Why use trackbacks instead of the HTTP Referer header?

Question

Trackbacks and related protocols, such as WebMentions, exist to notify websites when other websites access them. But the HTTP Referer header does this already and bakes into the existing stack. So why do people use Trackbacks and other similar systems? How are they better than the HTTP Referer header, and how do these benefits compare with a trade-off of complexity?

I understand that the Referer header is often spoofed by spammers, hoping to get links pasted into the web admin control panel. But the same is true for Trackbacks and, apparently, also true for other competing protocols. Therefore, if the main goal of these systems is not to combat spam in some way, I assume that spam has nothing to do with it.

Answer 1

See Wiki: link . All four common methods are listed there with their pros and cons.

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