This is How to Link to the Previous Page in WordPress (Without External Links)
Have you ever found yourself on a WordPress page and wanted to include a link back to the previous page the user visited? It's a common requirement, but one that isn't always straightforward to implement, especially if you want to avoid creating external links.
In this article, we'll explore the various methods you can use to link to the previous page in WordPress without any potential SEO or duplicate content issues. We'll look at the pros and cons of each approach, and provide real-world examples to help you implement the right solution for your website.
Why Link to the Previous Page?
There are several reasons why you might want to include a link back to the previous page in your WordPress site:
-
Improved User Experience: Providing a clear path back to the previous page can make it easier for users to navigate your site and find the information they're looking for.
-
Reduced Bounce Rates: When users can easily return to the previous page, they're less likely to bounce back to the search results or leave your site altogether.
-
Better Internal Linking: Linking between pages on your site can help improve your site's overall navigation and information architecture, which can have a positive impact on SEO.
-
Compliance with Guidelines: Some industry standards or best practices, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), recommend including a link back to the previous page as a way to improve the accessibility of your website.
However, naively implementing a link to the previous page can also create potential issues, such as:
- Duplicate Content: If the link points to the same page the user just came from, it can be seen as duplicate content by search engines.
- External Links: If the link points to a different domain or website, it can be considered an external link, which may not be desirable in some cases.
- Broken Links: If the user arrives on a page directly (e.g., from a search engine), there may not be a valid "previous page" to link to.
To address these potential problems, we'll explore several techniques you can use to link to the previous page in WordPress without any negative consequences.
Technique 1: Use the $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']
Variable
One of the simplest ways to link to the previous page in WordPress is to use the $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']
variable. This variable contains the URL of the page the user came from, which you can then use to create a link back to the previous page.
Here's an example of how you can use this variable in your WordPress theme or plugin:
<?php
// Check if the HTTP_REFERER variable is set
if (isset($_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'])) {
// Get the URL of the previous page
$previous_page = $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'];
// Check if the previous page is not an external link
if (strpos($previous_page, site_url()) !== false) {
// Output a link to the previous page
echo '<a href="' . $previous_page . '">Back to Previous Page</a>';
}
}
?>
In this example, we first check if the $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']
variable is set. If it is, we store the URL of the previous page in the $previous_page
variable.
Next, we check if the $previous_page
variable contains the URL of the current site (using the site_url()
function). If it does, we know that the previous page is not an external link, and we can safely output a link back to it.
This approach has the advantage of being relatively simple to implement and can work well in many cases. However, it's important to note that the $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']
variable can be unreliable or even empty in certain situations, such as when the user comes from a different domain or clicks on a link in an email or social media post.
Technique 2: Use the wp_get_referer()
Function
To address the potential issues with the $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']
variable, WordPress provides a built-in function called wp_get_referer()
. This function retrieves the URL of the previous page, but it does so in a more reliable and WordPress-specific way.
Here's an example of how you can use the wp_get_referer()
function:
<?php
// Get the URL of the previous page
$previous_page = wp_get_referer();
// Check if the previous page is not an external link
if ($previous_page && strpos($previous_page, site_url()) !== false) {
// Output a link to the previous page
echo '<a href="' . $previous_page . '">Back to Previous Page</a>';
}
?>
In this example, we first call the wp_get_referer()
function to get the URL of the previous page. We then check if the $previous_page
variable is not empty (i.e., it contains a valid URL) and if it's not an external link (by checking if it contains the current site's URL).
If both of these conditions are met, we output a link to the previous page.
The wp_get_referer()
function is generally more reliable than using the $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']
variable directly, as it takes into account various WordPress-specific scenarios and can provide a more accurate and up-to-date URL of the previous page.
Technique 3: Use the wp_get_previous_post_link()
Function
If you're working with a WordPress website that uses the standard post/page structure, you can use the wp_get_previous_post_link()
function to create a link back to the previous post or page.
Here's an example of how you can use this function:
<?php
// Get the link to the previous post or page
$previous_page = wp_get_previous_post_link('%link');
// Check if the previous page is not an external link
if ($previous_page && strpos($previous_page, site_url()) !== false) {
// Output the link to the previous page
echo $previous_page;
}
?>
In this example, we call the wp_get_previous_post_link()
function, which returns a formatted link to the previous post or page. We then check if the $previous_page
variable is not empty and if it's not an external link (by checking if it contains the current site's URL).
If both conditions are met, we output the link to the previous page.
The wp_get_previous_post_link()
function is particularly useful if you're working with a WordPress website that has a clear post or page hierarchy, as it can automatically generate a link to the previous item in the sequence.
Technique 4: Use the wp_get_current_post()
Function
Another approach to linking to the previous page in WordPress is to use the wp_get_current_post()
function. This function retrieves the current post or page object, which you can then use to determine the URL of the previous page.
Here's an example of how you can use this function:
<?php
// Get the current post object
$current_post = wp_get_current_post();
// Check if the current post has a previous post
if ($current_post->post_parent) {
// Get the URL of the previous post
$previous_page = get_permalink($current_post->post_parent);
// Output a link to the previous page
echo '<a href="' . $previous_page . '">Back to Previous Page</a>';
}
?>
In this example, we first use the wp_get_current_post()
function to retrieve the current post or page object. We then check if the post_parent
property of the current post is set, which indicates that the current post has a previous post in the hierarchy.
If the current post has a previous post, we use the get_permalink()
function to retrieve the URL of the previous post and output a link to it.
This approach is particularly useful if you're working with a WordPress website that has a clear hierarchical structure, such as a website with a parent-child page structure or a blog with a clear post sequence.
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Technique 5: Use the wp_get_referer_url()
Function
In addition to the wp_get_referer()
function, WordPress also provides a related function called wp_get_referer_url()
. This function is designed to retrieve the URL of the previous page, but it does so in a way that's more optimized for use in WordPress.
Here's an example of how you can use the wp_get_referer_url()
function:
<?php
// Get the URL of the previous page
$previous_page = wp_get_referer_url();
// Check if the previous page is not an external link
if ($previous_page && strpos($previous_page, site_url()) !== false) {
// Output a link to the previous page
echo '<a href="' . $previous_page . '">Back to Previous Page</a>';
}
?>
In this example, we call the wp_get_referer_url()
function to retrieve the URL of the previous page. We then check if the $previous_page
variable is not empty (i.e., it contains a valid URL) and if it's not an external link (by checking if it contains the current site's URL).
If both conditions are met, we output a link to the previous page.
The wp_get_referer_url()
function is similar to the wp_get_referer()
function, but it's designed to be more efficient and optimized for use in WordPress. It can provide a more reliable and accurate URL of the previous page, especially in cases where the $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']
variable may not be reliable.
Conclusion
Linking to the previous page in WordPress can be a useful feature for improving the user experience and navigation of your website. However, it's important to do so in a way that avoids potential issues like duplicate content or external links.
In this article, we've explored several techniques you can use to link to the previous page in WordPress without any negative consequences:
- Using the
$_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']
variable
- Using the
wp_get_referer()
function
- Using the
wp_get_previous_post_link()
function
- Using the
wp_get_current_post()
function
- Using the
wp_get_referer_url()
function
Each of these techniques has its own advantages and use cases, so choose the one that best fits your WordPress website's structure and requirements.
By implementing a reliable and well-designed solution for linking to the previous page, you can improve the overall user experience of your WordPress site and potentially see benefits in terms of reduced bounce rates, better internal linking, and improved accessibility.
Flowpoint.ai can help you identify all the technical errors that are impacting conversion rates on your WordPress website and directly generate recommendations to fix them, including issues related to linking to the previous page.