Pop-up windows interrupt a page in Safari, yet a few trusted sites need permission to open one. Safari's setting covers separate windows only, not redirects or other website permissions.
Open Safari Settings and choose a default for all sites, then give a single website its own allow or block rule when needed. Reload the page after each change to confirm the setting took effect.
In this guide, I have covered:
Contents
Where Safari Keeps the Pop-up Window Setting
A window you never asked for keeps appearing, or you click a link and nothing opens. Both problems lead to the same panel in Safari on Mac.
Open Safari > Settings… > Websites > Pop-up Windows. You get three choices: Allow, Block, and Block and Notify.
Here is what catches most people out. There is no single on/off switch. Whatever you pick next to When visiting other websites applies only to sites that have no rule of their own.
The setting also covers separate pop-up windows only. Redirects and other navigation a site starts are a different matter, so don’t expect this panel to stop them.
What Each Safari Option Does
- Allow lets sites open pop-up windows under the global rule.
- Block stops pop-up windows without telling you.
- Block and Notify stops them and shows a notification.
For most people, Block and Notify is the right first pick. The window stays blocked, and the notice tells you when Safari stepped in.
TIP: A per-site rule always wins over When visiting other websites. If a pop-up ignores your global setting, look for that site under Configured Websites before changing anything else.
Block Pop-up Windows in Safari on Mac
If unwanted windows keep interrupting you across the sites you visit, set the global rule to block. Pick Block and Notify if you want to know when Safari intervenes, or Block for silent blocking.
- Open Safari on your Mac.
- Choose Settings… from the Safari menu bar.
The Safari Settings window opens. - Select Websites in the left sidebar.
- Select Pop-up Windows.
- Open the drop-down beside When visiting other websites.
- Choose Block and Notify or Block.
Reload the affected tab to test it. You’ll know it worked when the window stays closed after the click.
Allow Pop-up Windows in Safari on Mac
Some sites only work with pop-ups allowed. Banks, ticket sellers, and document viewers are the usual suspects. If you would rather allow them everywhere, choose Allow.
Be deliberate here. This applies to every site without its own rule, which is why a per-site exception is usually the better trade.
- Open Safari on your Mac.
- Choose Settings… from the Safari menu bar.
- Select Websites in the left sidebar.
- Select Pop-up Windows.
- Open the drop-down beside When visiting other websites.
- Choose Allow.
Reload a page that opens a pop-up to check. You’ll know it worked when the window appears instead of a blocked notice.
Allow or Block Pop-ups for One Website
One legitimate window stays blocked, but you don’t want to unblock everything else. A custom rule handles exactly that. Sites you have configured are listed under Configured Websites.
- Open Safari on your Mac.
- Choose Settings… from the Safari menu bar.
- Select Websites in the left sidebar.
- Select Pop-up Windows.
- Find the website in the Configured Websites list.
- Open the control beside the website.
- Choose Allow, Block, or Block and Notify.
- Reload the affected page.
The site now follows its own rule. Every site without one keeps following When visiting other websites.
Remove a Website’s Custom Pop-up Setting
Changed your mind, or the exception stopped being useful? Remove the rule and the site drops back to your global choice.
- Return to Pop-up Windows in Safari Settings.
- Find the site under Configured Websites.
- Open the control beside the site.
- Choose Remove.
- Reload the affected page.
Safari keeps other site-specific permissions in the same Websites pane. If you need to review a different one, the steps to allow or block location access for a site in Safari follow the same pattern.
Check a Pop-up Setting That Did Not Work
The window still won’t open, or it opens anyway after you chose Block. Before you change anything else, check whether a per-site rule is overriding the global choice.
- Open Safari on your Mac.
- Choose Settings… from the Safari menu bar.
- Select Websites in the left sidebar.
- Select Pop-up Windows.
- Check When visiting other websites.
- Check the site’s control under Configured Websites, if it is listed.
- Reload the page and try the action again.
If both values look right and the page still misbehaves, the item may be an overlay drawn inside the page rather than a separate window. Safari’s pop-up control does not touch those.
Extensions can change how a page loads too. Turning them off for a test is a quick way to rule them out: Enable or Disable Browser Extensions on Apple Safari.
Pop-up Settings on iPhone and iPad
You’re reading this on a Mac, but the blocked window is on your phone. The Mac menu path does not exist there, and Safari hides the control inside the Settings app instead.
You can block pop-ups in Safari browser on iPhone or iPad from Safari’s section of Settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does blocking pop-ups in Safari stop redirects?
No. The Pop-up Windows setting controls separate pop-up windows. It does not block every redirect or other navigation a website starts.
Should I choose Block or Block and Notify?
Choose Block for silent blocking, or Block and Notify if you want to see when Safari blocks a window. Either way, the global choice only affects sites without their own rule.
How do I allow pop-ups for one website in Safari on Mac?
Go to Safari Settings > Websites > Pop-up Windows and find the site under Configured Websites. Set its entry to Allow, then reload the page.
Why did my pop-up still open after I selected Block?
A per-site Allow rule overrides the global setting. If the item is an overlay inside the page rather than a separate window, Safari’s pop-up control may not affect it at all.
