Trackback

Quick Definition

A trackback is a manual notification you send to another blog to let them know you referenced their content. Unlike pingbacks, trackbacks are not automatic and send an excerpt of your post.

WordPress blogging documentation covering trackbacks

What Is a Trackback?

Older, manual blog notification system. You paste the target blog's Trackback URI, WordPress sends an excerpt on publish. Not verified — receiving blog can't confirm the link exists.

vs Pingback: trackback is manual + sends excerpt + unverified. Pingback is automatic + no content + verified.

Don't use in 2026 — legacy, spam-ridden, replaced by pingbacks and social media. Disable in Settings → Discussion.

Why It Matters

Blogging history. Disable to avoid spam. See our security guide.

Sources: WordPress.org — Trackbacks and Pingbacks, Developer.WordPress.org — trackback()

Related Terms

BlogA blog (short for "weblog") is a website or section of a website with articles displayed in reverse chronological order — newest first. WordPress was originally built as a blogging platform.NofollowNofollow is a link attribute (rel="nofollow") that tells search engines not to pass SEO authority through that link. Use it for affiliate links, sponsored content, and untrusted user-generated links.PingbackA pingback is an automatic notification that WordPress sends when one blog links to another. It appears as a comment on the linked post, showing that someone referenced your content.

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