Although it may appear easy, it’s really hard for most people to tell dynamic websites from static ones. This is especially difficult when you have no clue what the standard differences between them are. The truth is it’s easy to tell them apart if you know what to look for, which is what we would cover in this article. We’d show you how to take a quick look at any website page and tell if it is dynamic or static on the go.
This article clearly discusses all you need to know about a dynamic and a static website including what is the difference between a dynamic and a static website, how to know if your website is static or dynamic, common examples of dynamic and static websites. It also gives answers to your frequently asked questions such as – is Google a dynamic or static website, is Facebook a dynamic or static website, and most importantly how to check if a website is dynamic or static.
Types of Websites: Dynamic and Static Website
There are 2 types of websites: – the dynamic and the static website.
In simple understanding, dynamic means “change” and static means “Unchanging”, “fixed”. However, in the more practical sense, these differences are very wide apart.
What is a Dynamic Website?
A dynamic website is a type of website whose contents can be updated even when the code is not changed. They also change based on the user’s browser.
What is a Static Website?
A static website is a type of website whose contents are fixed but can only be changed when the code is changed. Otherwise, the same information is presented to every user of the website when they visit the website because the pages and formats are fixed.
Common Examples of Dynamic and Static Website
The top 10 popular dynamic websites include:
- Google Search engine
- Wikipedia
- Pixabay
- Hubspot
- Netflix
- Amazon
- YouTube
- Quora
- WordPress Blogs
- Blogspot blogs
- Ecommerce sites
- Bulletin boards
All social media platforms that show current updates on either news, weather or sports are dynamic websites.
Top 5 Static Websites
Common examples of static website generators include:
- Hugo
- Jekyll
- Pelican
- Hexo
- Octopress
Step by Step on How to check if a Website is dynamic or static
1. Check your URL Extension:
To find out how to check if a website is dynamic or static, check the page’s file extension in the URL which is found in the address field of the web browser. The page is static if the URL extension is HTM or HTML. If the URL extension is PHP, ASP, or JSP, the page is dynamic.
2. Check the Content:
How do I know if my website is static or dynamic? The content of a website is another way of knowing if a website is dynamic or static. The content of a dynamic website is sure to always change every time a different user visits the website. An example of this is social media sites where users are served content based on their preferences. While static websites remain just the same even when different users access them. An example of identifying the content of a static website is a documentation site where everyone is served the same information or content.
3. Check the Technology
Another way of how to check if a website is dynamic or static is to check the technology the website is built on. What are the technologies behind the website? In the case of a static website, the HTML would have been generated or written by developers beforehand. Your browser is ready to take them. However, for a dynamic website, the HTML isn’t created beforehand. They are generated or crafted after a user visits the site.
4. Check how long the Server takes to responds
One of the ways of how to check if a website is dynamic or static, check the timing tab to see how long it takes the server to respond or load the website. You can reload the website and search for network communication at the page top. The timing tab will let you know how long it took for the server to respond. The website page is static if the server responds within milliseconds. Although, being far away from the server and if the server needs to run through codes can also affect the time it takes the server to respond.
5. Check the HTTP Headers
Looking at the HTTP headers, for example, “X-Powered-By: Express”) will help you on how to check if a website is dynamic or static. To do this, go to your HTTPS headers and follow through with this:
HTTP > View > Developer > Developer Tools.
If you see “X-Powered-By: Express”, it shows the website is dynamic, although, it is not always true in all cases.
6. Use Wappalyzer Browser Extensions
How do I know if my website is static or dynamic? To check if a website is dynamic or static, you can use browser extensions like wappalyzer that uncovers technologies used on websites; detect content management systems and eCommerce platforms.
How to tell the difference between a Dynamic and a Static Website:
Static Website Versus Dynamic Website
- A dynamic website is usually written with a server-side scripting language. Examples of a server-side scripting language include PHP, JSP, ASP, ASP.NET, Perl, CSP, or Coldfusion while a static website is usually written in plain HTML. This is one way of how to check if a website is dynamic or static.
- A dynamic website has its contents presented to users based on the user’s preferences and usage patterns such as language, preference settings, and choice of the genre while a static website delivers its age to the user’s web browser exactly as stored and also carries the same content each time the page is loaded by users.
- A dynamic website has its website page contents changed depending on the user’s browsers while a static website has its webpage content fixed irrespective of whoever visits the website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the answers to frequently asked questions regarding how to check if a website is static or dynamic:
Is Google a Dynamic or Static Website?
Google is a dynamic website. Why is Google considered a dynamic website? Google is considered a dynamic website because it serves users content based on their location. Google also generates ads including images, prices, and customized texts based on the behavior of your website visitors. This is usually done for a better user experience
Is Facebook a Dynamic or Static Website?
Facebook is an example of a dynamic website. How do we understand that Facebook is a dynamic website? Facebook is considered a dynamic website because it includes data or information that changes according to the user, the time of the day, the user’s time zone, and the user’s language. Continue reading to know more about the types of websites and how to check if a website is dynamic or static.
Is Netflix a Dynamic or Static Website?
Netflix is a dynamic website. This is because Netflix account presents or render the contents of the show to users based on their language and choice of the genre when they access their account. Now, how do you know if your website is dynamic or static? Keep reading to know how to check if a website is dynamic or static
Is Instagram a Dynamic or Static Website?
Instagram is a photo and video social media platform. It releases ads that change (dynamic) based on target users’ tastes and needs; hence Instagram is a dynamic website.
Is WordPress a Dynamic or Static Website?
WordPress is a dynamic website. This is because it uses an SQL database to store contents such as texts and images. Using an SQL database permits WordPress web pages to load faster when compared to static HTML websites.
Is Flickr a Dynamic or Static Website?
Flickr is a static website. Because the content of the Flickr website is user-generated, if a user uploads an image to the website, it automatically becomes available to every other user without intervention from the admins. Hence, the content can be changed
Is Amazon a Dynamic or Static Website?
Amazon is a dynamic website because it utilizes an HTML script running in the browser as the website loads for every customer or client. However, an Amazon website can also be hosted on a static website for example Amazon S3 or GitHub Spaces if there is no server-side code like in the case of a dynamic website.
Is Youtube a Dynamic or Static Website?
Youtube is a dynamic website because every user checks the website for different needs. As such, the home page of every visitor or user differs from the other depending on their needs and preferences. Also, the content of Youtube comes from a database of files based on different actions taken by different users or from scripting languages from a large file of the database.
Is Twitter Dynamic or Static Website?
Twitter is a dynamic website. This is because Twitter’s website is an ever-changing website page that is often updated with many real-time posts.
Conclusion
When looking for ways on how to check if a website is static or dynamic, you should bear in mind that there are no sure means to tell. This is because some dynamic engines such as Express or Tomcat can serve as either dynamic or static website pages sometimes. In addition, some dynamic website pages may have no identifying header.
Furthermore, you should know that most websites are dynamic. It is only a matter of when. Many websites change several times in a day, while others may take a year or two to change, however, they don’t change at every request. For a static website, the information on the web pages only changes when the programmer of the website updates the code. Such as “Apple.com”
If you still don’t know or tell how to check if a website is dynamic or static, reach out to professional website builders. They would not only help you check if you have a static website or a dynamic website, but you would also get a free website evaluation.
