Question 1

How many technologies can WhatStack detect?

Accepted Answer

WhatStack detects over 8,000 technologies across 63 categories including CMS, frameworks, ad tech, SSPs, marketing tools, payment processors, hosting providers, and more. Our database grows weekly.

Question 2

How does detection work?

Accepted Answer

We analyze 10 data sources for each website: HTTP headers, HTML content, script sources, cookies, meta tags, DOM structure, URL patterns, JavaScript globals, DNS records, and ads.txt files. Results are returned in seconds with confidence scores.

Question 3

How accurate are the results?

Accepted Answer

Each detection includes a confidence score (25–100%). We use signature-based pattern matching across multiple data sources, cross-referencing results to minimize false positives. Technologies with confidence below 25% are filtered out.

Question 4

Do you detect technology versions?

Accepted Answer

When possible, yes. Version detection works by extracting version strings from meta tags, script URLs, HTTP headers, and JavaScript globals. Not all technologies expose their version.

Question 5

Can I detect website categories and news sites?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every scan includes automatic website classification into 25+ industry categories (e-commerce, news, SaaS, healthcare, etc.) and news site detection with confidence scores. This helps qualify leads and segment your data.

Question 6

What is ads.txt detection?

Accepted Answer

We parse each site's /ads.txt file to identify advertising partners, SSPs, and ad exchanges. This is especially useful for ad tech research and publisher analysis.

Question 7

What's the difference between WhatStack and BuiltWith?

Accepted Answer

WhatStack provides real-time, on-demand scanning via API with instant results. We focus on actionable lead generation data including ad tech, SSPs, and business signals. Our API is developer-friendly with simple JSON responses and transparent pricing.

Question 8

Do you cache results?

Accepted Answer

Yes, results are cached for performance. You can force a fresh scan by adding refresh=true to your API request. Cached results don't count toward your monthly quota.

Question 9

Is the technology lookup free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can scan websites without an account. For higher volumes, create a free account to get 500 API requests per month.

Question 10

Is there a free tier?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Our free plan includes 500 API requests per month with access to all technologies and features. No credit card required to get started.

Question 11

Can I change plans?

Accepted Answer

Yes, upgrade or downgrade anytime. Changes take effect immediately and your billing is prorated.

Question 12

What happens when I hit my limit?

Accepted Answer

You'll receive a 429 response code. Your access resumes at the start of the next billing cycle, or you can upgrade your plan for more requests.

Question 13

Do you offer annual billing?

Accepted Answer

Not yet, but coming soon. Annual billing with a discount is on our roadmap.

Question 14

Can I use this via API?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Make a GET request to /api/detect?url=example.com and get JSON results back. See our API documentation for details and code examples.

Question 15

How do I integrate WhatStack into my application?

Accepted Answer

Simply make a GET or POST request to our API endpoint with the target URL. You'll receive a JSON response with all detected technologies, categories, confidence scores, and version information. See our documentation for code examples in all major languages.

Question 16

Do you support bulk scanning?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our API accepts single URLs via GET or POST. For bulk scanning, you can make parallel API requests up to your plan's rate limit. Enterprise plans include higher concurrency limits.

Question 17

Can I scan multiple websites at once?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Bulk lookup lets you analyze up to 25 websites in a single batch. Sign in with a free account to access bulk scanning from the lookup page, or use the API for larger volumes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many technologies can WhatStack detect?

How does detection work?

How accurate are the results?

Do you detect technology versions?

Can I detect website categories and news sites?

What is ads.txt detection?

What's the difference between WhatStack and BuiltWith?

Do you cache results?

Is the technology lookup free?

Is there a free tier?

Can I change plans?

What happens when I hit my limit?

Do you offer annual billing?

Can I use this via API?

How do I integrate WhatStack into my application?

Do you support bulk scanning?

Can I scan multiple websites at once?

Still have questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

How many technologies can WhatStack detect?

How does detection work?

How accurate are the results?

Do you detect technology versions?

Can I detect website categories and news sites?

What is ads.txt detection?

What's the difference between WhatStack and BuiltWith?

Do you cache results?

Is the technology lookup free?

Is there a free tier?

Can I change plans?

What happens when I hit my limit?

Do you offer annual billing?

Can I use this via API?

How do I integrate WhatStack into my application?

Do you support bulk scanning?

Can I scan multiple websites at once?

Still have questions?