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The term "pingback" in computing most commonly refers to an automated notification sent between blogs when one links to another, but it also has a different meaning in the context of cybersecurity and network diagnostics.

In blogging (content management systems). This is the most common use of the term. A pingback is an automatic signal sent from one website to another to notify it of a link.

How it works: When a blogger writes a new post that links to an older post on another blog, the blogging software (like WordPress) on the first site automatically sends an XML-RPC request—the "pingback"—to the second site.

The result: If the second blog is configured to accept pingbacks, it automatically verifies that the link exists and then displays a short, auto-generated comment on the linked post. This comment simply contains a link back to the originating blog post.

Current status: Due to abuse by spammers, many website owners now disable pingbacks and trackbacks. Spammers can easily exploit the system to inject irrelevant links into the comments section of a blog.