Site.ref
The referrer URL, meaning the page that sent the user to the current page.
Field facts
- Path
site.ref- Object
- Site
- Type
- string
- Requirement
- Optional
- Added
- OpenRTB 2.0
- Spec section
- 3.2.13
How it is used
Buyers use it to judge where traffic comes from, such as search, social, or paid traffic acquisition. Treat it like Site.page for privacy and drop query strings that may carry personal data.
Example
Where the field sits in a payload, with everything else left out:
{
"id": "req-1",
"site": {
"ref": "https://www.google.com/"
}
}Common mistakes
- Copying the page URL into ref when the real referrer is unknown. Leave the field out instead.
Version history
Added in OpenRTB 2.0, and present in the latest snapshot. The table shows how each version's spec text types the field.
| Versions | Type in the spec | Required | Deprecated |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 | string | No | No |
| 2.1 | string cu | No | No |
| 2.2 | string | No | No |
| 2.3 to 2.3.1 | string | No | No |
| 2.4 | string | No | No |
| 2.5 to 2.6-202606 | string | No | No |