Detecting WebKit with JavaScript

WebKit has evolved quite a bit since its introduction and it is sometimes useful to detect WebKit versions in order to work around bugs. To make this easier, we have created two JavaScript libraries that do just this.

Note: These scripts are intended as a last resort to send specific code to WebKit-based browsers. ​This ADC article explains why browser sniffing is discouraged, and describes some alternatives.

Normal vs. XL

Most people should only need the normal library. It detects what version of WebKit is being used and whether or not that version was shipped as a system version of WebKit or a nightly.

If you need to know not only what version of WebKit, but also what WebKit-based browser (Safari, OmniWeb, Shiira, etc), then the XL version is better suited for you.

This ​matrix of WebKit versions and OS X versions is useful for determining exactly what versions you need to look for.