$_server['http_referer']

[dannyscorner]

Why does the $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'] variable hardly ever work?

Is there any way around this?
I want it to enter the info into a database for a counter but they are almost always blank!

Some help please

Thanks,
Danny

[Technosailor]

if you type the url in directly you won't get a referer. If you use Norton's Personal Firewall, you won't get a referer. The only way to get a referer is to enter the page via a link on another page.

Aaron

[bobbymac]

Hi Danny

I have not had many problems with HTTP_REFERRER, there has been the occasional one that says "BLOCKED by xxxxx", unless of course it has been a robot or a direct request for the page in question. If it is blank, then there's not much you can do about it. Some people have software installed that blanks it out. But I wouldn't think the majority should be blank

[Technosailor]

you could use print_r($_SERVER); to see if the error is in a REFERER not being passed or if the error is in the processing of the variable...