rel=”noopener noreferrer” is a small HTML attribute with big importance for website security, user privacy, and safe outbound linking. This rel=”noopener noreferrer” guide explains how it prevents tab-nabbing attacks, protects referrer data, and supports modern SEO best practices without affecting link equity or affiliate tracking. You’ll learn when to use it, why WordPress adds it automatically, and how it strengthens trusted, user-friendly website experiences across blogs, e-commerce sites, and content platforms.
Why rel=”noopener noreferrer” Matters: Security, Privacy, and SEO Best Practices Explained
What Does rel=”noopener noreferrer” Mean?
rel=”noopener noreferrer” prevents the linked page from accessing the source page’s window object and prevents the browser from sending referral information. In simple terms, it protects your site from security risks like tab-nabbing and hides your URL from being passed as a referrer. It’s a tiny attribute with significant implications for SEO, privacy, and user safety.
What is rel=”noopener”?
rel=”noopener” is an HTML attribute that stops a newly opened tab from accessing the window.opener object of the page it came from. This prevents malicious scripts from redirecting or manipulating the original page, a known phishing method called tab-nabbing. It’s recommended whenever you use target="_blank" external links to open them safely.
What is rel=”noreferrer”?
rel=”noreferrer” is an HTML attribute that prevents browsers from sending referrer information to the destination website. When a user clicks the link, the destination site cannot see the traffic’s origin. It also provides a noopener-like protection across many browsers, enhancing privacy and security without affecting SEO or ranking signals.
Why rel=”noopener” Matters
rel=”noopener” blocks the new tab from using window.opener, a JavaScript link that attackers can exploit to redirect or manipulate your original page. This prevents a phishing technique called tab-nabbing, in which the new page attempts to replace the content of your source tab.
How noopener Works
- Stops the linked page from controlling the original tab
- Prevents malicious scripts from hijacking sessions
- Helps keep users safe when links open in new tabs
- Essential when using
target="_blank" - Has no negative impact on SEO or page indexing
Quick Example
<a href="https://example.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Visit</a>
Why rel=”noreferrer” Matters
rel=”noreferrer” prevents browsers from sending referrer data to the linked page, meaning the site you link to won’t see where the traffic came from. This protects privacy and eliminates referral leakage across analytics platforms.
What noreferrer Does
- Removes referral source from outgoing traffic
- Blocks analytics programs from seeing your domain
- Improves privacy for sensitive or internal pages
- Automatically includes noopener behavior in some browsers
Example
<a href="https://example.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Visit</a>
rel=”noopener noreferrer” Combined
Using both attributes together gives you the highest level of security and privacy when opening external links in a new tab. Developers, CMS platforms, and browsers widely recommend it.
What the Combination Achieves
- Protects your users from phishing and tab-nabbing
- Hides referrer data from the destination website
- Ensures consistent behavior across all browsers
- Required by WordPress and many SEO plugins for safe linking
- Keeps your site compliant with modern security best practices
Example
<a href="https://example.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Safe Link</a>
When Should You Use rel=”noopener noreferrer”?
Use rel=”noopener noreferrer” every time you open an external link in a new tab. It’s a web security standard that prevents vulnerabilities without affecting link value or SEO.
Best Use Cases
- External links with
target="_blank" - Affiliate links that need privacy
- Outbound links from login or dashboard pages
- High-traffic blog posts linking to external sources
- Any page where user safety is a concern
When You Don’t Need It
- Internal links that open in the same tab
- Links where you intentionally want to pass referrer data (e.g., analytics-tracking partners)
- Environments where JavaScript access is fully controlled
Does rel=”noopener noreferrer” Affect SEO?
Using rel=”noopener noreferrer” does not reduce PageRank, link equity, anchor relevance, or your ability to rank. Google has repeatedly confirmed that these attributes do not affect how authority flows through hyperlinks.
SEO Takeaways
- It doesn’t act like
rel="nofollow" - It doesn’t stop crawling or indexing
- Search engines treat the link normally
- It improves site trust and UX, indirectly helping SEO
- Many SEO platforms automatically add it for safety
Benefits of rel=”noopener noreferrer.”
1. Strong Protection Against Tab-Nabbing Attacks
rel=”noopener noreferrer” prevents the newly opened tab from taking control of the original page, blocking a common phishing technique called tab-nabbing.
This attribute stops access to window.opener, which means malicious scripts can’t redirect your users, replace your tab with a fake login page, or manipulate sessions. It strengthens website security and keeps users safe when they click external links.
2. Improved User Privacy by Hiding Referrer Data
The noreferrer part prevents browsers from sending referrer information to the destination site, giving users extra privacy and reducing data leakage.
When someone clicks an outbound link, the target site cannot see which page they came from, which is helpful for sensitive content, internal dashboards, or affiliate pages where you don’t want URL details exposed.
3. Better Control Over External Linking Behavior
Using rel=”noopener noreferrer” ensures your external links behave consistently across all modern browsers.
Some browsers automatically apply the noopener attribute when noreferrer is present, but using both guarantees consistent protection. It avoids unpredictable browser behavior and ensures your outbound linking strategy stays secure and compliant with best practices.
4. Zero Negative Impact on SEO or Link Equity
rel=”noopener noreferrer” does not reduce PageRank, anchor text relevance, or link value.
Search engines treat your outbound links just like any other standard HTML link. This means you can protect your visitors from security vulnerabilities without worrying about lost SEO benefits, link juice, or domain authority flow.
5. Better Analytics Accuracy for Internal Pages
By preventing unwanted referral leakage, noreferrer helps keep your analytics cleaner, especially on private or restricted pages.
Pages like admin dashboards, gated content, or logged-in areas shouldn’t appear in external analytics logs. This attribute protects your internal structure and prevents sensitive URLs from being tracked by third-party systems.
6. Helps Maintain Professional Trust and User Safety
Secure linking practices build trust, reduce risk, and demonstrate that you care about a safe browsing experience.
When your website avoids common vulnerabilities, it reinforces authority and reliability. This matters for brands, editorial sites, e-commerce platforms, publishers, and anyone relying on strong user trust signals.
7. Essential for Websites Using target=”_blank”
Any link that opens in a new tab should include rel=”noopener noreferrer” to avoid security gaps.
Without it, the new page can access the parent window and manipulate it. Adding the attribute is an industry standard recommended by WordPress, Google Lighthouse, GitHub, Mozilla MDN, and most modern CMS platforms.
8. Lightweight, Fast, and Easy to Implement
The attribute adds no load time, requires no scripts, and works instantly across the entire site.
It’s a simple, lightweight fix that dramatically improves safety and privacy without touching code complexity, performance, or layout. Even non-technical users can adopt it through CMS editors or plugins.
9. Useful for Affiliate Links, Sponsored Links, and Monetized Content
rel=”noopener noreferrer” keeps affiliate clicks private while preserving full tracking and attribution accuracy.
Affiliates often use redirect URLs, so removing the referrer does not affect commissions. Instead, it adds a layer of privacy that prevents partner systems from reading confidential page details.
10. Aligns With Modern SEO and Web-Security Best Practices
Search engines reward secure, user-friendly websites, and this attribute supports those standards.
While it isn’t a direct ranking factor, it contributes to a safer browsing environment, reinforces E-E-A-T signals, and strengthens your site’s technical health—all of which influence long-term search visibility.
Detailed Comparison Table
| Attribute | What It Does | Security Impact | Privacy Impact | SEO Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| noopener | Blocks window.opener access | High | Low | None |
| noreferrer | Removes referrer data | Medium | High | None |
| noopener noreferrer | Combines both protections | Very High | Very High | None |
Should You Use rel=”noopener noreferrer” for Affiliate Links?
Yes, it’s recommended. Using rel=”noopener noreferrer” on affiliate links helps keep users safer by blocking tab-nabbing and prevents affiliate platforms from reading referrer data your page doesn’t need to share. This privacy layer doesn’t interfere with tracking because affiliate programs rely on redirect URLs, cookies, and unique parameters, not referrer headers. You still receive full credit for every click and conversion while maintaining secure, modern outbound linking practices.
Recommended Structure
<a href="https://affiliate.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Get the Deal</a>
Common Myths and Misunderstandings on rel=”noopener noreferrer”
Myth 1: It harms SEO
Many people worry that rel=”noopener noreferrer” reduces PageRank or stops link equity from flowing. It doesn’t. Google has confirmed that these attributes do not affect crawling, indexing, or ranking, and your outbound links are treated just like any other standard HTML link. Your SEO value, anchor text relevance, and link authority all remain intact.
Myth 2: It blocks affiliate tracking
Affiliate marketers sometimes think noreferrer breaks tracking, but modern affiliate systems don’t rely on referrer headers. They use unique redirect URLs, tracking parameters, cookies, and server-side attribution. This means you still receive full credit for conversions and clicks. The attribute simply hides the origin URL, not the tracking mechanics.
Myth 3: WordPress adds it only for SEO
WordPress doesn’t add rel=”noopener noreferrer” to improve rankings. It adds it to protect users from tab-nabbing and privacy leaks. Whenever you open a link in a new tab using the block editor or classic editor, WordPress automatically inserts the attribute to improve security. It’s a safety measure, not an SEO optimisation technique.
Practical Tips for Developers and Bloggers on rel=”noopener noreferrer”
Quick Guidelines
- Always add it to external links with
target="_blank" - Use global functions or plugins to automate insertion
- Keep analytics setups aware of reduced referrer data
- Educate content teams on why the attribute matters
Rel=“noopener noreferrer” in WordPress
WordPress automatically adds rel=”noopener noreferrer” to any link you choose to open in a new tab. This built-in security feature protects your site from tab-nabbing attacks and prevents unwanted referrer data from being shared. Most modern themes and editors apply it by default, so you get safer outbound linking without extra plugins or manual coding.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What does rel=”noopener noreferrer” actually do on a link?
rel=”noopener noreferrer” protects users by blocking tab-nabbing attacks and preventing referrer data from being shared with the destination site. It stops the new tab from accessing window.opener and keeps your URL private, making it a recommended best practice for secure, privacy-focused external linking.
Does rel=”noopener noreferrer” affect SEO or link equity?
rel=”noopener noreferrer” does not harm SEO, ranking, link equity, or PageRank flow. Search engines treat these links like normal outbound links, so all authority signals pass through. It simply improves security and privacy without changing how Google crawls, indexes, or interprets your external linking structure.
Should I use rel=”noopener noreferrer” for affiliate links?
Yes, rel=”noopener noreferrer” keeps affiliate links secure without breaking tracking or commissions. Affiliate programs rely on redirect URLs, cookies, and tracking parameters—not referrer headers—so your attribution remains accurate while protecting users from tab-nabbing and unnecessary data exposure.
Is rel=”noopener” still necessary if I already use rel=”noreferrer”?
Yes, it’s still recommended because not all browsers handle noreferrer consistently. While some automatically include noopener behavior, using both ensures consistent protection against tab-nabbing and referrer leakage across all devices, browsers, and content platforms.
Why does WordPress automatically add rel=”noopener noreferrer”?
WordPress adds rel=”noopener noreferrer” to links opened in a new tab to protect users from security exploits and hide unnecessary referrer data. This safeguard is built into the editor, ensuring safer outbound linking across themes without requiring plugins or manual HTML editing.
Can rel=”noopener noreferrer” break analytics or tracking?
No, rel=”noopener noreferrer” will not break analytics or conversion tracking because platforms rely on cookies, UTM parameters, and redirect scripts—not referrer headers. The attribute only removes the origin URL and prevents window access, leaving standard tracking methods unaffected.
When should I avoid using rel=”noreferrer”?
Avoid rel=”noreferrer” only when you intentionally need to share referrer data—for example, with partners that require origin URLs for reporting or compliance. For general outbound links, especially those opened in new tabs, using rel=”noopener noreferrer” remains the safer and more modern default.
Final Takeaway
rel=”noopener noreferrer” may seem like a tiny HTML attribute, but it delivers a big boost to site safety and user trust. It blocks tab-nabbing attacks, protects user privacy, and prevents unnecessary referrer data leakage—all without affecting SEO, link equity, or affiliate tracking. Search engines treat these links exactly like standard outbound links.
Whether you run a blog, manage guest posting campaigns, deliver blogger outreach services, or operate a busy e-commerce site, adding rel=”noopener noreferrer” ensures your external links follow modern best practices for security, usability, and responsible linking. This simple addition strengthens technical SEO, improves user confidence, and helps create a secure, trustworthy browsing experience across your entire website.