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# Controlling Popups

This document explains all of the &pref.plural; available in &brandFullName; for controlling popups.

In this section:

- What are Popups?
- Popup Blocker &pref.pluralCaps;

## What are Popups?

Popup windows, or popups, are windows that appear automatically without your permission. They vary in size but usually don't cover the whole screen. Some popups open on top of the current &brandShortName; window, while others appear underneath &brandShortName; (popunders).

&brandShortName; allows you to control both popups and popunders through the Web Features panel in &pref.pluralCaps;. Popup blocking is turned on by default, so you don't have to worry about enabling it to prevent popups from appearing in &brandShortName;.

When blocking a popup, &brandShortName; displays an information bar, as well as an icon in the status bar. When you click either the information bar or the icon, a menu is displayed with the following choices:

- Allow/Block popups for this site
- Edit Popup Blocker Options
- Don't show info message when blocking popups
- (show a blocked popup)

Blocking popups may interfere with some web sites: Some web sites, including some banking sites, use popups for important features. Blocking all popups disables such features. To allow specific web sites to use popups, while blocking all others, you can add specific web sites to the list of allowed sites.

Blocking popups doesn't always work: Although &brandShortName; blocks most popups, some web sites may show popups using uncovered methods, even when blocked.

## Popup Blocker &pref.pluralCaps;

This section describes how to use the &brandShortName; Popup Blocker. If you're not already viewing it, open the Web Features panel by following these steps:

1. Select &pref.menuPath;.
2. Click on the Web Features category.

From there, you can do the following things:

- Block Popup Windows
- Exceptions dialog: This is a list of sites that you want to allow to display popups. The dialog has the following choices:
  - Allow: Click this to add a web site to the exceptions list.
  - Remove Site: Click this to remove a web site from the exceptions list.
  - Remove All Sites: Click this to remove all of the web sites in the exceptions list.

Note: Blocking popups may not always work and may interfere with some web sites. For more information about blocking popups, see What are Popups.

14 October 2004

Copyright © 2003-2004 Contributors to the Mozilla Help Viewer Project.