How to View Source Code

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: December 26, 2022 Tested

This wikiHow teaches you how to view the source code of a website, which is the code behind any website (such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript), on most common browsers. Excluding a Safari trick, you cannot view a website's source code while using a mobile browser.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Internet Explorer

1
Open your web browser. The process for viewing source code on Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Internet Explorer is the same.
2
Navigate to a webpage. It should be a page whose source code you wish to view.

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3
Right-click the page. If you're using a Mac computer with a one-button mouse, you can hold down Control and click instead. If you are on a laptop with a trackpad, you can use two fingers to click the page instead. This will invoke a drop-down menu.
- Don't right-click a link or a photo when doing this or else the wrong menu will appear.
4
Click View page source or View Source. Doing so will display your browser's source code in a new window or at the bottom of the current window.
- You'll see View page source for Chrome and Firefox, and View Source for Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer.
- You can also press Ctrl+U (PC) or ⌥ Option+⌘ Command+U (Mac) to display the source code.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Safari

1
Open Safari. This is a blue, compass-shaped app.
2
Click Safari. It's in the top-left side of your Mac's menu bar. Doing so invokes a drop-down menu.
3
Click Preferences. This option is in the middle of the drop-down menu.
4
Click the Advanced tab. It's in the top-right corner of the Preferences window.
5
Check the "Show Develop menu in menu bar" box. This option is near the bottom of the Preferences window. You should see a Develop menu appear in your Mac's menu bar.
6
Navigate to a webpage. It should be a page whose source code you wish to view.
7
Click Develop. This menu is to the left of the Window menu in your Mac's menu bar.
8
Click Show Page Source. It's near the bottom of the drop-down menu. Clicking this option will prompt Safari to display the webpage's source code.
- You can also press ⌥ Option+⌘ Command+U to display the source code.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

On Wikis

1
Navigate to the page you want to view the wiki source code for.
2
Click on the "View source" or "Edit" tab.
3
Scroll through the source and select/copy the code you want to copy on your site.

Community Q&A

Question

The view source doesn't exist on my Mac, where do I find it?

Community Answer

To be able to view the source code of a webpage under Safari, you first need to enable the Developer menu: Click on Safari menu > Preferences > Advanced. Check "Show Develop menu in menu bar" Close the Preferences window Go to the Develop menu > Show Page Source
Question

How do I view the source code of an image on a page without seeing the code for the whole page?

Community Answer

Right-click on the image and select "Inspect" from the available options.
Question

How do I create HTML source code for an image that I have on my computer?

Community Answer

Add the image location on your computer to the source code. Make sure the file is available and then run.