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pop-ups, frame busting, block windows

Learn how to block or allow pop-ups in Firefox and how frame busting enhances your browsing protection.

__TOC__ = What are pop-ups? = Pop-up windows, or pop-ups, are windows that appear automatically without your permission. They vary in size, but usually don't cover the whole screen. Some pop-ups open on top of the current Firefox window, while others appear underneath Firefox (pop-unders). Firefox allows you to control both pop-ups and pop-unders in Firefox [[Template:optionsorpreferences]]. Pop-up blocking is turned on by default, so you don't have to worry about enabling it to prevent pop-ups from appearing in Firefox. When blocking a pop-up, Firefox displays an information bar (if it hasn’t been previously dismissed – see below), as well as an icon [[Image:popup_icon_fx57]] in the address bar. {for win}[[Image:PopupFx89]]{/for}{for mac,linux}[[Image:Fx90Popup-mac]]{/for} When you click either the {button {for win}Options{/for}{for mac,linux}Preferences{/for}} button in the info bar or the icon in the address bar, a menu is displayed with the following choices: *{menu Allow/Block pop-ups for <''website address''>} *{menu Manage [[#w_pop-up-blocker-settings|pop-up settings…]]} *{menu Don't show this message when pop-ups are blocked} *{menu Show <''pop-up web address''>} {note}'''Blocking pop-ups may interfere with some websites:''' Some websites, including some banking sites, use pop-ups for important features. Blocking all pop-ups disables such features. To allow specific websites to use pop-ups, while still blocking all others, you can add those specific websites to the list of allowed sites. '''Blocking pop-ups doesn't always work:''' Although Firefox blocks most pop-ups, some websites may show pop-ups using uncovered methods, even when they are blocked.{/note} {for fx142}Additionally, to better protect you, Firefox also includes '''frame busting''', which stops websites from forcibly opening their pages outside of trusted browsing frames or windows, protecting you from content hijacking or clickjacking tactics.{/for} {for fx142}Both features work together to improve your browsing safety while keeping essential site functions intact.{/for} = Pop-up blocker settings = To access the pop-up blocker settings: #[[T:optionspreferences]] #Select the {menu Privacy & Security} panel. #Go down to the ''Permissions'' section. #*Uncheck the box next to '''Block pop-up windows''' to disable the pop-up blocker altogether. #* Click the {button Exceptions…} button to the right of '''Block pop-up windows''' to open a dialog box to choose which sites are allowed to display pop-ups. #;[[Image:Allowed Websites Pop-ups|width=600]] The dialog box offers you the following choices: *Type or paste the address of a website and click the {button Allow} button to add it to the list of sites that will be allowed to open pop-up windows. *Select a website from the list and click the {button Remove Website} button to remove it from the exceptions list. *Click the {button Remove All Websites} button to remove all websites from the exceptions list. Click the {button Save Changes} button to apply your changes. {for fx142}{note}'''Note''': Allowing pop-ups for a trusted site does not disable frame busting, and you cannot disable them separately. The frame-busting continues to protect you by ensuring these pop-ups only open within a secure browser context.{/note}{/for} {for fx142} =Understand Firefox’s frame-busting protection= Frame busting protects against deceptive websites that attempt to load their pages outside of approved browser environments, often overriding your tabs or opening content in full-screen or external windows. This safeguard works alongside pop-up blocking, catching methods that bypass standard window behavior. Even when a site is permitted to use pop-ups, Firefox will still apply frame-busting rules to prevent malicious behavior. '''Key protection benefits include''': *Preventing content from breaking out of secure tabs *Avoiding hijacked full-screen prompts or fake login pages *Complementing the pop-up blocker by targeting evasive techniques {/for} = Pop-ups not being blocked = == Is the pop-up coming from Firefox? == The pop-up may not actually be coming from Firefox. You can determine where the pop-up is coming from by the appearance of the window. *If you see the address bar with the ''Tracking Protection'' button [[Image:Fx89ShieldIcon]] and the ''Site Identity'' button [[Image:Fx89Padlock]] in the pop-up window, the pop-up is coming from Firefox. *If you don't see these buttons, you may have malware on your computer that causes the pop-ups. For help, see [[Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware]]. == Is the pop-up blocker on and enabled for this site? == #[[T:optionspreferences]] #Select the {menu Privacy & Security} panel and go to the ''Permissions'' section. #Make sure the '''Block pop-up windows''' checkbox is checked. #To the right of ''Block pop-up windows'', click the {button Exceptions…} button. A dialog box will open with a list of sites that are allowed to show pop-ups. #If the site that's opening pop-ups is listed here, select it and click {button Remove Website}. #Click on {button Save Changes} to update your changes. #[[T:closeOptionsPreferences]] {for fx142}{note}'''Tip''': Firefox’s frame-busting feature stays active whether or not a site is on the pop-up exceptions list. It adds a protective layer against forced redirects or new window hijacking.{/note}{/for} == Is the pop-up shown after a mouse click or a key press? == Certain events, such as clicking or pressing a key, can spawn pop-ups regardless of if the pop-up blocker is on. This is intentional, so that Firefox doesn't block pop-ups that websites need to work. == Is it a true pop-up window? == Sometimes ads are designed to look like windows, but really aren't. Firefox's pop-up blocker can't stop these ads. == Mozilla surveys == When you visit a Mozilla website, sometimes you'll see a pop-up asking you to participate in a survey. The only third-party that Mozilla ever uses for surveys is [https://www.alchemer.com/ Alchemer] (formerly SurveyGizmo), which has been vetted by our legal and privacy teams. The Firefox pop-up blocker doesn't block these pop-ups. =Related articles= [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/global-privacy-control-firefox-android Global Privacy Control in Firefox for Android]<br> [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/collections-firefox Collections in Firefox]<br> [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/global-privacy-control Global Privacy Control]