TrackBack
Encyclopedia
A trackback is one of three types of linkback
methods for Web
authors to request notification when somebody links
to one of their documents. This enables authors to keep track of who is linking to their articles. Some weblog software, such as WordPress
, Drupal
, and Movable Type
, supports automatic pingback
s where all the links in a published article can be pinged when the article is published. The term is used colloquially for any kind of linkback.
, which first implemented it in its Movable Type
blogging software in August 2002. The TrackBack has since been implemented in most other blogging tools. Six Apart started a working group in February 2006 to improve the Trackback protocol with the goal to eventually have it approved as an Internet standard by the IETF. One notable blogging service that does not support trackback is Blogger
. Instead, Blogger provides "backlinks", which allow users to employ Google's search infrastructure to show links between blog entries.
Trackbacks are used primarily to facilitate communication between blog
s; if a blogger writes a new entry commenting on, or referring to, an entry found at another blog, and both blogging tools
support the TrackBack protocol, then the commenting blogger can notify the other blog with a "TrackBack ping"; the receiving blog will typically display summaries of, and links to, all the commenting entries below the original entry. This allows for conversations spanning several blogs that readers can easily follow.
" with every entry. This URL is used by the commenting blogger, whose software will send XML
-formatted information about the new entry to this URL. Some blogging tools are able to discover these TrackBack URLs automatically, others require the commenting blogger to enter them manually.
Linkback
A linkback is a method for Web authors to obtain notifications when other authors link to one of their documents. This enables authors to keep track of who is linking to, or referring to, their articles...
methods for Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
authors to request notification when somebody links
Hyperlink
In computing, a hyperlink is a reference to data that the reader can directly follow, or that is followed automatically. A hyperlink points to a whole document or to a specific element within a document. Hypertext is text with hyperlinks...
to one of their documents. This enables authors to keep track of who is linking to their articles. Some weblog software, such as WordPress
WordPress
WordPress is a free and open source blogging tool and publishing platform powered by PHP and MySQL. It is often customized into a content management system . It has many features including a plug-in architecture and a template system. WordPress is used by over 14.7% of Alexa Internet's "top 1...
, Drupal
Drupal
Drupal is a free and open-source content management system and content management framework written in PHP and distributed under the GNU General Public License. It is used as a back-end system for at least 1.5% of all websites worldwide ranging from personal blogs to corporate, political, and...
, and Movable Type
Movable Type
Movable Type is a weblog publishing system developed by the company Six Apart. It was publicly announced on September 3, 2001; version 1.0 was publicly released on October 8, 2001. On 12 December 2007, Movable Type was relicensed as free software under the GNU General Public License...
, supports automatic pingback
Pingback
A pingback is one of three types of linkbacks, methods for Web authors to request notification when somebody links to one of their documents. This enables authors to keep track of who is linking to, or referring to their articles...
s where all the links in a published article can be pinged when the article is published. The term is used colloquially for any kind of linkback.
History
The TrackBack specification was created by Six ApartSix Apart
Six Apart Ltd., sometimes abbreviated 6A, is a software company known for creating the Movable Type blogware, TypePad blog hosting service, and Vox. The company also is the former owner of LiveJournal. Six Apart is headquartered in Tokyo and is planning to open a new, U.S.-based office in New York...
, which first implemented it in its Movable Type
Movable Type
Movable Type is a weblog publishing system developed by the company Six Apart. It was publicly announced on September 3, 2001; version 1.0 was publicly released on October 8, 2001. On 12 December 2007, Movable Type was relicensed as free software under the GNU General Public License...
blogging software in August 2002. The TrackBack has since been implemented in most other blogging tools. Six Apart started a working group in February 2006 to improve the Trackback protocol with the goal to eventually have it approved as an Internet standard by the IETF. One notable blogging service that does not support trackback is Blogger
Blogger (service)
Blogger is a blog-publishing service that allows private or multi-user blogs with time-stamped entries. It was created by Pyra Labs, which was bought by Google in 2003. Generally, the blogs are hosted by Google at a subdomain of blogspot.com. Up until May 1, 2010 Blogger allowed users to publish...
. Instead, Blogger provides "backlinks", which allow users to employ Google's search infrastructure to show links between blog entries.
Function
A trackback is an acknowledgment. This acknowledgment is sent via a network signal (ping) from the originating site to the receiving site. The receptor often publishes a link back to the originator indicating its worthiness. Trackback requires both sites to be trackback-enabled in order to establish this communication.Trackbacks are used primarily to facilitate communication between blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s; if a blogger writes a new entry commenting on, or referring to, an entry found at another blog, and both blogging tools
Weblog software
Weblog software is software designed to simplify the creation and maintenance of weblogs...
support the TrackBack protocol, then the commenting blogger can notify the other blog with a "TrackBack ping"; the receiving blog will typically display summaries of, and links to, all the commenting entries below the original entry. This allows for conversations spanning several blogs that readers can easily follow.
Software support
Blogging software that supports the TrackBack protocol displays a "TrackBack URLUniform Resource Locator
In computing, a uniform resource locator or universal resource locator is a specific character string that constitutes a reference to an Internet resource....
" with every entry. This URL is used by the commenting blogger, whose software will send XML
XML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
-formatted information about the new entry to this URL. Some blogging tools are able to discover these TrackBack URLs automatically, others require the commenting blogger to enter them manually.
Selected software supporting trackbacks
- DotNetNukeDotNetNukeDotNetNuke is an open source web content management system based on Microsoft .NET technology.DotNetNuke was written in VB.NET, though the developer has shifted to C# since version 6.0. It is distributed under both a Community Edition BSD-style license and commercial proprietary licenses as the...
- DrupalDrupalDrupal is a free and open-source content management system and content management framework written in PHP and distributed under the GNU General Public License. It is used as a back-end system for at least 1.5% of all websites worldwide ranging from personal blogs to corporate, political, and...
- ExpressionEngine
- Kentico CMSKentico CMSKentico CMS is a content management system for building web sites, on-line stores, intranets and Web 2.0 community sites. Kentico is being used by more than 4000 Web sites in 83 countries. Kentico CMS utilizes ASP.NET and Microsoft SQL Server....
- Movable TypeMovable TypeMovable Type is a weblog publishing system developed by the company Six Apart. It was publicly announced on September 3, 2001; version 1.0 was publicly released on October 8, 2001. On 12 December 2007, Movable Type was relicensed as free software under the GNU General Public License...
- WordPressWordPressWordPress is a free and open source blogging tool and publishing platform powered by PHP and MySQL. It is often customized into a content management system . It has many features including a plug-in architecture and a template system. WordPress is used by over 14.7% of Alexa Internet's "top 1...
- SerendipitySerendipity (weblog software)Serendipity is a PHP based blog and web-based content management system. It is available under a BSD license. It supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite database backends, the Smarty template engine, and a plugin architecture for user contributed modifications....
- SitefinitySitefinitySitefinity is a web content management system developed by Telerik, a vendor of developer tools and components for .NET. It is written in C#.- Overview :...
- Telligent Community
- Typo
- CodeIgniter
- RS Blog for Joomla
- Easy Blog for Joomla
- BlogEngine.net
Spam
Some individuals or companies have abused the TrackBack feature to insert spam links on some blogs. This is similar to comment spam but avoids some of the safeguards designed to stop the latter practice. As a result, TrackBack spam filters similar to those implemented against comment spam now exist in many weblog publishing systems. Many blogs have stopped using trackbacks because dealing with spam became too much of a burden.See also
- LinkbackLinkbackA linkback is a method for Web authors to obtain notifications when other authors link to one of their documents. This enables authors to keep track of who is linking to, or referring to, their articles...
, the suite of protocols that allows websites to manually and automatically link to one another - PingbackPingbackA pingback is one of three types of linkbacks, methods for Web authors to request notification when somebody links to one of their documents. This enables authors to keep track of who is linking to, or referring to their articles...
, a similar protocol less prone to spam - RefbackRefbackA Refback is one of three types of Linkbacks, methods for Web authors to request notification when somebody links to one of their documents. This enables authors to keep track of who is linking to, or referring to their articles....
, another similar protocol - Referrer, identifies the address of the webpage of the resource which links to it
- Search engine optimizationSearch engine optimizationSearch engine optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the "natural" or un-paid search results...
- SpingSpingSping is short for "spam ping", and is related to pings from blogs using trackbacks, called trackback spam. Pings are messages sent from blog and publishing tools to a centralized network service providing notification of newly published posts or content...
, short for "spam ping"