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The source code of a website can feel mysterious and intimidating for WordPress beginners, especially when they have never interacted with website files or backend settings before. For many users, source code is something they know exists but rarely see or understand.
If you don’t have strong technical skills, it’s common to assume that accessing the source code could harm your website or cause serious issues. Some users worry that opening the wrong file or clicking the wrong option could break their site, trigger errors, or even lead to the infamous white screen of death.
At the same time, it’s important to separate editing source code from simply finding and viewing it. While making changes to code does carry certain risks, locating and opening source files does not modify anything on your website. As long as no changes are saved, your site remains fully intact and continues to work exactly as before.
What Is Source Code?
The source code of a website can feel mysterious and intimidating for WordPress beginners, especially if they have never worked with files or code before. For many users, source code seems like something hidden behind the interface, accessible only to developers.
If you don’t have strong technical skills, it’s easy to assume that accessing the source code could harm your website or cause serious issues. Some users worry that opening the wrong file or clicking the wrong option could break their site or even result in the dreaded white screen of death.
It’s important to understand the difference between editing source code and simply finding and viewing it. While making changes to code does carry certain risks, accessing source files without modifying them does not affect your website in any way. As long as no changes are saved, your site remains exactly the same.
Behind every visible webpage, there is a structured layer of code responsible for layout, styling, and functionality. This underlying layer is known as the source code, and in WordPress, it is primarily built using three core programming languages.
HTML
HTML, short for Hyper Text Markup Language, was originally developed by Tim Berners-Lee and his team at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, commonly known as CERN. It forms the structural foundation of every webpage.
HTML defines what elements exist on a page, such as headings, paragraphs, links, images, and buttons. These elements are wrapped in tags that tell the browser how content should be organized and displayed.
Example:
<p>This is a paragraph of text.</p>
<h1>Main Page Title</h1>
<a href="#">Read more</a>
HTML can be compared to the framework of a building. It establishes structure before any styling or interactivity is applied.
CSS
CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets and controls how a webpage looks. While HTML defines structure, CSS determines colors, fonts, spacing, borders, and overall layout.
CSS allows developers to style pages consistently and separate visual design from content structure.
Example:
.howto {
display: block;
}
.kbd {
font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;
padding: 5px 3px;
white-space: nowrap;
color: #000;
background: #eee;
border-width: 2px 4px 5px 3px;
border-style: solid;
border-color: #ccc #aaa #888 #bbb;
}
These rules define how specific elements appear on the page, including spacing, typography, background color, and borders.
JavaScript
JavaScript is a dynamic programming language that adds logic and interactivity to a website. It allows pages to respond to user actions and changing conditions in real time.
Many interactive features in WordPress, such as dropdown menus, popups, form validation, and dynamic content loading, rely on JavaScript.
Example:
function enEdition() {
/* Ne rien faire mode edit + preload */
if (encodeURIComponent(document.location).search(/%26preload%3D/) != -1)
return; // &preload=/
if (!wpPageName.match(/Discussion.*\/Traduction/)) return;
var diff = new Array();
var status;
var pecTraduction;
var pecRelecture;
var avancementTraduction;
var avancementRelecture;
/* ************ Parser ************ */
var params = document.location.search.substr(1, document.location.search.length).split('&');
var i = 0;
var tmp;
var name;
while (i < params.length) {
tmp = params[i].split('=');
name = tmp[0];
switch (name) {
case 'status':
status = tmp[1];
break;
case 'pecTraduction':
pecTraduction = tmp[1];
break;
}
i++;
}
}
JavaScript handles logic such as reading parameters from a URL, checking conditions, and deciding which actions should run on a page.
Read also: A Simple, Clear Guide to Editing the functions.php File in WordPress Much It Costs
Why Would You Want to Access Source Code?
There are several practical reasons why accessing your website’s source code can be useful, even if you are not a developer.
- Troubleshooting errors on your website
If something is not working as expected, accessing the source code allows you to inspect what is happening behind the scenes. You can identify missing elements, incorrect scripts, or conflicts that may be causing errors. Reviewing the source code often provides clearer insight into the root of the problem and helps you understand where things might be going wrong. - Verifying plugins and tracking tools
Sometimes you need to confirm that a specific plugin is active or that external services are properly connected. One common example is checking whether your Google Analytics tracking code has been inserted correctly. Accessing the source code lets you verify that the tracking script is present and loading as expected.
Example:
<script type="text/javascript">
(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){
i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){
(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();
a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];
a.async=1; a.src=g; m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)
})(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','_gaTracker');
_gaTracker('create', 'UA-XXXXX-Y', 'auto');
_gaTracker('set', 'forceSSL', true);
_gaTracker('require', 'displayfeatures');
_gaTracker('send', 'pageview');
</script>
- Understanding how other websites work
Accessing source code also allows you to see how any website is built under the hood. You might want to explore the source code of a competitor’s site or a website you admire to better understand its structure, layout choices, or the scripts it uses. This can be a valuable learning tool and a source of inspiration when working on your own site.
How To Find The Source Code
Accessing the source code of any website or webpage is actually very straightforward and does not require advanced technical knowledge. Most modern browsers provide built-in tools that allow you to view the source code of a page in just a few clicks.
To get started, simply right-click anywhere on a webpage and select View Page Source, Show Page Source, or another option that includes the word source. The exact wording may vary depending on the browser you are using, such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, or Internet Explorer.
Once selected, the source code for that specific webpage will open in a new tab. From there, you can scroll through the code, search within it, and examine different sections without worrying about damaging the website. Viewing source code is read-only and does not make any changes unless you actively edit and save files elsewhere.
Example:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en-US" prefix="og: http://ogp.me/ns# fb: http://ogp.me/ns/fb#">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />
<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v3.7.1 -->
<title>Professional WordPress Website Maintenance | 7-Day Free Trial</title>
<meta name="description" content="Unlimited edits, 24/7/365 support, an unbeatable suite of security and daily maintenance for your WordPress website." />
<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.example.com/" />
<meta property="og:locale" content="en_US" />
<meta property="og:type" content="website" />
<meta property="og:title" content="Professional WordPress Website Maintenance | 7-Day Free Trial" />
<meta property="og:description" content="Unlimited edits, 24/7/365 support, an unbeatable suite of security and daily maintenance for your WordPress website." />
<meta property="og:url" content="http://www.example.com/" />
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "http://schema.org",
"@type": "Website",
"url": "http://www.example.com/",
"name": "Example Website"
}
</script>
</head>Read also: How to Customize a 404 Page in WordPress
Using Search to Navigate the Source Code
Now that you’ve found the source code of a webpage, the next step is learning how to navigate it efficiently. This is where source code becomes especially useful when you are trying to locate specific information.
In most cases, source code can be long and difficult to scan manually, even on smaller websites. Instead of scrolling through hundreds of lines, the most effective approach is to search directly within the source code using keywords or phrases.
- On your keyboard, press CTRL + F if you’re using a PC, or CMD + F on a Mac.
This opens the built-in search function in your browser or source code view. - Type the keyword, phrase, or specific text you are looking for.
This could be a sentence, a class name, a tracking ID, or any other identifiable string. - If the keyword exists in the source code, it will be automatically highlighted.
You can then move through each occurrence to quickly locate all instances of that text.
For example, if you want to locate a specific sentence, you can search for find this sentence and instantly see where it appears in the source code.
Example:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en-US" prefix="og: http://ogp.me/ns# fb: http://ogp.me/ns/fb#">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />
<script>
if (document.location.search) {
if (query_string['prevent']) {
window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function () {
window.name = '';
}, false);
}
}
</script>
<title>How to Find Source Code in WordPress</title>
<meta name="description" content="The source code of a website can be a mysterious and intimidating concept for a WordPress beginner." />
<meta property="og:title" content="How to Find Source Code in WordPress" />
<meta property="og:description" content="The source code of a website can be a mysterious and intimidating concept for a WordPress beginner." />
<meta property="og:type" content="article" />
</head>
Editing Source Code
If you want to take things a step further and actually make changes to your source code, WordPress gives you a couple of practical options. You can either work directly through the built-in editor in the WordPress admin panel or access your files using File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
Both methods provide access to core components of your website, including theme files and plugin code. This level of access allows you to customize functionality, adjust layouts, or fine-tune integrations to better suit your needs. However, it’s important to proceed carefully. Before making any significant changes, creating a full backup of your website is strongly recommended, so you can quickly restore everything if something doesn’t work as expected.
If you’d like to share your thoughts, ask questions, or join the discussion, feel free to reach out and continue the conversation on social media.
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Whether you need regular updates, help with custom edits, proactive monitoring, or a fully managed solution for agencies and growing businesses, Codico’s engineers are here to support you. Explore our service plans to find the option that best fits your workflow and technical requirements.
