Years ago, Google introduced website notifications to its Chrome browser, allowing sites to use an API to send alerts to users — even integrating them into the native notification centers of Windows 10 and 11. However, after discovering that many websites were abusing this feature to push advertisements, Google modified the system so that notifications could only be sent with explicit user consent.
Now, in an effort to further reduce unwanted interruptions, Google is refining this feature once more. Under the latest change, only active websites will retain the ability to send notifications, while inactive ones will have their permissions automatically revoked. In this context, “active” refers to sites whose notifications users frequently engage with, whereas “inactive” sites are those whose notification click-through rates remain exceedingly low.
Websites that users rarely visit yet continue to send notifications can easily become a source of annoyance. In fact, Google’s internal data reveals that although countless sites deliver vast numbers of notifications, fewer than 1% of them receive any form of user interaction — meaning 99% of all notifications are ignored or considered intrusive.
According to a Google product manager, the notifications feature remains valuable and useful, but Chrome will now automatically revoke a site’s permission if it sends a large volume of notifications with very little user engagement. Users, however, retain the option to manually re-enable notifications for specific sites at any time.
Through the Security Check section in Chrome’s settings, users can easily restore notification permissions for chosen websites, ensuring that frequently visited sites — such as those offering real-time news alerts or promotional updates — can continue to reach them.
The product manager added that Google believes this adjustment will deliver a cleaner, more focused browsing experience. The company also intends to continue investing in features that help users manage online interactions and minimize distractions, empowering them to make the most of their time spent on the web.