Title: wp_get_original_referer
Published: April 25, 2014
Last modified: February 24, 2026

---

# wp_get_original_referer(): string|false

## In this article

 * [Return](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_original_referer/?output_format=md#return)
 * [More Information](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_original_referer/?output_format=md#more-information)
 * [Source](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_original_referer/?output_format=md#source)
 * [Related](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_original_referer/?output_format=md#related)
 * [Changelog](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_original_referer/?output_format=md#changelog)

[ Back to top](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_original_referer/?output_format=md#wp--skip-link--target)

Retrieves original referer that was posted, if it exists.

## 󠀁[Return](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_original_referer/?output_format=md#return)󠁿

 string|false Original referer URL on success, false on failure.

## 󠀁[More Information](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_original_referer/?output_format=md#more-information)󠁿

`HTTP referer` is a server variable. ‘referer’ is deliberately miss-spelled.

## 󠀁[Source](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_original_referer/?output_format=md#source)󠁿

    ```php
    function wp_get_original_referer() {
    	// Return early if called before wp_validate_redirect() is defined.
    	if ( ! function_exists( 'wp_validate_redirect' ) ) {
    		return false;
    	}

    	if ( ! empty( $_REQUEST['_wp_original_http_referer'] ) ) {
    		return wp_validate_redirect( wp_unslash( $_REQUEST['_wp_original_http_referer'] ), false );
    	}

    	return false;
    }
    ```

[View all references](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/files/wp-includes/functions.php/)
[View on Trac](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tags/6.9.4/src/wp-includes/functions.php#L2020)
[View on GitHub](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/blob/6.9.4/src/wp-includes/functions.php#L2020-L2031)

## 󠀁[Related](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_original_referer/?output_format=md#related)󠁿

| Uses | Description | 
| [wp_validate_redirect()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_validate_redirect/)`wp-includes/pluggable.php` |

Validates a URL for use in a redirect.

  | 
| [wp_unslash()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_unslash/)`wp-includes/formatting.php` |

Removes slashes from a string or recursively removes slashes from strings within an array.

  |

| Used by | Description | 
| [wp_original_referer_field()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_original_referer_field/)`wp-includes/functions.php` |

Retrieves or displays original referer hidden field for forms.

  |

## 󠀁[Changelog](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_original_referer/?output_format=md#changelog)󠁿

| Version | Description | 
| [2.0.4](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/since/2.0.4/) | Introduced. |

## User Contributed Notes

You must [log in](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fdeveloper.wordpress.org%2Freference%2Ffunctions%2Fwp_get_original_referer%2F)
before being able to contribute a note or feedback.