Perl
Perl is a family of two high-level, general-purpose, interpreted, dynamic programming languages.
About
Perl is a family of two high-level, general-purpose, interpreted, dynamic programming languages.
Categories: Programming languages
Quick facts
Detection methodology for Programming languages
Programming languages reveal themselves through extension fingerprints (`.php` URLs for PHP, `.aspx` for ASP.NET), framework-specific patterns and (for client-side runtime languages like TypeScript and Sass) the `node_modules/<lang>/package.json` entry inside the sourcemap. Bun, Node.js and Deno on the server side identify themselves via response headers when emitted (`X-Powered-By: Bun`, `X-Bun-Version`).
How we detect Perl
Each signal alone is rarely conclusive — Sourcemap Explorer cross-references all of them and weights by confidence. You can reproduce any of these checks yourself in Chrome DevTools.
Server-side fingerprint: the response header reveals the technology behind the page. Visible in DevTools → Network → response headers.
Server: \bPerl\b(?: ?/?v?([\d.]+))?
A DOM selector that only this technology's pages render. Verified at runtime by the content script.
form[action*='/discus/search.pl']
FAQ
How do I check if a website is using Perl?
Open the page in Chrome, click the Sourcemap Explorer toolbar icon, and read the Stack tab. The popup matches Perl's fingerprint signals (response headers, asset URL prefixes, runtime globals, sourcemap paths) and flags it whenever any combination is found. The same checks can be reproduced manually in DevTools — see the "How we detect" section above.
What Perl version can Sourcemap Explorer detect?
Perl ships as a hosted programming languages rather than a bundled npm package, so version-specific detection isn't always possible. Where the platform leaks a version in response headers (`X-Powered-By`, `Server`, generator meta tags) we surface it; otherwise we report presence only.
Where can I read more about Perl?
Official site: https://perl.org. For Sourcemap Explorer's detection guide, see the deep-dive link below or the related guides in the cross-link section.
Keep reading on Sourcemap Explorer
Practical guides
Alternative tools
Detected by Sourcemap Explorer
Open the popup on any page running Perland you'll see the exact version pulled from the bundled package.json when sourcemaps are exposed.