Medium Interactive

MDI HTTP Referer Block enables WordPress site owners to detect and control user experience based on the origin of traffic. By analyzing the HTTP referrer (both server-side via PHP and client-side via JavaScript when headers are missing), this plugin makes it easy to apply different behavior for visitors arriving from ads, social platforms, or syndicated search networks.
You can define specific referrer domains or patterns, and when a visitor matches those conditions, the plugin can:
<ul>
<li>Display a small notification (server-side) showing the detected referrer host or path.</li>
<li>Hide or reveal specific elements on your site using CSS selectors.</li>
<li>Redirect visitors from certain sources to a different URL.</li>
</ul>
This gives marketers, advertisers, and site owners fine control over how different audiences see the site.
Example use cases:
<ul>
<li>Hide contact forms when users arrive through syndicated search traffic to prevent spam or low-quality leads.</li>
<li>Hide pricing details when a user comes from social media to encourage engagement before pricing exposure.</li>
<li>Redirect visitors from affiliate networks to a dedicated landing page.</li>
<li>Show a simple banner confirming that the user arrived via a partner campaign.</li>
</ul>
The plugin sets a tracking cookie (<code>mdi_syndicated_ref</code>) to remember the detected source for the configured number of days, ensuring consistent visibility rules on repeat visits.
MDI HTTP Referer Block helps you tailor on-site experiences dynamically based on real visitor origin — simple, server-side controlled, and privacy-respecting.
For a full guide on blocking syndicated search traffic (e.g., Google Ads Performance Max), see: 
https://mediuminteractive.com/how-to-block-syndicated-search-traffic-from-performance-max-campaigns-in-google-ads/

MDI HTTP Referer Block

Hide elements or redirect users based on referrer domains. Useful for blocking partners, scrapers, or altering content per source.

supersoju

codestic

Block Referer Spam aims at blocking all (or most) websites that use Referer Spam to promote their – often somewhat dodgy – website content. This is accomplished by bots that simulate human behavior. They do this so well, that they even show up in Google Analytics. This plugin does not require any special configuration after installation. Once active and auto-update is enabled, you will barely see any of those nasty spammers any more.
From <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referer_spam" rel="nofollow ugc">Wikipedia</a>:
<pre><code>Referrer spam (also known as log spam or referrer
bombing) is a kind of spamdexing (spamming aimed
at search engines). The technique involves making
repeated web site requests using a fake referer URL
to the site the spammer wishes to advertise. Sites that
publish their access logs, including referer statistics,
will then inadvertently link back to the spammer's site.
These links will be indexed by search engines
as they crawl the access logs.

This benefits the spammer because the free link improves
the spammer site's search engine ranking owing
to link-counting algorithms that search engines use.
</code></pre>
Features
<ul>
<li>Automatic or manual updates of referer spam list</li>
<li>Option of adding custom referer spam hosts</li>
<li>Two methods of blocking: mod_rewrite or WordPress based</li>
</ul>
Pro Features
Pro plans start at only $2/mo. Visit <a href="https://blockreferspam.com" rel="nofollow ugc">BlockReferSpam.com</a> for more information.
<ul>
<li>Automatic syncing your of custom block lists across all of your sites</li>
<li>Additional curated block lists</li>
</ul>
Examples Blocked
<ul>
<li>semalt</li>
<li>buttons-for-website</li>
<li>floating-share-buttons</li>
<li>4webmaster</li>
<li>ilovevitaly</li>
<li>… and many more!</li>
</ul>
If you think you found a bug in Referer Spam Blocker, please contact us! Further, if you want to contribute, feel free!
Anything else, please get in touch!
support / supersoju.com
Cover photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@lukasbudimaier" rel="nofollow ugc">Lukas Budimaier</a>

Block Referer Spam

Blocks referer/referral spam from accessing your site and cleans up your Google Analytics in the process!

MDI HTTP Referer Block vs Block Referer Spam