Source Code Viewer

About the Source Code Viewer

What is a source code viewer?

Every web page you visit arrives as HTML, the markup that tells the browser what the headings, links, images, and scripts are. A source code viewer fetches that HTML for a URL you give it and shows it to you directly, so you can read a page's markup without opening developer tools, and without visiting the page in your own browser at all.

That last part is the useful bit. Because our server does the fetching, the site you are inspecting never sees your IP address, sets no cookies on your machine, and runs none of its JavaScript. You get the raw HTML as it was delivered, which is also exactly what a search engine crawler sees on its first pass.

On top of the highlighted source, this tool pulls the page apart for you. It lists every meta tag, maps the heading outline, separates internal from external links, itemizes the scripts and stylesheets, and flags images that are missing alt text. It is the difference between reading markup and actually understanding a page.

How to Use This Tool

1. Enter a URL. Paste any public page address and press View Source, or just hit Enter. If you leave off https:// we will add it for you.
2. Read the source. The HTML appears with syntax highlighting and line numbers. Use Word wrap to fold long lines, which helps a lot with minified pages.
3. Search inside it. Type in the Find box to jump between matches. Press Enter for the next one, Shift and Enter for the previous.
4. Check the breakdown. The tabs underneath list the page's meta tags, headings, links, scripts, stylesheets, and images, each with counts.
5. Take it further. Copy or download the HTML, or hand it straight to our HTML Formatter, Minifier, Validator, or Compare tool with the buttons above.

Common Use Cases

• Technical SEO checks: Confirm a page's title, meta description, canonical, and robots tag are what you expect in the raw HTML rather than what JavaScript adds later.
• Diagnosing what crawlers see: If content only appears after JavaScript runs, it will be missing here, which is a strong hint about why a page is not indexing well.
• Inspecting a page safely: Look at a suspicious or untrusted page's markup without loading it, running its scripts, or handing over your IP.
• Learning from other sites: See how a page structures its markup, what libraries it loads, and how it handles meta tags.
• Accessibility spot checks: The Images tab flags every image with no alt attribute, and the Headings tab exposes a broken heading order at a glance.
• Debugging deployments: Verify that the HTML actually live on a server matches what you think you shipped.

Working with the markup rather than a live page? The HTML Viewer renders pasted HTML with a live preview, the HTML Formatter tidies up messy or minified markup, and the Meta Tag Generator builds the tags this viewer reports on. There are plenty more in our free developer tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this different from View Source in my browser?

The result is similar, but the route is not. Your browser has already visited the page, accepted its cookies, and run its scripts before you press View Source. Here our server makes a plain request on your behalf, so the site never sees you, and you get the untouched HTML the server sent. It also works on a phone, where browsers usually give you no way to view source at all.

Why does the source look different from what I see on the page?

Because many sites build much of their content with JavaScript after the HTML arrives. This tool shows the HTML as delivered, before any of that runs, so a React or Vue site may show little more than an empty container. That gap is genuinely useful information, because it is roughly what a search crawler sees before it renders the page.

Can I view the source of any website?

Most public pages, yes. Some are blocked on purpose, including sites that aggressively ban automated requests, pages behind a login, and anything on a private or internal network. Pages that need cookies or a signed-in session will return whatever a logged-out visitor would get, which is usually a login screen.

Is there a size limit?

Yes, 5 MB per page, which is far larger than almost any HTML document. There is also a short cooldown between fetches to keep the service usable for everyone, so if you request several pages quickly you may be asked to wait a few seconds.

Does this show CSS and JavaScript files too?

It shows the HTML document itself, and the Scripts and styles tab lists every script and stylesheet the page references, with a link to each one. Inline scripts and styles appear in the source with their size noted. To read an external file, open its URL in the viewer as its own address.

Is it safe to inspect a suspicious page here?

Safer than opening it yourself. The HTML is displayed as text and never executed, no scripts from the page run, and no images or other files from it are loaded. Our server makes the request, so the site does not learn your IP address or set anything in your browser.

Is this tool free and private?

It is free with no account needed. The URL you enter is passed to our fetch service to make the request and is not stored, and the analysis of the returned HTML happens entirely in your browser.