Problems with double meta refresh

There are several ways to hide your referrer (the source of where a visitor is coming from), but one of the most popular ways is to use what's called a double meta refesh (DMR). Instead of linking directly to a site, you redirect through two different php files which has the effect of blanking your referrer. Thus, when your affiliate manager looks to see where a visitor is coming from, he won't see anything your traffic source will be protected.

Unfortunately, there a few issues when using this technique. First, using a DMR will not work for certain browsers, namely Safari, Chrome, and Opera. Worst case, you don't check for these users and their referrers show up, defeating the whole purpose of using the double meta refresh. The best you can do in this situation is to check for users of these browsers and redirect them to some other page. Whether you can stomach the lost traffic is up to you.

The second issue with blanking your referrer using a double meta refresh is that some affiliate networks are very strict about it. I know from personal experience that CJ.com will question you immediately once they find you are blanking the referrers. Don't fight it. Just play by the rules, or send your traffic somewhere else.

Using a double meta refresh is one of the easier ways to hide your traffic sources. However it does have its drawbacks which you need to be aware of, so make sure you are appropriately informed.