Referer Reality
3 days ago
- #Digital Etiquette
- #Query Strings
- #Referer Header
- Chris Morgan blocks query strings on his site to protect visitor privacy, relying on the Referer header.
- Most websites don't reliably receive Referer headers, making referral data unreliable and lumped as 'Direct' or 'Unknown'.
- The author uses a custom query string (utm_source=Robin_Sloan_sent_me) to provide transparent referral sources, aiding website operators in understanding traffic origins, though some sites (like YouTube) may not accept unexpected query strings.