How to Use Referer Control for Chrome: Setup, Rules, and TipsProtecting your privacy and controlling what information your browser shares with websites is a core part of modern web safety. One often-overlooked piece of data is the HTTP Referer header (intentionally spelled “Referer” due to an original misspelling in the HTTP standard). The Referer header tells a website which page you came from — and that can leak sensitive details like search queries, private tokens in URLs, or internal site paths. Referer Control extensions for Chrome let you manage or strip that header to reduce tracking and information leakage. This guide covers installation, rule configuration, practical tips, and troubleshooting so you can use Referer Control effectively.
What the Referer header is and why it matters
The Referer header is sent by browsers during navigation and resource requests and contains the URL of the page that initiated the request. Examples of when it’s sent:
- Clicking a link from example.com/pageA to example.org/pageB (pageB receives the Referer: example.com/pageA).
- Loading an image or script from a third-party CDN (the CDN receives the URL of the page that requested the resource).
- Redirects, navigations, and many fetch/XHR requests also include Referer information.
Why it matters:
- Privacy: Referer can reveal search terms, session IDs, internal paths, and other sensitive information.
- Security: Leaked tokens or internal endpoints via Referer can be exploited.
- Tracking: Advertisers and analytics platforms use Referer to connect browsing activity across sites.
About Referer Control extensions for Chrome
Several extensions provide the ability to control or modify the Referer header. They generally let you create rules that specify what Referer value to send (full URL, origin only, or none) depending on the source and destination domains. Popular options historically include “Referer Control,” “Smart Referer,” and generic privacy extensions that include referer controls among other features.
Key features to look for:
- Rule-based configuration by source and destination domain.
- Options to send full URL, origin only (scheme+host+port), or no Referer.
- Profiles or quick toggles (allowlist/blocklist).
- Lightweight and privacy-focused (minimal additional permissions).
Installing Referer Control for Chrome
- Open Chrome and go to the Chrome Web Store.
- Search for “Referer Control” or “Smart Referer” (verify the extension’s developer and reviews).
- Click “Add to Chrome” then “Add extension.”
- After installation, an icon will appear in the toolbar. Pin the extension if you like quick access.
Security tip: Only install extensions from reputable developers and check reviews and permissions. Prefer extensions that request minimal permissions and have transparent privacy policies.
Basic settings and UI walkthrough
Most referer-control extensions use a simple UI with:
- A list of rules showing source and destination patterns and the action (Allow, Origin only, Hide/No referer).
- Buttons to add, edit, or remove rules.
- Default behavior (e.g., send full referer unless a rule matches).
- Quick toggles like “Enable/Disable extension” or site-specific temporary allowances.
Common rule components:
- Source pattern: where the request originates (can be wildcarded or a specific domain).
- Destination pattern: target domain receiving the request.
- Action: what to send — Full, Origin, No referer, or Custom.
How to create effective rules
Rules should balance privacy with functionality — overly strict settings can break website features (e.g., OAuth redirects, cross-site APIs). Use the following patterns and examples:
- Exact domain match
- Source: example.com
- Destination: othersite.com
- Action: Origin Use when you want to preserve site functionality with minimal info leakage.
- Wildcard subdomains
- Source: *.example.com
- Destination: *
- Action: Origin Useful for multi-subdomain sites where you don’t want to leak full paths.
- Global block for third-party requests
- Source: *
- Destination: thirdparty-ad.com
- Action: No referer Blocks referer for any request to known trackers.
- Allow full referer for trusted pairs
- Source: yourbank.com
- Destination: yourbank.com
- Action: Full Needed for internal links or services that rely on full URLs.
- Search-to-site referrals
- Source: google.com
- Destination: example.com
- Action: No referer or Origin Prevents leak of search queries in the referer when clicking search results.
Example rule table:
| Source pattern | Destination pattern | Action | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| *.example.com | * | Origin | Avoid leaking paths across sites |
| * | tracker.com | No referer | Prevent tracking |
| google.com | * | Origin | Hide search queries |
| mysite.com | mysite.com | Full | Internal links |
Advanced tips and edge cases
- OAuth and SSO redirects: Some identity providers expect a referer for CSRF checks. If login fails after tightening referer rules, add an exception for the identity provider’s domain.
- CDN and asset loading: Stripping referer can break hotlink protection on images or CDNs that validate the referer. If images fail to load, allow origin or full referer for that CDN/domain.
- Mixed content and same-origin policy: The Referer policy can interact with site CSPs and browser referer-policy headers. The browser or server might override extension rules in certain cases.
- Temporary rules: When diagnosing a broken site, temporarily change a rule to “Full” and reload — then revert once you confirm the cause.
- Testing: Use browser DevTools > Network to inspect the Referer header sent with requests. Look at the “Headers” of resource/navigation requests.
Rule-writing patterns for privacy and usability
- Start broad, then narrow: Use a default of Origin for cross-site requests and add no-referer rules for known trackers.
- Whitelist minimally: Only allow full referer where necessary (logins, payments, internal services).
- Maintain a “break list”: Keep a short list of domains where functionality broke after a referer change; document why you allowed them.
- Use origin-only as the safe middle ground: It preserves site context (site origin) while removing path/query details that often leak sensitive info.
Troubleshooting common problems
- Site features break after changes: Revert the rule for that site to Origin or Full and reload to test. Use DevTools to compare Referer headers before/after.
- Extension seems inactive: Ensure it’s enabled and not blocked by Chrome’s extension controls. Check extension permissions and whether any privacy mode/profile is interfering.
- Conflicting extensions: If you have multiple privacy extensions that alter headers, disable others to isolate behavior.
- Performance concerns: Well-built referer-control extensions are minimal in overhead. If you notice slowness, check for other resource-heavy extensions or misconfigured rules that cause many redirects.
Complementary privacy settings
- Use Chrome’s built-in Referer-Policy via site headers where possible (site developers can set policies like no-referrer, same-origin, strict-origin-when-cross-origin).
- Combine with other privacy tools: uBlock Origin for blocking trackers, HTTPS Everywhere behavior (now partly built-in), and privacy-respecting search engines.
- Consider browser profiles: Separate profiles for sensitive work vs casual browsing, each with tailored referer rules to reduce risk of cross-context leaks.
Quick checklist before you tighten rules
- Login flows tested (OAuth/SAML).
- Payments and checkout pages work.
- Images/loaders from CDNs display correctly.
- Third-party embeds (maps, widgets) still function.
- Use DevTools to verify Referer headers on representative requests.
Final recommended starter configuration
- Default cross-site action: Origin
- Known tracker domains: No referer
- Self-origin requests: Full
- Search engines (clicking results): Origin or No referer (your preference)
- Keep a small exception list for services that fail with stricter rules
If you want, I can:
- Provide a ready-to-import rule set for a specific Referer Control extension (tell me which one), or
- Help craft rules tailored to a list of domains you care about.
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