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

---

# wp_get_referer(): string|false

## In this article

 * [Description](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_referer/?output_format=md#description)
 * [Return](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_referer/?output_format=md#return)
 * [More Information](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_referer/?output_format=md#more-information)
 * [Source](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_referer/?output_format=md#source)
 * [Related](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_referer/?output_format=md#related)
 * [Changelog](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_referer/?output_format=md#changelog)
 * [User Contributed Notes](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_referer/?output_format=md#user-contributed-notes)

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

Retrieves referer from ‘_wp_http_referer’ or HTTP referer.

## 󠀁[Description](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_referer/?output_format=md#description)󠁿

If it’s the same as the current request URL, will return false.

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

 string|false Referer URL on success, false on failure.

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

HTTP referer is a server variable. ‘referer’ is deliberately misspelled.

If page “refered” (form posted) to itself, returns false (because $_SERVER[‘HTTP_REFERER’]
== $_REQUEST[‘_wp_http_referer’])

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

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

    	$ref = wp_get_raw_referer();

    	if ( $ref && wp_unslash( $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'] ) !== $ref
    		&& home_url() . wp_unslash( $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'] ) !== $ref
    	) {
    		return wp_validate_redirect( $ref, 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#L1975)
[View on GitHub](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/blob/6.9.4/src/wp-includes/functions.php#L1975-L1990)

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

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

Retrieves unvalidated referer from the ‘_wp_http_referer’ URL query variable or the HTTP referer.

  | 
| [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.

  | 
| [home_url()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/home_url/)`wp-includes/link-template.php` |

Retrieves the URL for the current site where the front end is accessible.

  |

[Show 2 more](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_referer/?output_format=md#)
[Show less](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_referer/?output_format=md#)

| Used by | Description | 
| [WP_Recovery_Mode::handle_exit_recovery_mode()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_recovery_mode/handle_exit_recovery_mode/)`wp-includes/class-wp-recovery-mode.php` |

Handles a request to exit Recovery Mode.

  | 
| [the_block_editor_meta_box_post_form_hidden_fields()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/the_block_editor_meta_box_post_form_hidden_fields/)`wp-admin/includes/post.php` |

Renders the hidden form required for the meta boxes form.

  | 
| [WP_Customize_Manager::get_return_url()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_customize_manager/get_return_url/)`wp-includes/class-wp-customize-manager.php` |

Gets URL to link the user to when closing the Customizer.

  | 
| [WP_Terms_List_Table::handle_row_actions()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_terms_list_table/handle_row_actions/)`wp-admin/includes/class-wp-terms-list-table.php` |

Generates and displays row action links.

  | 
| [wp_media_attach_action()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_media_attach_action/)`wp-admin/includes/media.php` |

Encapsulates the logic for Attach/Detach actions.

  | 
| [set_screen_options()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/set_screen_options/)`wp-admin/includes/misc.php` |

Saves option for number of rows when listing posts, pages, comments, etc.

  | 
| [_admin_notice_post_locked()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/_admin_notice_post_locked/)`wp-admin/includes/post.php` |

Outputs the HTML for the notice to say that someone else is editing or has taken over editing of this post.

  | 
| [WP_Terms_List_Table::column_name()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_terms_list_table/column_name/)`wp-admin/includes/class-wp-terms-list-table.php` |  | 
| [redirect_post()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/redirect_post/)`wp-admin/includes/post.php` |

Redirects to previous page.

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

Checks if a user is logged in, if not it redirects them to the login page.

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

Ensures intent by verifying that a user was referred from another admin page with the correct security nonce.

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

Displays “Are You Sure” message to confirm the action being taken.

  | 
| [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.

  |

[Show 8 more](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_referer/?output_format=md#)
[Show less](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_referer/?output_format=md#)

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

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

## 󠀁[User Contributed Notes](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_referer/?output_format=md#user-contributed-notes)󠁿

 1.  [Skip to note 2 content](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_referer/?output_format=md#comment-content-749)
 2.   [Codex](https://profiles.wordpress.org/codex/)  [  11 years ago  ](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_referer/#comment-749)
 3. [You must log in to vote on the helpfulness of this note](https://login.wordpress.org?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fdeveloper.wordpress.org%2Freference%2Ffunctions%2Fwp_get_referer%2F%23comment-749)
    Vote results for this note: -2[You must log in to vote on the helpfulness of this note](https://login.wordpress.org?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fdeveloper.wordpress.org%2Freference%2Ffunctions%2Fwp_get_referer%2F%23comment-749)
 4. Example
 5.     ```php
        if ( wp_get_referer() ) {
        	wp_safe_redirect( wp_get_referer() );
        } else {
        	wp_safe_redirect( get_home_url() );
        }
        ```
    
 6.  [Log in to add feedback](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fdeveloper.wordpress.org%2Freference%2Ffunctions%2Fwp_get_referer%2F%3Freplytocom%3D749%23feedback-editor-749)

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