How to Find Out Who Designed a Website

In the digital age, websites serve as the face of businesses, brands, and individuals. Whether you’re looking to hire a web designer, analyze a competitor’s site, or simply admire a website’s aesthetics, you may wonder: **”How can I find out who designed this website?”**

Fortunately, there are several methods to uncover this information, ranging from simple checks to more advanced investigative techniques. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore **10 effective ways to determine who designed a website**, including:

1. **Checking the Website Footer**
2. **Viewing the Page Source Code**
3. **Using Built-in Developer Tools**
4. **Searching for Credits or “Made By” Mentions**
5. **Looking at the Website About Us **
6. **Checking LinkedIn or Portfolio Sites**
7. **Using WHOIS Lookup Tools**
8. **Searching for Press Releases or Interviews**
9. **Contacting the Website Owner Directly**
10. **Using Third-Party Tools Like BuiltWith or Wappalyzer**

1. Check the Website Footer
The **footer section** of a website is one of the most common places where designers and developers are credited. Many agencies and freelancers include a line such as:

– *”Designed by [Agency Name]”*
– *”Website by [Designer’s Name]”*
– *”Powered by [Web Development Company]”*

How to Check:
– Scroll the bottom of the webpage.
– Look for small text links or branding.
– Some sites link directly to the designer’s portfolio.

**Example:**
If you see *”© 2024 XYZ Company | Designed by ABC Web Studios”*, then you’ve found your answer.

2. View the Page Source Code
If the footer doesn’t reveal the designer, the **HTML source code** might. Many developers leave comments or metadata that credit the design agency.

How to Access Source Code:
– Search (Ctrl+F / Cmd+F) for keywords like:
– *”design”*
– *”developed by”*
– *”author”*
– *”agency”*

**Example:**
You might find a comment like:
“`html
<!– Designed by John Doe at CreativeWeb Solutions –>
“`

3. Use Built-in Developer Tools
Modern browsers have **Developer Tools (DevTools)** that provide deeper insights into a website’s structure.

How to Use DevTools:
1. **Right-click** → **”Inspect”** (or press **F12**).
2. Go to the **”Elements”** tab.
3. Look for:
– `<meta name=”author”>` tags
– Comments in the code
– Scripts linked to design agencies

4. Search for Credits or “Made By” Mentions
Some websites include design credits in:
– The **”About Us”** page
– A **”Credits”** or **”Acknowledgments”** section
– Blog posts discussing the website redesign

**Example:**
A company blog might say:
*”We partnered with DesignHub to create our new website in 2023.”*

5. Check the “About Us” or “Team” Page
If the website belongs to a **design agency or freelancer**, they may list their clients or projects. Conversely, businesses sometimes credit their web designers in their team bios.

**Tip:** Look for phrases like:
– *”Our amazing web team”*
– *”Designed in collaboration with…”*

—

6. Search LinkedIn or Portfolio Sites
Many web designers showcase their work on:
– **LinkedIn** (Check the “Experience” section)
– **Behance** (Adobe’s design portfolio platform)
– **Dribbble** (Popular among UI/UX designers)

**How to Search:**
– Google: *”Site:linkedin.com [Website URL] designer”*
– Search Behance/Dribbble for the company name.

7. Use WHOIS Lookup Tools
WHOIS databases store domain registration details, sometimes including the developer’s contact info.

Best WHOIS Tools:
– [ICANN Lookup](https://lookup.icann.org/)
– [Who.is](https://who.is/)
– [DomainTools](https://www.domaintools.com/)

Limitations:
– Many domains use **privacy protection** (e.g., GoDaddy’s DomainsByProxy).

8. Search for Press Releases or Interviews
Companies often announce website redesigns in:
– **News articles**
– **Press releases** (Check PR Newswire, BusinessWire)
– **Podcast interviews** (Search for “[Company] website redesign”)

**Example Query:**
*”XYZ Company website redesign agency”*

9. Contact the Website Owner Directly
If all else fails, **ask politely!**
– Use the **”Contact Us”** form.
– Email: **info@[website].com** or **hello@[website].com**.
– Reach out via **social media** (Twitter/X, LinkedIn).

**Sample Message:**
*”Hi! I love your website’s design—could you share who designed it? Thanks!”*

10. Use Third-Party Tools Like BuiltWith or Wappalyzer
These tools analyze a website’s tech stack, sometimes revealing the agency behind it.

Top Tools:
– **[BuiltWith](https://builtwith.com/)** – Shows CMS, frameworks, and sometimes developers.
– **[Wappalyzer](https://www.wappalyzer.com/)** – Browser extension that detects web technologies.
– **[WhatCMS](https://whatcms.org/)** – Identifies the CMS (WordPress, Shopify, etc.).