


Some browsers have the ability to discern which pop-ups are genuine tools on the website and treat them differently from pop-up advertisements, a feature called intelligent blocking. Unfortunately, modern browsers may accidentally block these as well (hence the ability to enable or disable the whole feature). For example, pop-ups are often used to provide guidance to users on how to fill in a form on a Web page. For the majority of users, however, the blockers built into all major browsers are perfectly adequate. These typically incorporate additional features such as ad filtering and highly customizable pop-up blocking options. Pop-up blockers may also be installed as third-party software tools. All the major browsers now support pop-up blocking. Pop-up blocking is usually enabled by means of a check-box that one must tick to enable pop-up blocking, or untick to disable. The Opera browser was the first to offer this feature. In the late ’90s, browser manufacturers answered consumers’ desire to inhibit pop-ups by releasing new versions of Web browsers with the ability to block them. Users may feel ambushed and distracted by pop-ups, which almost always consist of advertisements unrelated to the Web content the user is currently viewing. Pop-ups are commonly generated using JavaScript.įor many users, pop-up behavior is quite irritating. For browsers that support tabbed browsing, the pop-up may open in a secondary tab instead of a whole new window. To get the maximum amount of attention, a pop-up may also feature bright colors, animation and motion. This is achieved by making the pop-up open in a small secondary window, which becomes the active window. They are therefore meant to be as eye-catching as possible. Pop-ups are frequently used by websites to advertise products or features. Including a pop-up blocker in browser software helps it to work more effectively, because the browser knows when a website is attempting to open a new pop-up window and just ignores that request.Ī pop-up blocker is also known as a pop-up killer. This is why pop-up blockers were developed and have become a part of most Web browsers.

Pop-ups are usually used by advertisers as a way to deliver ads, but they distract Web users from their experience and most consider them a nuisance.
