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Cookie Banner Reduction in Waterfox - Waterfox Support

Cookie Banner Reduction helps reduce or remove intrusive cookie consent pop-ups on supported sites. Waterfox automatically responds to many cookie banners so you can keep browsing with fewer interruptions.

  • In normal windows, Waterfox attempts to reject optional cookies whenever possible.
  • In Private Windows, when a banner offers no “reject” option, Waterfox may accept the minimum required cookies to dismiss the banner and keep you moving. Cookies are still confined by Total Cookie Protection .

Notes and limitations:

  • This feature only works on sites that are supported by Waterfox’s rules. It won’t remove every banner on the web.
  • Some sites may require interaction for legal or functional reasons; in those cases, a banner may still appear.

Turn Cookie Banner Reduction on or off

You can enable or disable Cookie Banner Reduction at any time.

  1. Click the menu button and select Settings.
  2. Select the Privacy & Security panel.
  3. Scroll to the Cookie Banner Reduction section (under privacy and tracking controls).
  4. Choose your preferences:
    • Reduce cookie banners in all windows
    • Reduce cookie banners in Private Windows

Changes take effect immediately. If you don’t see these options, make sure Waterfox is up to date.

Control Cookie Banner Reduction for a specific site

If a site behaves incorrectly or you need the banner to appear:

  • Use the site controls:
    • Open the site you want to adjust.
    • Open the Site Information panel (click the lock/connection icon in the address bar) or the protections shield icon (if shown).
    • Toggle Cookie Banner Reduction off for this site (wording may vary), or choose to Allow cookie banners for this site.
  • Or manage site exceptions from Settings:
    1. Settings > Privacy & Security.
    2. Find Cookie Banner Reduction.
    3. Open Manage Exceptions (if available) and add or remove the site.

Reload the page after changing the setting.

Troubleshooting and behavior details

  • Not supported on this site:
    • If a banner still appears, the site may not be supported yet, or its banner cannot be handled automatically.
  • Site breaks or loops:
    • Turn Cookie Banner Reduction off for that site (see above) and reload.
  • Regional/legal differences:
    • Some regions or site configurations may require explicit consent. Cookie Banner Reduction won’t override those requirements.
  • Private Windows:
    • When a site provides no reject option, Waterfox may accept the minimum necessary cookies to dismiss the banner in Private Windows. Cookies remain isolated by Total Cookie Protection .

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Copyright and Licensing

Modified from Cookie Banner Reduction . Original by Mozilla Contributors . Licensed under the CC BY-SA 3.0 .