting code.
How to Use Browser Developer Tools
Browser developer tools offer the most comprehensive way to inspect and understand website code. They’re built into all modern browsers and provide insights that go far beyond simply viewing source code.
The global web development market was valued at $65.35 billion in 2023 and is expected to double to $130.9 billion by 2032, driven partly by e-commerce growth. (Source: Terminal.io) Understanding dev tools helps you be part of this growing field.
Let’s explore how to use these powerful tools effectively, even as a beginner.
Opening Developer Tools in Different Browsers
Each browser has its own way to access developer tools, but they all offer similar functionality. Here’s how to open them:
| Browser | Menu Method | Keyboard Shortcut | Right-Click Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome | More tools > Developer tools | F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I | Inspect |
| Firefox | Menu > Web Developer > Toggle Tools | F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I | Inspect Element |
| Edge | More tools > Developer tools | F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I | Inspect |
| Safari | Develop > Show Web Inspector | Cmd+Option+I | Inspect Element |
| Opera | Developer > Developer tools | Ctrl+Shift+I | Inspect |
You might need to enable developer tools first in some browsers. In Safari, go to Preferences > Advanced and check “Show Develop menu in menu bar.”
The Elements Tab: Exploring HTML and CSS
The Elements tab is the most useful starting point for beginners. It shows the current HTML structure of the page and the CSS styles applied to each element.
Here’s what you can do in the Elements tab:
Inspect specific elements: Right-click any element on the page and select “Inspect” to jump directly to its code in the Elements panel.
See the HTML structure: The main panel shows a tree view of the HTML. You can expand and collapse elements by clicking the arrows.
View and edit CSS: The right panel shows all styles applied to the selected element. You can temporarily modify these to test changes without affecting the actual website.
Check responsive design: Most developer tools include a responsive design mode to see how the page looks on different devices.
For WordPress users, the Elements tab helps identify which theme or plugin is controlling specific parts of your page, making troubleshooting much easier.
The Console Tab: Finding JavaScript Errors
The Console tab displays JavaScript errors and messages. It’s invaluable for diagnosing problems with interactive elements on your site.
Red error messages indicate problems that need fixing. Yellow warnings suggest potential issues that might not be breaking functionality but could cause problems.
When something isn’t working on your website, checking the Console often reveals the underlying cause. The error messages typically include:
- A description of the problem
- The file where the error occurred
- The line number in that file
- Sometimes, suggestions for fixing the issue
These details help you or your developer pinpoint and resolve problems quickly. If you’re contacting support for a WordPress theme or plugin, including console errors in your support request speeds up the troubleshooting process.
The Network Tab: Understanding Page Loading
The Network tab shows all the files your browser downloads to display the webpage. This includes HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, fonts, and more.
This tab helps identify:
Slow-loading resources: Files that take a long time to download, slowing down your site.
Failed requests: Resources that couldn’t be loaded, often marked in red.
The sequence of loading: The order in which resources load, which affects performance.
File sizes: How large each resource is, helping identify optimization opportunities.
For WordPress site owners concerned about site speed, the Network tab reveals which plugins, themes, or images might be causing slow loading times. This is especially helpful when trying to understand why is my WordPress site loading slowly and how to fix performance issues.
Other Useful Developer Tool Features
Modern developer tools include many other helpful features:
Application tab: Displays information about stored data like cookies and local storage.
Security tab: Shows security details including SSL/TLS certificate information.
Lighthouse/Audits: In Chrome, provides full performance, accessibility, and SEO audits of your page.
Device emulation: Tests how your site looks and performs on various devices.
These tools become more valuable as you grow more comfortable with basic code inspection. Even understanding just the Elements and Console tabs puts you ahead of most website owners when it comes to troubleshooting.
Common Use Cases for Inspecting Website Code
Learning to view website code isn’t just an academic exercise. It has practical applications that can save you time, money, and frustration. Let’s explore some common scenarios where this skill proves valuable.
Troubleshooting WordPress Website Issues
When something breaks on your WordPress site, viewing the code often provides the fastest path to a solution. Common issues you can diagnose include:
Plugin conflicts: By inspecting JavaScript errors in the Console tab, you can identify which plugins might be fighting with each other.
Theme problems: Viewing the HTML and CSS helps pinpoint layout or styling issues caused by your theme.
Missing elements: If something isn’t displaying correctly, the code reveals whether it’s missing entirely or just hidden by CSS.
Over 93% of websites with SSL certificates are flagged as secure by Google. (Source: VRInsofts) Inspecting your site’s security headers and certificate information helps ensure you maintain this secure status.
When you need to explain a problem to a developer or support team, sharing specific information from your code inspection dramatically speeds up the resolution process.
Learning Web Development Techniques
Viewing code is one of the best ways to learn how websites work. When you see an interesting feature or design on another site, inspecting the code reveals how it was built.
You can learn:
How layouts are structured with HTML and CSS
What classes and IDs developers use to organize their code
How interactive elements are implemented with JavaScript
Responsive design techniques that make sites work well on mobile devices
This approach helps you communicate better with developers when you want similar features on your own site. Instead of vaguely describing what you want, you can provide specific examples of implementation.
Checking Website Security Elements
Code inspection helps identify potential security vulnerabilities on your website:
Outdated scripts: The Network tab shows versions of JavaScript libraries, which might have known security issues if outdated.
Insecure resources: Mixed content warnings in the Console reveal non-HTTPS resources that compromise security.
Suspicious code: Unexpected or obfuscated JavaScript might indicate malware or unauthorized code.
If you’re concerned about WordPress security best practices, inspecting code can help you identify potential vulnerabilities before they become serious problems.
Regular code inspections as part of your WordPress maintenance routine help catch security issues early.
Optimizing Website Performance
Slow websites frustrate visitors and harm your search rankings. Code inspection reveals performance bottlenecks:
Large file sizes: The Network tab identifies oversized images, videos, or scripts that slow loading times.
Render-blocking resources: Certain scripts and stylesheets prevent your page from displaying quickly.
Excessive HTTP requests: Too many separate files being loaded can dramatically slow down your site.
Unnecessary code: Viewing source helps identify unused CSS, JavaScript, or HTML that can be removed.
Understanding these issues helps you make informed decisions about optimizing your WordPress site, whether you make the changes yourself or hire a professional.
Conducting Competitive Analysis
Viewing competitors’ code provides insights into their technical strategies:
What technologies they use: Frameworks, plugins, or tools that power their site
How they structure content: Their approach to organizing information
SEO techniques: Meta tags, structured data, and other optimization methods
Third-party integrations: Analytics, marketing, and other services they employ
This information helps inform your own website strategy and identify opportunities for improvement. Just remember to use this knowledge ethically and respect competitors’ intellectual property.
Best Practices When Inspecting Website Code
When exploring website code, following certain best practices ensures you get the most value from the experience while avoiding potential pitfalls. These guidelines help both beginners and more experienced users.
Ethical Considerations
While viewing publicly available code is perfectly legal and ethical, how you use that information matters:
Respect intellectual property: Don’t copy distinctive code, designs, or content directly from other sites.
Observe terms of service: Some websites explicitly prohibit certain uses of their code in their terms of service.
Focus on learning concepts: Instead of copying code exactly, understand the principles and techniques being used.
Give credit where due: If you adopt an approach inspired by another site, acknowledge the source when appropriate.
Ethical code inspection focuses on education and understanding rather than direct copying or reverse engineering proprietary systems.
Legal Aspects to Be Aware Of
While viewing public-facing code is generally legal, certain activities related to code inspection could raise legal concerns:
Automated scraping: Repeatedly and systematically downloading code or content may violate terms of service.
Attempting to bypass security: Using code inspection to find or exploit security vulnerabilities could violate computer crime laws.
Copying protected elements: Some code may be protected by copyright, patents, or trade secret laws.
When in doubt, limit yourself to manual inspection for educational purposes, and consult a legal professional for specific advice about commercial applications.
Tips for Efficient Code Inspection
Make your code inspection more productive with these practical tips:
Start with a clear goal: Know what you’re looking for before diving into the code.
Use the search function: Press Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F on Mac) in developer tools to find specific text or code elements.
Take screenshots or notes: Document interesting findings for future reference.
Compare multiple sites: Look at how different websites solve similar problems.
Start simple: Begin by inspecting less complex websites before tackling complicated ones.
These approaches help prevent overwhelm and make the learning process more structured and effective.
What to Look For and What to Avoid
Focus your attention on these valuable elements when inspecting code:
Worth Examining Closely
Pay special attention to how websites implement responsive designs, navigation menus, and contact forms. These common elements offer great learning opportunities for beginners.
- Document structure: How content is organized with semantic HTML tags
- CSS organization: How styles are structured and applied to different elements
- Performance optimizations: Techniques for making pages load faster
- Accessibility features: How sites accommodate users with disabilities
- Error handling: How sites manage and display errors
- Conversely, avoid getting bogged down in:
- Minified code: Compressed code that’s difficult to read without formatting
- Complex frameworks: Advanced JavaScript frameworks can be confusing for beginners
- Server-side code: You can’t see PHP or other server languages in browser inspection
- Generated code: Automatically generated code is often unnecessarily complex
By focusing on the most educational elements, you’ll learn faster and avoid frustration.
Tools to Help You Analyze Website Code
Beyond basic browser features, specialized tools can enhance your code inspection experience. These resources make it easier to understand, analyze, and learn from website code.
Browser Extensions for Code Analysis
Browser extensions add powerful features to your inspection toolkit:
| Extension | Browser | Key Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Developer | Chrome, Firefox | Comprehensive toolkit with dozens of utilities | All-around inspection and testing |
| CSS Peeper | Chrome | Visual CSS inspection and color picking | Design analysis and color extraction |
| WhatFont | Chrome, Firefox | Identifies fonts used on websites | Typography analysis |
| JSON Formatter | Chrome | Makes JSON data readable and navigable | API response analysis |
| Wappalyzer | Multiple | Identifies technologies used on websites | Technology stack analysis |
These extensions make specific inspection tasks easier and provide insights that might be difficult to obtain through standard developer tools.
Code Editors with Inspection Features
For those who want to save and analyze code more thoroughly, these editors offer helpful features:
Visual Studio Code: Free, powerful editor with extensions for web development. Includes syntax highlighting, code formatting, and preview features.
Sublime Text: Fast, lightweight editor popular for its speed and extensibility. Good for examining saved code snippets.
Brackets: Focused specifically on web development with live preview capabilities.
Notepad++: Simple but powerful Windows editor that handles code formatting and syntax highlighting.
These tools help you work with code you’ve found during your inspections, allowing for better organization and analysis.
Website Auditing Tools
These tools provide automated analysis of website code and performance:
Lighthouse: Built into Chrome DevTools, provides audits for performance, accessibility, SEO, and best practices.
GTmetrix: Analyzes websites for speed issues and provides recommendations for improvement.
W3C Validators: Check HTML and CSS code for compliance with web standards.
WAVE: Evaluates website accessibility by analyzing the code against WCAG guidelines.
Automated tools complement manual inspection by identifying issues you might miss and providing specific recommendations for improvements.
Learning Resources for Understanding Code
As you inspect code, these resources help you understand what you’re seeing:
MDN Web Docs: Comprehensive documentation for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
W3Schools: Beginner-friendly tutorials and references for web technologies.
CSS-Tricks: Helpful articles and guides about CSS techniques.
Stack Overflow: Question and answer site where you can find explanations for specific code patterns.
Having these resources available while you inspect code helps you make sense of unfamiliar elements and learn as you explore.
WordPress-Specific Inspection Tools
For WordPress site owners, these specialized tools provide additional insights:
What Theme Is That: Identifies WordPress themes used on other sites.
WPScan: Security scanner that checks WordPress sites for vulnerabilities.
Query Monitor: A plugin that helps debug WordPress sites by showing queries, hooks, and more.
WordPress Inspector: Browser extension that detects WordPress themes and plugins.
These WordPress-focused tools help you gain more relevant insights for your own WordPress website.
Conclusion
Learning how to see the code of a website opens up a new dimension of understanding for website owners and curious minds alike. This skill empowers you to troubleshoot problems, learn new techniques, check security, optimize performance, and gain insights from other websites.
As we’ve seen, viewing website code doesn’t require programming knowledge or special software. Modern browsers provide powerful built-in tools that make code inspection accessible to everyone. Starting with simple right-click methods and gradually exploring more advanced developer tools allows you to build your confidence and skills at your own pace.
Remember that the goal of inspecting code isn’t to copy others’ work, but to understand how websites function and apply those insights to improve your own site. Whether you’re managing a WordPress blog, running an online store, or simply curious about web technology, the ability to peek behind the curtain and see how websites are built is invaluable.
When you encounter website issues that go beyond what you can solve through code inspection, remember that professional help is available. At Fixmysite.com, we specialize in WordPress support services that can handle everything from minor tweaks to major optimizations. Our team of experts can help resolve technical problems quickly and effectively.
Ready to get expert help with your WordPress site? Visit our support page to learn more about our services and how we can help keep your website running smoothly.