[SOLVED] $HTTP_REFERER returning blank only in Safari, Google Chrome

[NathanBrisk]

I have a bit of code that links from one page to another. The second page has the following code:

echo "\n\nreferrer: ".$HTTP_REFERER;

 

This code outputs the referer correctly in IE7, Firefox 3, but it doesn't give me the referer in both Safari and Google Chrome. What's the deal?

[PFMaBiSmAd]

The HTTP_REFERER is an optional header that cannot be relied upon. Some browsers let you turn it off, some browsers don't provide it at all (IE6), some browsers only provide it under specific circumstances, and bot scripts regularly set it to be the same as the web site they are visiting. About the only thing it is useful for is logging so you can see where visitors say they came from.

 

Short answer - if it is empty, there is nothing you can do about it.

[NathanBrisk]

Is there then any reliable way of knowing what page referred a visitor?

[PFMaBiSmAd]

It it is on your site, use a session variable.