Title: Trackback ‘link back’ checker
Last modified: August 18, 2016

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# Trackback ‘link back’ checker

 *  [mr_cynical](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mr_cynical/)
 * (@mr_cynical)
 * [21 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trackback-link-back-checker/)
 * I remember reading somewhere about a WP plugin that would check trackbacks to
   make sure that the article sending them had a link back to your blog, and reject
   them if they didn’t, but unfortunately I don’t have the URL (and Googling has
   drawn a blank). Can anyone help?

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

 *  Moderator [James Huff](https://wordpress.org/support/users/macmanx/)
 * (@macmanx)
 * [21 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trackback-link-back-checker/#post-215664)
 * That would be Spam Karma:
 * [http://unknowngenius.com/blog/wordpress/spam-karma/dev/](http://unknowngenius.com/blog/wordpress/spam-karma/dev/)
 *  Moderator [James Huff](https://wordpress.org/support/users/macmanx/)
 * (@macmanx)
 * [21 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trackback-link-back-checker/#post-215680)
 * Actually, now that I think about it, Spam karma doesn’t do that, and no plugin
   ever should. It is possible and common practice to send a trackback to another
   blog’s post without linking to it. Blocking trackbacks from blogs that do not
   link to you would delete some legitimate trackbacks.
 * Now, you may be getting trackbacks confused with referrers. Referrers are access
   log entries of visitors from sites which [supposedly] link to you. You may see
   quite a few referrers from other blogs, but you may also see a few referrers 
   from porn and gambling sites. These porn and gambling sites don’t actually link
   to you, they send out bots which fake the referrer field. Referrer Karma will
   check the incoming referrers to see if they actually link to you. If they do,
   the visitor from the legitimate referrer is allowed entry. If they don’t, the
   visitor from the faked referrer is denied entry.
 * You can find Referrer Karma here: [http://unknowngenius.com/blog/wordpress/ref-karma/](http://unknowngenius.com/blog/wordpress/ref-karma/)
 * And you can find information about referrer spam here:
    [http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugins/Spam_Tools#Referrer_Spam](http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugins/Spam_Tools#Referrer_Spam)
   [http://codex.wordpress.org/Combating_Comment_Spam/Denying_Access#Editing_.htaccess_To_Deny_Access_Referrer_Spammers](http://codex.wordpress.org/Combating_Comment_Spam/Denying_Access#Editing_.htaccess_To_Deny_Access_Referrer_Spammers)
 *  Thread Starter [mr_cynical](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mr_cynical/)
 * (@mr_cynical)
 * [21 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trackback-link-back-checker/#post-215718)
 * That was probably what I was thinking of, thanks!
 * [EDIT] I now KNOW that RK was the plugin I was thinking of, from this line on
   its Codex description ‘This criteria includes, whether or not the page returns
   a 403 (access denied), a 404 (not found), or whether or not your URL was found
   on the referring page'[/EDIT]
 *  Thread Starter [mr_cynical](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mr_cynical/)
 * (@mr_cynical)
 * [21 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trackback-link-back-checker/#post-215724)
 * Unfortunately it turns out that I can’t use RK because I don’t have url::fopen
   on my server, but I have Bad Behaviour already which apparently tackles referrer
   spam

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

The topic ‘Trackback ‘link back’ checker’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [trackback](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/trackback/)

 * 4 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [mr_cynical](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mr_cynical/)
 * Last activity: [21 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trackback-link-back-checker/#post-215724)
 * Status: not resolved

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