How to Find Outdated WordPress Websites (and Pitch Them Politely)

If you sell redesigns, maintenance plans, speed fixes or SEO, the businesses most likely to need you are the ones whose websites have quietly fallen behind. Learning how to find outdated WordPress websites gives you a list of prospects with a real, visible problem you can help with, and a natural opening line for your outreach. This guide covers the signals to look for, how to check them politely using only what a normal visitor can see, how to do it in bulk, and how to turn what you find into a helpful pitch rather than a scary one.

Why find outdated WordPress websites to pitch?

An outdated website isn’t a sign of a bad business. Often the owner is simply busy and hasn’t looked at the site since it was built, which is exactly the kind of client who values someone taking care of it. Outdated sites also make outreach easier: instead of a generic “I build websites” email, you can mention something specific you noticed.

Signals that help you find outdated WordPress websites

No single signal proves a site is neglected, but several together usually tell a clear story. Here are the ones you can check as an ordinary visitor.

1. An old copyright year

A footer copyright line from years ago is one of the easiest hints that nobody has touched the site in a while. It’s not conclusive, but it’s a useful first filter.

2. Not mobile friendly

Open the site on your phone, or narrow your browser window. Watch for text you have to zoom to read, menus that overlap, buttons too small to tap and content wider than the screen. In the page source, a missing <meta name="viewport"> tag is a strong hint the theme was never built for mobile.

3. No HTTPS, or “Not secure” warnings

If the browser shows “Not secure”, the site has no valid SSL certificate or loads content over plain HTTP. Visitors notice these warnings, and they’re easy to point out.

4. Old theme and script hints in the page source

Right-click and choose “View page source”. This is public information every browser can show. Things to look for:

• Theme folder names in paths like /wp-content/themes/twentytwelve/. An older default theme or a theme that’s no longer maintained suggests the design is dated.
• Version strings such as ?ver= on stylesheet and script URLs, or an old jQuery file name. These can hint at how long it’s been since anything was updated.
• A WordPress generator tag (<meta name="generator" content="WordPress ...">) on some sites, which may show the version.

Treat these as hints only. Version strings can be cached or changed, so never present them to a prospect as a definite fact.

5. Slow loading

Run the homepage through a free public tool such as Google’s PageSpeed Insights. Note one or two clear, plain-English findings, such as oversized images, rather than a page of scores.

6. Broken pages, images and links

Click through the main menu as a normal visitor would. Missing images, 404 pages, dead social links or an embedded map that no longer loads all point to a site that isn’t being looked after.

7. Stale content

A blog whose latest post is years old, an events page full of past dates, or opening hours that clearly predate recent changes are all signs that the site isn’t part of anyone’s routine any more.

8. Dated design patterns

Tiny fonts, cramped layouts, auto-playing sliders and very dated stock images make a business look less current than it really is.

How to check politely, without probing or hacking

This is important. Everything above can be checked exactly as an ordinary visitor would see the site. Stay on that side of the line:

• Never attempt to log in, guess usernames or passwords, or try to access the admin area.
• Never run vulnerability scanners, exploit tools or anything designed to find security holes on a site you don’t own or have permission to test.
• Don’t submit test messages through contact or booking forms just to see if they work.
• Don’t hammer servers. Look at a handful of pages at a normal pace, the way a visitor would.
• Don’t claim a site is “hacked” or “vulnerable” based on version hints. You don’t know that, and it comes across as a threat.

Unauthorised security testing can be illegal in many countries, and it destroys trust. Public pages, page source and free speed tools give you plenty to start a useful conversation.

How to find outdated WordPress websites in bulk

To build a proper pipeline rather than checking sites one at a time, work in stages:

1. Choose a niche and area. For example “dentist leeds” or “roofing contractor dallas”. Local service businesses often have older sites and clear reasons to care about their website.
2. Collect sites that rank for those searches, or load a list of domains you already have.
3. Confirm which ones run WordPress, so your pitch matches the platform. Our guide on how to check if a website is WordPress explains the signs.
4. Gather public contact details: emails, phone numbers and social profiles from each site’s own pages.
5. Export to a spreadsheet and add columns for the signals above: copyright year, mobile friendly (yes/no), HTTPS (yes/no), speed notes, broken items.
6. Manually review your shortlist and note the one or two most visible issues on each site.
7. Prioritise. Sites with several clear signals and a business that’s obviously active (recent reviews, current social posts) are usually the best fit.

Signal	How to check	How to mention it
Old copyright year	Footer	“The footer still shows an older year, which can make visitors wonder if you’re open.”
Not mobile friendly	Phone or narrow browser	“On my phone the menu covers the booking button.”
No HTTPS	Browser address bar	“Chrome shows ‘Not secure’ next to your address.”
Slow loading	PageSpeed Insights	“The homepage images are quite large, so it loads slowly on mobile.”
Broken pages	Clicking the menu	“Your Gallery link goes to an error page.”

Pitching the outdated WordPress websites you find

How you raise a problem matters as much as finding it. Owners are often proud of their site, so keep the tone kind and practical:

• Lead with one specific, visible issue, not a list of everything wrong.
• Explain the impact in business terms, such as missed bookings or visitors leaving, not technical jargon.
• Offer something small and free, like a screenshot or a short list of quick wins.
• Make it easy to say no.

Hi {name},

I was looking at {website} on my phone and noticed the menu covers the “Book an appointment” button, and the browser shows “Not secure” next to the address. Both are usually quick fixes on WordPress.

I help local businesses keep their WordPress sites up to date. Would a short screenshot of what I’m seeing be useful? If not, no worries at all.

Thanks,
Alex

Follow up a couple of times at most, include a simple way to opt out, and stop as soon as someone asks. Respect laws such as GDPR, PECR and CAN-SPAM in the countries you email (this isn’t legal advice); our overview of whether cold email is legal covers the basics. For more on what to offer, see finding WordPress maintenance clients.

Find outdated WordPress websites faster with WP Finder

WP Finder handles the bulk steps. Search by keyword and country to collect sites that rank, or load your own .txt or .csv domain list. It checks whether each site runs WordPress using themes, plugins, the REST API and more, and pulls public emails, phone and WhatsApp numbers and social links from each site’s own pages, checking up to 40 sites at the same time. Export to Excel or CSV, add your outdated-site notes, and send personalised emails from your own mailbox with the built-in sender. The first 150 sites are free to try.

Conclusion

To find outdated WordPress websites, look for signs any visitor can see: an old copyright year, poor mobile layout, no HTTPS, slow loading, broken pages and old theme hints in the page source. Check politely, never probe or attempt logins, work in bulk, and open each conversation with one specific, kindly worded observation.

FAQ

How can I find outdated WordPress websites quickly?

Look for several signals together: an old copyright year, a layout that breaks on mobile, “Not secure” warnings, slow loading, broken links or images, stale content and older theme or script names in the public page source.

Is it OK to check a website’s WordPress version?

Viewing the public page source in your browser is something any visitor can do. Treat version hints as unreliable, though, and never attempt logins, vulnerability scans or anything beyond normal browsing on sites you don’t own.

Should I tell a prospect their site is insecure?

Avoid alarming claims you can’t prove. Mention visible, factual issues such as a “Not secure” browser warning or a broken mobile menu, explain the business impact and offer to help.