Chrome notifications come from websites you visit, not from Chrome itself — and you can stop them one at a time or block them all at once

When a website asks permission to send you notifications, Chrome stores that permission in your browser settings. You can revoke it whenever you want. The fastest way is to click the lock icon in the address bar, find "Notifications," and change it from "Allow" to "Block." If you want to see all the sites that have permission and remove them in one place, you can do that in Chrome's main settings menu under Privacy and Security.

The difference between these two methods matters: blocking notifications from the address bar works only on the current website. Changing your default notification setting affects all websites going forward, but it does not remove permissions you already granted. Most people use both — they block notifications from sites that already have permission, then set their default to "Block" so they do not have to do this again.

Key Takeaways

  • You can block notifications from a single website by clicking the lock icon in the address bar, selecting Notifications, and choosing Block.
  • To see all websites with notification permission at once, go to Chrome Settings > Privacy and Security > Site Settings > Notifications.
  • Removing a site from the notification list does not prevent it from asking again — you have to click Block, not just delete it.
  • Setting your default notification permission to Block stops new websites from asking, but does not remove permissions you already granted.

Block notifications from one website using the address bar

Open the website that is sending you unwanted notifications. Look at the left side of the address bar — you will see a small lock icon (or sometimes a circle with an "i" in it). Click that icon. A dropdown menu will appear showing different permissions: Camera, Microphone, Notifications, and others depending on what that website has asked for.

Find "Notifications" in that menu. It will show either "Allow" or "Block" next to it. Click on "Notifications" and select "Block." The next time that website tries to send you a notification, Chrome will refuse it. You will not see a permission request again from that site unless you manually change this setting back to Allow.

This method is fastest if you only need to block one or two sites. If you have dozens of sites with notification permission, using the settings menu (described below) is more efficient because you can see them all at once and remove multiple permissions in one place.

Remove all notification permissions at once in Chrome Settings

Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select "Settings" from the menu. On the left side, click "Privacy and Security," then click "Site Settings." You will see a list of permissions Chrome tracks: Camera, Microphone, Notifications, Location, and others. Click "Notifications."

This page shows two sections. The top section lists websites that have permission to send you notifications — these are the sites that have already asked and you said yes. The bottom section shows sites you have blocked. To remove a website from the allowed list, hover over it and click the trash icon on the right. The site will move to the blocked list, and it will no longer send you notifications.

If a site is already in the blocked section and you want to remove it from there too, you can click the trash icon next to it. This does not change anything about whether it can send notifications — it just removes the record. The site can ask for permission again the next time you visit.

Set your default notification permission to Block

While you are in Chrome Settings > Privacy and Security > Site Settings > Notifications, look at the top of the page. You will see a toggle or dropdown that says "Sites can ask to send notifications" or similar wording. This is your default setting. If it is turned on, websites can ask for permission when you visit them. If you turn it off, websites cannot ask at all.

Turning off this default does not remove permissions you already granted — sites that already have permission will still send notifications. You have to remove those separately using the method above. But once your default is set to Block, you will not see new permission requests from websites you have never visited before.

Some people prefer to leave the default on and block sites one by one, because occasionally a notification is useful — a video conference reminder, a package delivery alert, or a message from a service you actually use. Others prefer to block all notifications by default and turn on permission only for the few sites they trust. Either approach works; it depends on how much notification spam bothers you.

Why websites keep asking even after you block them

If you deleted a site from your notification list instead of clicking "Block," Chrome does not remember that you said no. The next time you visit, the site can ask again. To prevent this, make sure you click "Block" rather than just removing the site from the list. Blocking tells Chrome to refuse the request automatically.

Some websites also use tricks to ask for notifications in a way that looks like it is coming from Chrome itself — for example, a fake popup that says "Click Allow to continue." These are not real Chrome permission requests. Close them by clicking the X, and do not click Allow. Real Chrome permission requests come from the browser itself, not from a website's content.

What to do if you accidentally allowed notifications and cannot find the site

If you allowed notifications from a site but cannot remember which one, or if you are getting notifications from an unknown source, go to Chrome Settings > Privacy and Security > Site Settings > Notifications and look at the allowed list. Websites are listed by their domain name, which might help you identify them. For example, "news.example.com" or "mail.example.com" shows you the exact site that has permission.

If you still cannot find the source, the safest approach is to block all notifications by default (turn off "Sites can ask to send notifications"), then remove all sites from the allowed list. You can always turn the default back on later if you want to allow notifications from specific sites you trust.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will blocking notifications stop websites from working?

No. Notifications are optional — websites function normally whether you allow them or block them. Blocking notifications only stops the pop-up alerts; it does not affect anything else on the website.

Can I allow notifications from some websites but not others?

Yes. You can set your default to Block, then go to Chrome Settings > Privacy and Security > Site Settings > Notifications and click "Add" to manually allow specific websites. This way, only the sites you choose can send notifications.

What is the difference between blocking and removing a site from the list?

Blocking tells Chrome to refuse notification requests from that site automatically. Removing just deletes the record. If you remove a site without blocking it, the site can ask for permission again the next time you visit.

Do I have to change my default notification setting?

No. You can leave the default on and block sites one by one as they bother you. The default setting just controls whether websites can ask — blocking individual sites works either way.

Will these changes affect notifications from other apps on my computer?

No. Chrome notification settings only control notifications from websites inside Chrome. Notifications from your email app, calendar, or other programs are controlled separately in your operating system settings.