Practical digital skills

Control website notifications in your browser

Review which sites can interrupt you, revoke unneeded access and distinguish browser alerts from system alerts.

Step-by-step guideUpdated
Follow the method ↓
A browser user reviews the list of sites allowed to send notifications

The answer in 30 seconds

A website may ask permission to send notifications even when its page is no longer open. An unexpected alert is not itself proof that your device has a problem.

Open the browser's site notification settings, identify the sending site, remove permissions you no longer need and return through a known address before acting on an alarming message.

Examples to adapt

A startling security alert

Do not follow its button; identify the site that sent it and check the real service separately.

Useful updates

Keep only a few sites whose alerts serve a clear purpose.

Alerts persist

Check operating system notification settings as well as the browser's site permissions.

Follow the method

  1. 1
    Identify the sender

    Look at the notification's website and the browser that displayed it.

  2. 2
    Open permissions

    Use the browser's settings to list websites with notification access.

  3. 3
    Revoke selectively

    Remove unfamiliar or unnecessary sites; you can allow a useful site again later.

  4. 4
    Test and prevent

    Check that unwanted alerts stop and decline new requests unless they meet a real need.

A checklist to keep

Use these checks to record what you found. The grid supports a decision; it does not make one for you.

Control website notifications in your browser: checklist
CheckWhat to examineAction
SenderWhich website sent it?Identify
PurposeDo its alerts help?Decide
PermissionIs it allowed in the browser?Review
ActionCan access be removed?Revoke
ResultDid the unwanted alert stop?Test

Download the CSV checklist

Free, no sign-up. UTF-8 text with semicolon-separated columns.

What to check

Closing a tab may not revoke notification permission.

An alert can imitate a system message.

Notification controls differ across browsers and devices.

Common questions

Will blocking notifications break a website?

Usually its pages still work; you may simply stop receiving its alerts.

Should I clear all browser data?

Not as a first step. Review the site permission specifically to avoid losing useful state.

Sources and documentation

Documentation consulted on . Examples are illustrative; interfaces and results may change.

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