How does refer(r)er work technically?

Posted by NoozNooz42 on Stack Overflow See other posts from Stack Overflow or by NoozNooz42
Published on 2010-06-18T00:28:39Z Indexed on 2010/06/18 0:43 UTC
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web

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http-referer

I don't understand: how are webserver and trackers like Google Analytics able to track referrals?

Is it part of HTTP?

Is it some (un)specified behavior of the browsers?

Apparently every time you click on a link on a web page, the original web page is passed along the request.

What is the exact mechanism behind that? Is it specified by some spec?

I've read a few docs and I've played with my own Tomcat server and my own Google Analytics account, but I don't understand how the "magic" happens.

Bonus (totally related) question: if, on my own website (served by Tomcat), I put a link to another site, does the other site see my website as the "referrer" without me doing anything special in Tomcat?

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