Back in the early days of blogging, writers wanted an easy way to tell another blog, "I mentioned your article." Pingbacks and trackbacks were the answer. Both are notifications that one site sends to another when it links to it.
In WordPress, these notifications appear as special comments on the linked post. In this article, we will see how they work and whether you still need them.
What is the difference between a pingback and a trackback?
A trackback is manual. The sender enters the other blog's trackback URL and sends a short excerpt of their post. The receiving site doesn't verify it, which made trackbacks a favorite tool of spammers.
A pingback is automatic. When you link to a post on another blog that supports pingbacks, such as a WordPress site, WordPress sends a ping through XML-RPC. The other site then checks that your page really contains the link.
Think of a pingback as a phone call with caller ID, and a trackback as an unsigned letter.
Where to manage pingbacks and trackbacks
You will find both options under Settings → Discussion. By default, two boxes are ticked:
- Attempt to notify any blogs linked to from the post, which sends pings.
- Allow link notifications from other blogs (pingbacks and trackbacks) on new posts, which accepts them.
Incoming notifications land in the Comments screen, where you can approve them or mark them as spam. You can also allow or block them for a single post from the discussion options in the editor.
Linking to your own articles also sends pingbacks to your own site, called self-pings. They clutter the comment queue.
Should you turn them off?
Yes, for most sites. Today, most pingbacks and trackbacks are spam, and real readers rarely notice them. Untick both boxes and click Save Changes. The second option only applies to new posts, so older posts keep their existing setting.
Our lesson on WordPress discussion settings explains the options around them. Pingbacks rely on XML-RPC, so also see our guide on enabling or disabling XML-RPC.
Pingbacks and trackbacks once connected blogs, but today they mostly bring spam. That's all about pingbacks and trackbacks. If you still have doubts, write to us in the comment box below.