Allowing pop-ups and other permissions for McGill websites you trust


OVERVIEW

Target audience: Students, faculty and staff using any McGill web-based systems that require pop-ups or other advanced web features, which are normally blocked by the browser for security.

You can keep your overall browser security set to a high level, while allowing specific sites you trust to use functionality such as pop-ups, Javascript, etc. Depending on the browser you are using, they may be referred to as Trusted Sites, Allowed, or Exceptions.

In this article:

McGill applications that require pop-ups

At McGill several web-based applications require pop-ups, JavaScript and/or Active-X capabilities to function properly. In order to avoid security warnings and other errors when using these and other McGill applications, add them to your browser's list of Trusted Sites / Exceptions. 

Common McGill systems that may be added to your trusted sites / browser exceptions

Note that this list is not exhaustive.

System/App name

URL to add to Trusted Sites

eSpace (Facilities Space managment platform)
Pop-ups are mandatory to use the reports only.

https://espace.mcgill.ca
myCourseshttps://mycourses2.mcgill.ca
Content Management System (used for D2, eCalendars and eStudent Records)https://cms.mcgill.ca


Microsoft Edge

If you access a web page that requires pop-ups, you will see the security warning at the top of the browser window, saying Pop-ups were blocked.

Pop-ups were blocked

If it is a McGill site, or a site you trust, click on the warning icon, select "Always allow pop-ups and redirects from ..." and click Done.

Always allow pop-ups and redirects from this site

You will have to refresh the browser page to see the content that was blocked.

In case the adress field icon does not appear in the Adress bar:

  1. Select the Elipsis (...) next to your profile icon.
  2. Select Settings
  3. In the Settings sidebar, type Pop-up in the search field and press Enter.
  4. In the Search results, find Pop-ups and redirects and click on the link.
  5. In the Allow section, click on the Add button.
  6. Type https://espace.mcgill.ca
  7. Click Add.


Google Chrome

Follow these steps to allow or block specific sites from presenting content, such as pop-ups:

  1. Click the Options icon (three dots) on the far right of the address bar, and select Settings  

    Chrome Settings

  2. Scroll down and and click Privacy and security. Then click Site Settings.

    Chrome privacy and security

  3. Click Pop-ups and redirects

    Pop-ups blocked and allowed

    Here you will see your default selection for popups (Allow or Block), and the lists of sites you have added to always Block or always Allow, by default.    


    • To add a new site to your trust sites: under Allow, click Add and enter the URL of a site you trust.

      Add trusted site

    • To remove or adjust the permissions for one of your trusted sites, click on it and choose the permissions you want to grant or deny.

      Chrome permissions Allow

     

  4. You may also choose to add a site to the list of Blocked sites to ensure content from those sites is never permitted by default.


Firefox

If you access a site that contains pop-ups, you will see a security warning saying, "Firefox prevented this site from opening a pop-up window":

Firefox prevented a pop-up

Simply click Options and then select Allow pop-ups for [this site].

Options - allow pop-ups for this site

Manage the security settings for sites you trust

In Firefox, there are several different areas to add a trusted site (referred to as "Exceptions"), depending on what functionalities you want to allow the site to do or prevent the site from doing.

To allow pop-ups for a trusted site:

  1. From the Firefox menu, click the menu button in the upper right hand corner and select Settings.

    Firefox Settings

  2. Click Privacy & Security and then scroll down to the Permissions section.
  3. Next to Block pop-up windows, click Exceptions... to add URLs for the sites where you want to allow pop-ups.  

    Firefox Security Exceptions

  4. In the Exceptions... dialog box, enter the web site URL in the Address of web site: field; then click Allow.

    Firefox allow popup for selected site

    You may also select and remove any of the exception sites in the list.

You can adjust other permissions for individual websites in a similar fashion, by click Exceptions... next to the permission you want to allow.


Internet Explorer

  1. Go to the Tools menu (gear icon) > Internet Options > Security.


    Edge control panel

  2. Under the Security tab, click the Trusted Sites icon, then click Sites.

    IE Security Options

  3. Enter the URL of the site you want to allow special permissions, such as pop-ups; then click Add.

    IE Trusted sites

  4. Click Close.
  5. Adjust the security level, if needed. For some McGill systems, such as Webtop, you may be required to lower the security settings (e.g. from "Medium (default)" to "Medium-Low") for the trusted site. 

    If so, click Custom level..., select the desired security level and click Reset...

    IE Security Levels

  6. Click OK to close the Security Settings, and OK again to close the Internet Options window. 

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES: