Disallow scripts temporarily on web pages in Firefox

Martin Brinkmann
Jan 15, 2015
Updated • Jan 16, 2015
Firefox, Firefox add-ons
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5

The majority of websites that you visit load one or multiple scripts. Scripts, usually based on JavaScript code, serve a variety of purposes that include powering site functionality, displaying advertisement or tracking users.

There are scripts that are outright annoying or even malicious. A site that is loading new popups whenever you close the old one, another that auto-refreshes in short intervals, and a third that redirects you automatically to another version or site.

One of the best extensions to deal with scripts is the NoScript add-on for Firefox. While powerful, it is rather complex and difficult to get right after installation thanks to its default script blocking configuration and the need to distinguish between good and bad scripts.

Disallow Script Button is another Firefox add-on that you can use to turn off scripts temporarily on sites you visit in the browser.

It is useful in situations where you are stuck on a website, say one that loads popup after popup, or redirects you all the time around, or prevents you from leaving as you can hit the button it makes available to block all scripts running on it.

disallow scripts firefox

Since most of these annoying mechanisms are powered by scripts, you effectively shut them down on the site so that you can leave it or prevent it from redirecting you or annoying you in other ways.

The script blocking behavior remains enabled for as long as the page remains open in the browser. Once you hit reload (F5) or close the tab and open the site in a new tab, scripts are enabled again.

One of the available options propagate the current setting to other tabs you open the site in provided that the original tab you executed the script blocking on is still open.

options
Options menu

You can disable the reload option so that scripts are not resumed when you hit reload.

The second feature that the extension supports is to configure plugin behavior. You can configure the initial behavior of plugins (enabled or disabled) in the options, and add a button to the Firefox toolbar to switch between both states with a double-click on the icon.

Closing Words

Disallow Script Button is a useful extension for Firefox, especially for situations where sites annoy the hell out of you by running scripts, for instance by not letting you leave the tab or spawning popups, popunders or overlay ads on the screen.

An option to make the decision permanent is unfortunately not provided. It is less useful for blocking scripts outright, as you cannot really do that with the help of the extension.

You do need to consider that sites may stop working if you are using the extension.

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Disallow Script Button
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Comments

  1. Paulus said on January 15, 2015 at 8:23 pm
    Reply

    Hallo Martin, between the section out of your article,
    It is useful in situations where you are stuck on a website, say one that loads popup after popup, or redirects you all the time around, or prevents you from leaving as you can hit the button it makes available to block all scripts running on it.

    Could it be that your wanted to give a link to the app disallow Script Button 0.3.3?
    and the section
    Since most of these annoying mechanisms are powered by scripts, you effectively shut them down on the site so that you can leave it or prevent it from redirecting you or annoying you in other ways.
    there is a sentence:
    disallow scripts firefox

    When I am clicking that link I am getting a
    Error 404 – Page not found!
    The page you are trying to reach does not exist, or has been moved. Please use the following options to find what you have been looking for

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on January 16, 2015 at 8:56 am
      Reply

      Paulus, the image did not load for whatever reason but it is fixed now. The link to the addon is in the box below the article.

  2. Dwight Stegall said on January 15, 2015 at 5:09 pm
    Reply

    I prefer Web Developer Toolbar addon. It does that and a whole lot more.

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on January 15, 2015 at 6:08 pm
      Reply

      Sure it is a great option. For those who do not know about it, hit F12 while you are on the site that is causing issues or that you want to disable JavaScript on.

      Click on the preferences icon in the top right corner and on the options page “disable JavaScript”.

  3. Tom Hawack said on January 15, 2015 at 4:53 pm
    Reply

    I use this Disallow Script Button add-on with greatest satisfaction, also because when called it will block scripts in action when a simple Firefox javascript on/off button will require the page to be reloaded. Disallow Script Button‘s action is immediate. Very nice add-on even if it not of those used on a regular base. Just in case. It’s just been updated to handle latest Firefox 35 modifications.

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