Referer
Request headers
Names the page you came from; the misspelling was baked into the standard long ago.
| On the wire | Referer: … |
|---|---|
| Category | Request headers |
Headers the browser attaches when it sends to the server.
How to read this
- The first digit of a status code carries the meaning: 4 means the request, 5 means the server.
- 404 means "not there"; 403 means "there, but not for you". Swapping them makes debugging slower.
- Header names are case-insensitive — Content-Type and content-type are the same header.
- Caching and CORS problems usually come down to one header line, visible in the browser’s network tab.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does HTTP Referer mean?
Names the page you came from; the misspelling was baked into the standard long ago.
Q. What does Referer look like on the wire?
It travels as Referer: …
Q. Where does Referer appear?
In request headers.
Q. What group does Referer belong to?
The request headers group; the rest of that group is listed further down.