Element Code: SE-005
Quick Reference
Issue: No Referrer-Policy header to control referrer information sharing
Impact: Full URLs including query strings may leak to third parties
Fix: Add Referrer-Policy header with appropriate policy
Detection: HTTP header inspection
What Is This Issue?
Without Referrer-Policy, browsers send full referrer information to other sites. This can leak sensitive data in URLs like session IDs or search queries.
Why This Matters for Your Website
URL leakage can expose private information. A proper referrer policy protects user privacy and your internal URL structure.
How to Fix This Issue
- Add header: Referrer-Policy: strict-origin-when-cross-origin
- Options: no-referrer, same-origin, strict-origin, etc.
- Balance: Too strict breaks some analytics
Tools for Detection
- Security headers check: Verify referrer policy
TL;DR (The Simple Version)
Add a Referrer-Policy header to control what URL information is shared with other sites. This protects user privacy and prevents URL data leakage.
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