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You can preserve useful referral attribution without keeping complete referrer URLs: limit what the browser sends, convert permitted referral data into a small approved source or campaign label at ingestion, then discard the raw URL. These are separate controls—browser policy reduces disclosure, while your application’s logging and retention design determines what you keep.
What a referrer can reveal—and what you actually need
The Referer request header can contain an absolute or partial address of the page that initiated a request. Depending on the referrer policy, it may include the referring page’s origin, path, and query string; it does not include the fragment or user information. A path can expose internal page details, while query parameters may contain sensitive values. MDN describes these disclosure risks in its Referer header privacy and security guidance.
For many reporting purposes, a full URL is more detail than necessary. Decide which question attribution must answer—for example, which approved source or campaign led to a visit—and retain only the corresponding category or identifier. If a workflow genuinely depends on same-site page paths, account for that before reducing referrer detail.
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Set a site-wide HTTP Referrer-Policy response header based on the information your site needs to transmit. MDN describes strict-origin-when-cross-origin as the current default: it sends the full URL for same-origin requests and only the origin for qualifying secure cross-origin requests. A stricter policy can reduce what leaves the browser.
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| Policy | What it sends | Where it applies and security behavior |
|---|---|---|
no-referrer |
No referrer information. | Suppresses the header for requests covered by the policy. |
same-origin |
Referrer information for same-origin requests only. | Does not send it to cross-origin destinations. |
strict-origin |
Origin only for equally secure requests. | Omits the referrer when moving to a less secure destination. |
strict-origin-when-cross-origin |
Full URL for same-origin requests; origin only for qualifying cross-origin requests. | Omits the referrer when moving to a less secure destination; MDN identifies this as the current default. |
MDN’s Referrer-Policy guide advises: “Choose the strictest one that still allows your site to function properly.” The right choice depends on whether site features rely on referral details; test those features with the intended policy before rollout.
Set a site-wide policy
Configure the HTTP response header Referrer-Policy with the selected policy. A page-level HTML <meta name="referrer" content="..."> policy is an alternative when a response header cannot be used. Prefer the response header when you can set it centrally.
Scope controls to particular links or resources
For an individual link or embedded resource, the referrerpolicy attribute can set a more specific policy. An anchor can also use rel="noreferrer" to prevent sending the Referer header. These element-level controls are useful when a particular destination should receive less information than the site-wide setting permits. MDN documents the available configuration approaches in its policy guide.
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These browser controls change what is transmitted; they do not remove data your server has already received or written to logs. MDN also recommends avoiding sensitive information in URLs and, where possible, blocking third parties from receiving a Referer header; see its privacy and security guidance.
Keep a useful label, not the raw URL
At request ingestion, map any referral information you are permitted to use into a controlled value, such as an approved source label or campaign identifier. Do not copy the complete URL into analytics events, application logs, or long-lived tables if the reporting purpose does not require it.
- Define the attribution purpose. Specify what the record needs to answer, such as the source category or campaign, rather than collecting a full browsing trail by default.
- Choose the minimum input. Use only the referral details needed for that purpose and allowed by your browser policy and applicable requirements.
- Normalize at ingestion. Map permitted input to a small, controlled set of labels or identifiers. Avoid retaining unreviewed paths and query strings in derived records.
- Discard the raw value. Ensure request handlers, analytics pipelines, and logs do not preserve the complete referrer URL unnecessarily.
- Set access and deletion rules. Restrict who can use the derived attribution record and define its retention period around the stated purpose.
This is a practical privacy-minded design pattern, not an architecture prescribed by MDN or a specific legal standard. Check every layer that may capture requests—including infrastructure and application logs—because changing the browser policy alone does not control server-side storage.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Balance attribution detail against disclosure
Less referrer information can mean less attribution detail. For example, a policy that sends only an origin may identify a referring site but not the specific page path; suppressing the header removes that referral information altogether. Before deployment, test workflows that depend on full same-origin paths, then confirm the application retains only the categories it needs.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesGDPR’s general principles include data minimization—collecting only personal data needed for stated purposes—and storage limitation—keeping it only as long as needed for those purposes. The European Commission’s overview of GDPR principles explains these concepts. It is a general overview, not a determination of which duties apply to a particular organization. The appropriate legal basis, consent requirements, retention period, and jurisdiction-specific obligations require assessment for your circumstances.
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