How to Find WordPress Websites in Any Niche (5 Methods)

If you sell web design, SEO, hosting, maintenance or a WordPress plugin, your best prospects are businesses that already run WordPress. They understand what a theme or plugin is, they can install what you offer, and your pitch can be specific. The hard part is finding them. This guide shows five practical ways to find WordPress websites in any niche and city — from free manual methods to a fully automated one.

Why find WordPress websites specifically?

WordPress powers a large share of all websites, but a generic list of “local businesses” mixes WordPress sites with Wix, Shopify, Squarespace and hand-coded pages. When you know a prospect uses WordPress you can:

• Offer services that fit their stack (theme updates, speed fixes, security, plugin work).
• Write a more relevant first email (“I noticed your WordPress site…”).
• Avoid wasting time on businesses you can’t help.

Method 1: Google search operators

Google can surface WordPress sites if you combine your niche with footprints that WordPress sites often leave. Try searches like these (replace the niche and city with your own):

• plumber manchester inurl:wp-content
• "powered by wordpress" dentist leeds
• roofing contractor "wp-content/themes"

This is free, but it’s slow: you still have to open each result, confirm it really is WordPress and look for contact details. Google also limits how many results it shows for operator searches, so you’ll miss many sites.

Method 2: Check a single site by hand

When you already have a list of domains, you can confirm WordPress manually:

1. View the page source (Ctrl+U) and search for wp-content or wp-includes.
2. Visit /wp-json/ on the domain — many WordPress sites answer with a REST API response.
3. Try /wp-login.php — a WordPress login screen is a strong signal (just look, never try to log in).
4. Look for a generator tag such as <meta name="generator" content="WordPress …">.

No single signal is perfect — some sites hide the generator tag or block the REST API — so checking several signals together is the reliable way. Doing it by hand takes a minute or two per site, which adds up fast.

Method 3: Browser extensions and technology lookup sites

Technology detection extensions and websites tell you the CMS of the page you are viewing. They’re handy for spot checks, but they work one site at a time and usually don’t give you contact details, so you still need a separate step to find emails and phone numbers.

Method 4: Directories, showcases and local listings

Industry directories, chamber of commerce lists and local business listings give you domains for a niche and area. Export or copy the website links, then check which ones run WordPress using Method 2 — or paste the whole list into a tool that checks them in bulk.

Method 5: Automate it with WP Finder

WP Finder combines all of the steps above. You type a keyword like “plumber manchester” (or paste a list of domains), and it:

• Collects the websites that rank for that search.
• Checks every site for WordPress using several signals — themes, plugins, the REST API, the login page and more.
• Pulls public emails, phone and WhatsApp numbers and social media links from the homepage, contact and about pages.
• Checks up to 40 sites at the same time and lets you export everything to Excel or CSV.

Your first 150 sites are free, with no card or key needed — download WP Finder for Windows or use the web app.

How to qualify the WordPress websites you find

Not every WordPress site is a good lead. Before you reach out, look for signs that your service would genuinely help:

• Design: an outdated look, broken layouts on mobile or an old copyright year in the footer.
• Speed: slow load times on a phone.
• SEO: missing page titles or descriptions, or thin service pages.
• Contactability: a real email or phone number you can use.

Make a short note for each lead — it turns a generic email into a personal one.

Stay on the right side of the rules

Only use contact details a business publishes for enquiries, keep your messages relevant to the business, identify yourself clearly and always honour unsubscribe requests. Laws such as GDPR, PECR and CAN-SPAM apply depending on where you and your prospects are.

Summary

You can find WordPress websites manually with search operators and source-code checks, but it takes hours for a small list. If prospecting is part of your weekly routine, automating the search, the WordPress check and the contact collection gives you that time back for the part that wins clients: a thoughtful, personal pitch.

FAQ

How do I find WordPress websites in a specific city?

Search for your niche plus the city, such as “plumber manchester”, then check each result for WordPress signals like wp-content in the page source or a /wp-json/ response. A tool like WP Finder does both steps for you.

Can I find WordPress websites for free?

Yes. Google search operators and manual source-code checks cost nothing. They are just slow, because you have to open and check every site yourself.

How do I know a website runs WordPress?

Look for several signals together: wp-content or wp-includes paths in the source, a REST API at /wp-json/, a WordPress login page and a WordPress generator tag.