Semalt: How To Block Pop-ups, Add Exceptions, And Troubleshooting In Mozilla Firefox

In the following article, Max Bell, the Semalt Customer Success Manager, explains all the settings that you need to know about when controlling pop-ups in your Mozilla Firefox browser.

What are pop-ups?

Pop-ups are browser windows that automatically appear on your browser without your permission. They never fill the entire screen and can either show up on top of the current page or underneath it (pop-unders). Firefox has a unique feature that allows their users to control both pop-ups and pop-unders. If you visit the options page, you will find that the pop-up blocking feature is turned on by default. If the user has not previously dismissed the Firefox information bar, it will appear anytime the browser blocks a pop-up. An icon depicting a blocked pop-up will also show in the current address bar.

To access the pop-up blocking options on the site, click on Options from the info bar or the icon in the address bar. You can select from the following:

• Allow or Block pop-ups on the current site;
• Edit the pop-up Blocker options;
• Choose not to display you the message informing about a blocked pop-up;
• Show details about the blocked pop-up;

Blocking pop-ups on the site may interfere with other websites. Some websites use pop-ups for some of their important features. If you block their pop-ups, it disables these features. To allow some sites to have their pop-ups run while you are browsing, you will need to add the specific websites a list of those allowed to show pop-ups.

Blocking pop-ups does not always work. Some websites know how to use uncovered methods, which makes it hard for Firefox to prevent their pop-ups from appearing even after blocking them.

Here is what to expect in the pop-up blocker settings:

1. Accessing the pop-up blocker settings

• Click on the menu button at the top-right corner and select Options from the drop-down menu;
• Tap on the Privacy and Security panel;
• Uncheck the Block pop-up windows under the Permissions section;
• Under the Exceptions tab, a new dialog window appears where you input a list of sites that you wish to allow;

The dialog prompts you to:

• Allow: helps you to add a website to an exception list;
• Remove site: enables you to remove a website from the exception list;
• Remove All Sites: removes all websites from the exception list;

2. What happens if a pop-up is not getting blocked?

First, check whether the pop-up originates from Firefox. The appearance should inform you whether the pop-up comes from the Firefox browser. If in the pop-up window there is an image with an exclamation mark enclosed in the circle, then the pop-up is from Firefox. Its absence means that you may have been a victim of malware on your computer which is the source of your pop-ups.

Second, check if the site is added on to the Exclusions list. Follow the procedure to access the pop-up blocking settings and open the Exceptions dialogue box. If the website causing pop-ups is in the exception list, click on Remove Site, and then save and close the page.

Sometimes pop-up windows are an intentional move by Firefox to make sure that it does not block pop-ups for sites that require them to work. Therefore, determine if the window shows up after clicking the mouse or pressing a key. If they do, and the pop-up blocking feature is on, you need not be worried.

If pop-up windows are designed to look like windows but are really not, then Firefox is unable to stop them.

Finally, if a pop-up appears after opening Mozilla asking you to participate in a survey from SurveyGizmo, it is a company vetted program and Firefox will not block it.