How to Block Pop-ups in Google Chrome

In the early days of the internet, navigating the web meant constantly battling a barrage of intrusive pop-up advertisements. Today, web browsers are much smarter. Google Chrome is designed to automatically block pop-ups by default, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted browsing experience.

However, you may occasionally find that a sketchy website has managed to bypass Chrome’s defenses, bombarding your screen with new windows. Alternatively, you might be trying to use a legitimate banking or university website that relies on pop-ups to display important documents, and Chrome is stubbornly blocking them.

Whether you need to lock down Chrome’s security or grant a specific website permission to use pop-ups, you must understand how to manage Chrome’s pop-up blocker settings.

How to Check if the Pop-up Blocker is Turned On

If you are suddenly seeing advertisements appearing in new windows, the first step is to ensure that Chrome’s master pop-up blocker hasn’t been accidentally disabled.

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the window.
3. Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
4. In the left-hand sidebar, click on Privacy and security.
5. In the main window, click on Site Settings.
6. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on Pop-ups and redirects.
7. Look at the Default behavior section at the top. Ensure that the radial button next to Don’t allow sites to send pop-ups or use redirects is selected.

If this option is selected, Chrome is actively protecting you. If a website still manages to force a pop-up through, it is likely the result of a malicious browser extension rather than a failure of Chrome’s built-in blocker.

How to Allow Pop-ups for a Specific Website

The most common issue users face is Chrome being too aggressive. Many legitimate institutions (like universities, government portals, and payroll systems) use pop-up windows to display PDF receipts or login portals. If you click a “Print Receipt” button and nothing happens, Chrome has likely blocked it.

You should never turn off the master pop-up blocker to fix this. Instead, you should add the specific website to Chrome’s “Allowed” list.

Method 1: The Quick Fix (While Browsing)

When Chrome blocks a pop-up on a website you are currently viewing, it will give you a subtle visual warning.

1. Look at the far right side of the URL address bar (just before the bookmark star icon).
2. You will see a tiny icon that looks like a window with a red ‘X’ over it.
3. Click that icon.
4. A small menu will appear. Select Always allow pop-ups and redirects from [website name].
5. Click Done.
6. Refresh the webpage and click your “Print Receipt” button again. The pop-up will now appear.

Method 2: Manually Adding a Website to the Allow List

If you missed the tiny icon in the address bar, you can manually whitelist the website in the settings.

1. Go back to the Pop-up settings page (Settings > Privacy and security > Site Settings > Pop-ups and redirects).
2. Scroll down to the Allowed to send pop-ups and use redirects section.
3. Click the Add button.
4. Type in the exact web address of the site you want to allow (e.g., https://www.myuniversity.edu).
5. Click Add.

Chrome will now permanently ignore its own pop-up rules whenever you visit that specific domain, while continuing to block intrusive advertisements on every other website you visit.