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options preferences parameters

This article covers privacy settings in Firefox including do-not-track, browsing history and Location Bar (address bar) search suggestions.

This article describes the settings that are available in the Firefox [[T:optionsorpreferences]] '''Privacy''' panel. The Privacy panel allows you to: * Control how Firefox handles your history, which includes what pages you've visited, what files you've downloaded, what you've entered into forms, and what [[Cookies - Information that websites store on your computer|cookies]] sites have sent you. * Control what sites can send you cookies and remove cookies that sites have sent you. * Control how the [[Awesome Bar - Find your bookmarks, history and tabs when you type in the address bar|Location bar]] (address bar) uses your history to suggest matches for what you type in it. __TOC__ {for not fx42} [[Image:Privacy panel 38]] =Tracking= '''Tell sites that I do not want to be tracked''': Checking this box will tell websites that you wish to opt-out of tracking by advertisers and other third-parties. Honoring this setting is voluntary — individual websites are not required to respect it. See [[How do I turn on the Do-not-track feature?]] for more information. {/for} {for =fx42,=fx43,=fx44,=fx45} {for =fx42}[[Image:Fx42PrivacyPanel]]{/for}{for =fx43,=fx44,=fx45}[[Image:Fx43PrivacyPanel]]{/for} =Tracking= '''Request that sites not track you''': Checking this box will tell websites that you wish to opt-out of tracking by advertisers and other third-parties. Honoring this setting is voluntary — individual websites are not required to respect it. See [[How do I turn on the Do-not-track feature?]] for more information. '''Use tracking protection in Private Windows''': Checking this box will make Firefox actively block domains and sites that are known to track users while browsing with Private Windows.{for fx43} Click {button Change Block List} to choose the list Firefox uses to block trackers.{/for} See [[Private Browsing - Use Firefox without saving history]] and [[Tracking Protection in Private Browsing]] for more information. {/for} {for fx46} [[Image:Fx46PrivacyPanel]] =Tracking= '''Use tracking protection in Private Windows''': Checking this box will make Firefox actively block domains and sites that are known to track users while browsing with Private Windows. Click {button Change Block List} to choose the list Firefox uses to block trackers. See [[Private Browsing - Use Firefox without saving history]] and [[Tracking Protection in Private Browsing]] for more information. {for =fx46,=fx47,=fx48} You can also manage your Do Not Track settings. The Do Not Track feature is turned off by default. To turn it on, click '''manage your Do Not Track settings''' and then check the box, '''Use Do Not Track'''. ;[[Image:do not track fx46]] {/for} {for fx49} You can also manage your Do Not Track settings. The Do Not Track feature is turned off by default{for fx50} except in Private Browsing where it is always on{/for}. To turn it on, click '''manage your Do Not Track settings''' and then check the box, '''Always apply Do Not Track'''. ;[[Image:Fx49DoNotTrack]] {/for} See [[How do I turn on the Do Not Track feature?]] for more information. {/for} = History = The '''Firefox will''' setting controls how Firefox saves information about your web browsing. == Remember history == When '''Firefox will''' is set to '''Remember history''': * Firefox will keep a list of the pages you've visited. * A list of files you download will be kept in the [[Find and manage downloaded files|{for not fx20}Downloads window{/for}{for fx20}Library window{/for}]]. * The text you enter into form fields or the search bar will be remembered so you can use those entries again. For more information, see [[Control whether Firefox automatically fills in forms with your information]]. * Firefox will accept cookies from sites until they expire. For more information on cookies, see [[Cookies - Information that websites store on your computer]]. Click on: * '''clear your recent history''' to open the Clear Recent History window, which allows you to erase some or all of your history quickly. For more information, see [[Delete browsing, search and download history on Firefox]]. * '''remove individual cookies''' to display the Cookies window. For more information, see [[Delete cookies to remove the information websites have stored on your computer]]. == Never remember history == When '''Firefox will''' is set to '''Never remember history''': * Firefox will keep no record of your browsing history. * The files you download will not be listed in the [[Use the Downloads window to manage downloaded files|{for not fx20}Downloads window{/for}{for fx20}Library window{/for}]]. * The text you enter into form fields or the search bar will not be remembered. * Firefox will accept cookies from sites and delete them when you close Firefox. For more information on cookies, see [[Cookies - Information that websites store on your computer]]. Using '''Never remember history''' is equivalent to always being in Firefox Private Browsing mode. For more information, see [[Private Browsing - Browse the web without saving information about the sites you visit]]. Click on '''clear all current history''' to open the Clear Recent History window, which allows you to erase some or all of your history quickly. For more information, see [[Delete browsing, search and download history on Firefox]]. == Use custom settings for history == [[Image:Use custom settings for history]] When '''Firefox will''' is set to '''Use custom settings for history''', the following settings will be available: * '''Always use private browsing mode''': <br/> If selected, Firefox will not remember any new history the next time it starts. For more information, see [[Private Browsing - Browse the web without saving information about the sites you visit]]. * '''Remember my browsing and download history''': <br/> If selected, Firefox will keep a list of the pages you've visited and the files you've downloaded. For more information about downloaded files, see [[Find and manage downloaded files]]. * '''Remember search and form history''': <br/> If selected, the text you enter into form fields or the search bar will be remembered so you can use those entries again. For more information, see [[Control whether Firefox automatically fills in forms with your information]]. * '''Accept cookies from sites''': <br/> If selected, Firefox will accept [[Cookies - Information that websites store on your computer|cookies]] from sites. Click {button Exceptions…} to control whether some sites are not allowed to set cookies. For more information, see [[Block websites from storing site preferences or login status in Firefox]]. ** '''Accept third-party cookies''':<br>'''Always''': Firefox will always accept cookies from ''http://site2<!-- -->.com'' when you are visiting ''http://site1<!-- -->.com''.<br> '''From Visited''': If you have visited ''http://site2<!-- -->.com'' previously, Firefox will accept cookies from this site when you are visiting ''http://site1<!-- -->.com'', otherwise Firefox will not accept them.<br>'''Never''': Firefox will never accept cookies from ''http://site2<!-- -->.com'' when you are visiting ''http://site1<!-- -->.com''. For more information, see [[Disable third-party cookies in Firefox to stop some types of tracking by advertisers]]. ** '''Keep until''':<br>'''they expire''': If selected, Firefox will allow the sites you visit to specify how long Firefox should keep their cookies.<br> '''I close Firefox''': If selected, your cookies will be deleted when you close Firefox.<br>{for not fx44}'''ask me every time''': If selected, Firefox will ask you how long to keep a cookie each time a site tries to set one.{/for}Click {button Show Cookies…} to display the Cookies window. For more information on the Cookies window, see [[Delete cookies to remove the information websites have stored on your computer]]. * '''Clear history when Firefox closes''': <br/> Certain saved items will be deleted when you close Firefox. Click {button Settings…} to control what items are deleted. = Location Bar = The Location Bar is the field where you enter a site's web address (URL). The Location Bar suggests results as you type in a search based on the following: ;{for not fx42}[[Image:fx38 location bar]]{/for}{for fx42}[[Image:Fx42PrivacyPanel-LocationBar]]{/for} *'''History''': If selected, sites you've previously visited will appear on your results list. *'''Bookmarks''': Sites you've bookmarked will appear on your results list. These results appear with the blue star next to them. *'''Open tabs''': Select this if you want tabs that are currently open to appear in your results list. This is especially useful if you have many tabs open. {for fx42} Click on '''Change preferences for search engine suggestions…''' to go to the '''Search''' [[T:optionsorpreferences]] panel, where you can enable or disable search suggestions from your preferred search engine. See [[Awesome Bar - Search your Firefox bookmarks, history and tabs from the address bar#w_how-can-i-control-what-results-the-location-bar-shows-me|How can I control what results the location bar shows me?]] for details. {/for}