If you’re a web developer, understanding how websites are built is essential. You might be curious about the back-end code that powers a website, and every browser uses this code to display web pages. Search engines like Google also analyze this code to determine where your web pages should appear in search results.

The source code of a webpage holds valuable information about its structure and functionality. Here’s a guide on how you can easily get the source code of any website with just a few clicks. We’ll also touch on how you can download the source code for further examination.

What is a Source Code?

Before discussing how to get the source code of a website, let’s understand what source code is ?

Source code is like the backstage programming of a webpage or software. For websites, it includes all the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that make up the site. Web browsers use this code to create the visual presentation of the webpage, incorporating its structure and style.

Essentially, the source code is the behind-the-scenes language that browsers interpret to show you the webpage. It’s like the blueprint that defines how a website looks and behaves. People can access and explore this code using certain tools for educational purposes to understand how things work.

How to Get the Source Code of any Website

Now, let us discuss how to view or get the source code of any website. For that, you can simply follow the steps mentioned below:

1. Visit the Website:
   • Go to the website for which you want to see the source code.
2. Right-Click and Select View Page Source:
   • Right-click on any part of the webpage.
   • From the context menu, select the “view page source” option.
3. Alternative Method:
   • You can also add ‘view-source:’ at the beginning of the URL.
   • Example: If the URL is http://example.com , change it to view-source:https://example.com
4. Download the Source Code:
   • If you want to download the source code, use the “Save As” option in your browser.
   • Press the Ctrl + S keyboard shortcut.

That’s it! These methods work on all web browsers, regardless of which one you’re using. You can also quickly view the source code using the Ctrl + U keyboard shortcut. It’s a straightforward process to explore how websites are built.

How to Use the Inspect Element Tool?

The Inspect Element tool is a valuable feature in a browser’s developer tools, employed by web developers and designers for real-time debugging, analysis, and code modification on a webpage. It provides an interactive way to explore and understand how a website is built and functions.

1. Visit the Website:
   • Go to the website you want to explore.
2. Open Inspect Element:
   • Right-click on any part of the webpage.
   • Select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element” from the context menu.
   • Alternatively, use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + I.
3. Explore the Developer Tools:
   • The browser will open the Developer Tools panel.
   • Navigate through the tabs, such as Elements, Console, Sources, etc.
   • The “Elements” tab will show you the HTML structure of the webpage.
   • You can interactively inspect and modify elements in real time.

The Inspect Element tool is a powerful feature used by web developers and designers for debugging, analyzing, and making real-time changes to a website’s code. It’s a fantastic way to delve into the details of how a webpage is constructed.

How to Get the Source Code on the Phone

If you’re using a mobile browser and want to view the source code of a website, you can follow a similar approach:

1. Open the website in your mobile browser.
2. Add ‘view-source:’ at the beginning of the URL, like this: ‘view-source:http://example.com’
3. Press Enter.

This method works well on popular mobile browsers such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Firefox. It’s a handy way to check the source code even when you don’t have access to a computer.

Conclusion

In simple terms, exploring the source code of a website helps you understand how it’s built. Whether you’re just curious or aspiring to become a web developer, there are easy ways to see this code.

On a computer, you can right-click on a webpage and choose “View Page Source” or use the “Inspect” option. You can also add ‘view-source:’ to the start of the URL. If you’re on a mobile, add ‘view-source:’ to the URL in your browser.

These methods let you peek behind the scenes of a website, making it a fun and educational way to learn about web development.