Enhanced Tracking Protection in Waterfox for desktop

Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) limits known trackers and other scripts that can follow activity across websites. It is enabled by default, and its Standard, Strict and Custom modes let you balance protection with website compatibility.

Protections Dashboard

The Protections Dashboard summarizes trackers Waterfox has blocked over the past month. Open it from the protection icon at the left of the address bar, then select Protections Dashboard, or enter about:protections in the address bar.

What Enhanced Tracking Protection blocks

Waterfox uses a list of known trackers provided by Disconnect. Depending on the selected ETP mode, protections can cover:

• Social media trackers
• Cross-site tracking cookies
• Tracking content embedded in advertisements, videos and other page resources
• Cryptominers
• Known or suspected fingerprinters

Total Cookie Protection also keeps cross-site cookies in a separate cookie jar for each top-level site, limiting cookie-based tracking between sites.

Bounce Tracking Protection

Strict mode includes Bounce Tracking Protection. It limits redirect trackers that send you through an intermediate site to collect data before forwarding you to the page you requested.

If you do not interact with a detected bounce tracker, Waterfox can clear its cookies and site storage after the applicable protection period. For technical details, see the Mozilla Source Docs.

Check protection status for a site

The protection icon at the left of the address bar shows whether ETP is active and whether Waterfox detected blocked content.

• Blocking: Waterfox blocked one or more trackers or scripts.
• Active: ETP is on, but Waterfox did not detect content to block.
• Inactive: ETP is off for this site.

See what Waterfox blocked

Select the protection icon to open the site protections panel.

1. Select the protection icon.
2. Select See All to open tracking protection details.

The details can show:

• Blocked: Trackers or scripts Waterfox prevented from loading.
• Allowed: Resources permitted by a compatibility exception so the site can work.
• None Detected: Categories Waterfox checked without finding matching content.

You can also open Protection Settings or the Protections Dashboard from the panel.

Turn off Enhanced Tracking Protection for one site

If a site is broken, turning off ETP for that site can help determine whether tracking protection is the cause. This permits trackers only on that site and leaves protection active elsewhere.

1. Visit the site.
2. Select the protection icon at the left of the address bar.
3. Turn off Enhanced Tracking Protection.

Waterfox adds the site to the ETP exception list and reloads it. Use the same switch to turn protection back on and remove the exception.

Strict protection can affect embedded sign-in controls, forms, payments, comments or videos because a site may load them from a domain that also performs tracking.

Adjust global Enhanced Tracking Protection settings

1. Select the protection icon on any website.
2. Select Protection Settings.
3. In Privacy & Security, open the advanced Enhanced Tracking Protection settings.

You can also open the Waterfox menu, select Settings, then select Privacy & Security.

Standard

Standard is the default mode. It blocks known tracking categories while isolating cross-site cookies, and it applies tracking-content blocking in Private Browsing. It is designed to limit common tracking with fewer site compatibility problems.

Strict

Strict applies stronger protections, including tracking-content blocking in all windows and additional fingerprinting, query-stripping and bounce-tracking defenses. Some sites may not work correctly in this mode.

To enable it:

1. Open Protection Settings.
2. Under Enhanced Tracking Protection, select Strict.
3. If prompted, select Reload All Tabs.

Custom

Custom lets you choose individual cookie, tracking-content, cryptomining and fingerprinting controls.

1. Open Protection Settings.
2. Under Enhanced Tracking Protection, select Custom.
3. Choose the protections to apply.
4. If prompted, select Reload All Tabs.

Reducing or clearing Custom protections allows more tracking content to load.

Web compatibility exceptions

Strict and Custom modes include Fix major site issues and Fix minor website issues controls. These allow targeted resources that a site needs even when they would otherwise be restricted. For details, see Manage Enhanced Tracking Protection exceptions.

Clearing these options prevents the corresponding compatibility exceptions from applying and may break affected sites. If prompted after a change, select Reload All Tabs.

Copy Clean Link

Copy Clean Link removes recognized tracking parameters before copying a URL.

Copy from the address bar

1. Right-click the URL in the address bar. On macOS, you can also hold Control while clicking.
2. Select Copy Clean Link.
3. Paste the cleaned URL from the clipboard.

Copy a link on a page

1. Right-click the link. On macOS, you can also hold Control while clicking.
2. Select Copy Clean Link.
3. Paste the cleaned URL from the clipboard.

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