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# Block or redirect by referrer URL

## Overview

If a spammy site or an unwanted partner keeps sending visitors to your store, you can block them or send them elsewhere. Blockify looks at the referrer URL: the website a visitor was on when they clicked a link to your store. A **Block referrer URL** or **Redirect referrer URL** rule stops or redirects visitors who arrive from that website. You create these rules in **Block & Re-director > Blacklist**.

## What you'll learn

* [How to block or redirect visitors from a website?](#2-how-to-block-or-redirect-visitors-from-a-website)
* [How it works?](#2-how-it-works)
* [Who can use this feature?](#2-who-can-use-this-feature)

## How to block or redirect visitors from a website?

Step 1: Go to **Block & Re-director > Blacklist**. Click **Block** then **Block referrer URL** to block, or **Redirect** then **Redirect referrer URL** to redirect.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/8/3/8/3/8383e5404a31c000/20250909-091625_qap9k4.png)

Step 2: Set **Status** to **Enable** so the rule works as soon as you save it, or **Disable** to save it for later.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/8/3/8/3/8383e5404a31c000/20260128-110449_qidlab.png)

Step 3: Redirect rules only: fill in **Redirect to** and **Displayed name (optional)**. See [Use a Shopify Market as your redirect destination](https://help.omegatheme.com/en/article/a-complete-guide-block-redirect-rules-1f1wr1i/).

Step 4: Under **Country**, pick the countries the rule applies to, then choose the **Referrer URL Matching** mode and enter the address (see the two options below).

Step 5: Enter a **Ref URL name (optional)** so you can recognise the source in the rule list, add a private note if you want, then click **Save**.

### Exact URL

Enter the complete address, including `https://`, for example `https://spam-site.example/offers`. Only visitors coming from exactly that address match.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/8/3/8/3/8383e5404a31c000/20260128-110657_v4y9ts.png)

### URL Contains

Enter the part of the address you want to match, for example `abc`. Any website address that contains it matches, so `site.com/abc` and `abc.net` are both caught.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/8/3/8/3/8383e5404a31c000/20260128-111120_ahbsmu.png)

## How it works?

When a visitor clicks a link to your store, their browser tells your store which page they came from. Blockify compares that address with your rules:

| Mode | Matches when | Use it for |
| ---- |
| **Exact URL** | The website the visitor came from is exactly the address you entered | One specific page that sends unwanted traffic |
| **URL Contains** | The address of the website they came from contains the text you entered | A whole domain or any page with a keyword in the address |

* A match is blocked (the visitor sees your blocking page) or redirected to the destination you set.
* Not every visit shows where the visitor came from. Visitors who type your address, open a bookmark, or use a browser that hides this for privacy never match these rules.
* Whitelist rules are checked before block rules. See [Create a whitelist rule](https://help.omegatheme.com/en/article/create-a-whitelist-rule-1cj5ay1/).
* To count how many visitors a rule stopped, filter the visitor log by **Block reason** and a date range.

## Who can use this feature?

Available on the **Enterprise** plan and above. If you downgrade below Enterprise, referrer URL rules are turned off.

## FAQs

1. **Should I use Exact URL or URL Contains?**

Use **URL Contains** with the domain (for example `spam-site.example`) to catch every page of that site. Use **Exact URL** only when a single page is the problem.

2. **Can I block traffic from Facebook or Google ads?**

Yes, with **URL Contains** and the domain, but remember this blocks every visitor who clicks a link there, including real customers.

3. **Why did a visitor from a blocked site still get in?**

Their browser may not have shared the website they came from (direct visit, bookmark, or privacy settings), or a whitelist rule matched first. Check the visitor's access detail in the visitor log.

4. **Can I whitelist visitors from a website?**

Yes. **Block & Re-director > Whitelist > Whitelist referrer URL** uses the same two matching modes.