Have you ever landed on a beautiful blog and wondered what platform was powering it?
I have.
As someone who spends a lot of time building websites, web applications, browser extensions, and online tools, I am naturally curious about how things are built. Whenever I discover an interesting blog, one of my first questions is often: "What platform is this using?"
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| A modern blogger and web developer sitting at a desk analyzing a website on a large computer monitor, website source code visible on screen with highlighted words like "blogger" and "blogspot" |
Sometimes the answer is obvious. Other times, it takes a little detective work.
Whether you're researching competitors, looking for design inspiration, exploring blogging platforms, or simply satisfying your curiosity, knowing whether a website is built on Blogger can be surprisingly useful.
Over the years, I have learned a few quick ways to identify Blogger-powered websites, even when the owner hides the platform behind a custom domain name.
Why Knowing a Website's Platform Matters
When I first started building websites, I assumed the design was the most important thing to observe.
Later, I realized the platform behind the website often tells a bigger story.
For example, a blogger generating thousands of monthly visitors may not be running a complex WordPress setup. They might simply be using Google's Blogger platform with a custom domain.
Understanding the technology behind a site can help you:
- Learn how successful websites are built
- Compare platforms before starting your own blog
- Study competitors more accurately
- Discover new blogging tools
- Get inspiration for your own projects
When I analyze websites today, I look beyond the design. I want to understand the foundation underneath.
Method 1: Check the URL
This is the quickest and easiest method.
If the website address ends with:
then the site is hosted on Blogger.
Some examples include:
In cases like these, there is no mystery.
The website is using Blogger.
Whenever I come across a Blogspot address, I immediately know the owner chose Google's free blogging platform instead of alternatives like WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or Ghost.
The Challenge: Custom Domains
Things become more interesting when bloggers use custom domains.
Instead of:
mycookingblog.blogspot.com
they might use:
www.mycookingblog.com
At this point, the Blogger connection becomes invisible to regular visitors.
I see this often.
Many bloggers want a more professional appearance, stronger branding, and a domain name they fully control. Connecting a custom domain to Blogger allows them to keep the Blogger platform while presenting a standalone website to the world.
When that happens, you need more advanced methods to identify the platform.
Method 2: Inspect the Page Source
This is one of my favorite techniques because it works surprisingly often.
Every webpage contains source code that helps reveal how the site was built.
To check:
- Open the website.
- Right-click on the page.
- Select View Page Source or Inspect.
- Open the search function using Ctrl + F or Cmd + F.
- Search for:
or
If you find references to these terms in scripts, meta tags, or HTML elements, there is a strong chance the site is powered by Blogger.
I have used this method countless times while researching websites for inspiration or competitive analysis.
Sometimes a site looks like a custom-built platform, but a quick source code search reveals it is actually running on Blogger.
A Real-World Example
Imagine you discover a travel blog that looks professionally designed.
The domain is:
Nothing about the website suggests Blogger.
The branding is polished.
The pages load quickly.
The blog has hundreds of articles.
Many people would assume it runs on WordPress.
But after inspecting the source code and searching for the term "blogger," you find several references pointing back to Blogger's infrastructure.
Mystery solved.
The site is still using Blogger behind the scenes.
This type of discovery can be valuable when studying competitors because it helps you make more accurate comparisons.
Instead of assuming they have an expensive custom website, you learn they may be succeeding with a much simpler setup.
What Building My Own Projects Taught Me
One lesson I have learned from building websites and digital products is that the platform is rarely the deciding factor.
Early in my journey, I spent too much time comparing platforms.
Should I use WordPress?
Should I use Blogger?
Should I build everything from scratch?
Should I use a website builder?
Those questions felt important at the time.
Looking back, consistency mattered far more than technology.
I have seen simple websites outperform sophisticated ones.
I have seen blogs built on basic platforms attract loyal audiences while technically impressive projects struggled to gain visitors.
The lesson was simple:
People care more about useful content than they do about the platform powering the website.
That doesn't mean technology doesn't matter. It does.
But choosing the "perfect" platform often matters less than publishing quality content consistently.
Other Clues You Can Look For
While the URL and page source are usually enough, there are a few additional clues that may help:
- Blogger-specific widgets
- Blogger-style comment sections
- Blogger feed URLs
- References to Google-hosted assets
- Blogger metadata inside HTML source code
No single clue is always definitive.
That's why I prefer combining multiple signs before reaching a conclusion.
Think of it like solving a small puzzle rather than relying on one piece of evidence.
Lessons Learned
After years of building websites and analyzing online projects, here are a few lessons that continue to hold true:
- The technology behind a website is often easier to identify than people think.
- Custom domains can hide a platform but rarely eliminate all traces.
- Source code is one of the most valuable tools for learning about a website.
- Simple platforms can support highly successful blogs.
- Studying how websites are built can teach you new ideas for your own projects.
Most importantly, curiosity is a useful skill.
Many of the things I learned about web development came from examining websites and asking, "How did they build this?"
Practical Takeaways
If you want to determine whether a website uses Blogger, start with these steps:
- Look for a
.blogspot.comURL. - Check whether the site uses a custom domain.
- Open the page source.
- Search for the terms
bloggerorblogspot. - Look for Blogger-related metadata and scripts.
- Combine multiple indicators before making a final conclusion.
These simple techniques can save time and provide useful insights when researching blogs and websites.
Final Thoughts
One of my favorite things about working on online projects is that there is always something new to learn.
Sometimes that learning comes from building my own tools. Other times it comes from studying what other creators have built.
Identifying whether a website runs on Blogger may seem like a small skill, but it can reveal valuable insights about how successful websites are created, managed, and maintained.
And occasionally, it serves as a reminder that impressive results do not always require complicated technology.
Many successful blogs are powered by simple platforms, supported by consistent effort, and driven by creators who keep showing up to publish useful content.
The platform matters.
But the work matters more.
Have you ever discovered that a website was built on a completely different platform than you expected? What clues gave it away?