Google and Mozilla Firefox Introduce Quieter Permission to Restrict Unsolicited Web Push Permission Prompts

Google and Mozilla have announced Quieter Permission for new browser versions (Chrome 80). Now, instead of a standard permission request, a user will see a bubble in the URL bar letting you know that a notifications request has been blocked by the browser. Click the bubble to disable Quieter Permission and opt for web pushes from the website. The feature is available for both Desktop and Mobile.

The main purpose of the new functionality for Chrome and Mozilla notifications is to protect users from annoying prompts and allow more accurate control of preferences.

Quieter Permission for Firefox Notifications

On January 7, Firefox began automatically blocking permission prompts on websites. The blocking algorithm looks as following:

• When you visit the website that collects web tokens, you see a speech bubble in the URL bar. Click it and choose of two options: never allow or allow notifications. You can also ignore it and continue browsing the website.

• To block new requests or allow notifications from particular websites, go to Firefox Settings > Privacy & Security > Permissions. The window will enlist all the blocked sites that previously requested to send allow notifications. You can change the status for each of them or block new requests.

In 2019, we found that about 99% of notification prompts were ignored, and 48% were blocked by the users.

blog.mozilla.org

 

Quieter Permission for Google Chrome Notifications

Unlike Firefox, Quieter Permission can be enabled by both the user (manual enrollment) and Chrome (automatic enrollment).

1. Manual Enrollment

In Chrome 80, go to Settings > Site Settings > Notifications and enable Use quieter messaging.

2. Automatic Enrollment

Chrome can automatically enable Quieter Permission

• for a user. Quieter Permission will be automatically enabled for the users who repeatedly deny notifications from multiple websites.
• for a website. Quieter Permission will be automatically enabled for the websites with very low permission acceptance rates. The function will be disabled after the rates improve.

Information about notification permission acceptance rates will be presented in the Chrome User Experience Report in Q1 2020.

Google has also announced that websites following poor practices for requesting the notification permission from user may face additional restrictions. It applies to websites that use web pushes to send:

• ads;
• malware;
• deceptive purposes (fake or misleading information aimed to bring personal benefit).

How to Test Quieter Permission for Your Website in Chrome

You can test Quieter Permission in Chrome Canary (experimental browser with early updates).

To configure the settings follow the link chrome://settings/content/notifications or perform the following steps:

• Go to Chrome Settings > Privacy and security > Site Settings > Notifications.

• Enable Use quieter messaging.

If there’s no such option in Chrome Canary, enable it via the link chrome://flags/#quiet-messages-prompts.

If you’re currently subscribed to web pushes from your website, you need to delete the token or reallow notifications. The second option is simpler. You need to click the lock bubble in the URL bar, choose Notifications and select Ask (default).

Token update will take some time, and after you’ll receive a permission request prompt.

How to Prevent Push Notification Blocking on Your Website, by Google

Google released a video guide on how to work effectively with permission requests so that they are not blocked by the browser and get visible by users.

Previously, they also published a list of recommendations for web push usage that applies to Quieter Permission as well. Let's take a look at some advice from the video and article so you can revise your push subscription strategy.

Don't Be Too Pushy

The worst scenario for collecting tokens is to attack a visitor with numerous pop-ups and permission prompts at the same time: it won’t improve the response rate.

Set time delay before prompt appearance. For example, in the our system you can set:

• time delay before permission prompt appearance after a user enters the website;
• time delay before repeat prompt appearance if a user ignores the first prompt.

Choose the Right Appearance Time for Permission Request

According to Google, websites that show permission prompts right after a user enters the website have very low response rates. Instead, it's better to offer subscription after visitors understand the context and see the benefit they may receive from your notifications.

For example:

• The user has just made an online purchase and wants to know the order information about via a push.
• The product is not in stock, and the user clicks Check availability.
• In the personal account, the user selects Allow notifications and immediately sees a permission prompt.
• Subscription to the hot news and updates, etc.

You can also bind prompt appearance to clicks on particular elements of the website.

Set Up Double Opt-In Permission

A default pop-up with a one-click subscription permission can be effective when collecting tokens, but Google ranks it as low-quality preference.

Double Opt-In requires confirmation to allow notifications meaning the user acts more consciously when agreeing to hear from you. Therefore, the response rate will be higher, and fewer windows will be blocked.

Let Users Enable Permission Request Manually

Link a subscription permission to the action on the website (cliсk) and offer Double Opt-In. The user triggers the subscription window by clicking on the corresponding widget. For example, the user visiting Elle.ro receives the subscription prompt only after they click the bell icon.

Explain How to Unsubscribe

Provide unsubscribe information anywhere the user can easily spot it:

• page from which the user subscribed;
• first permission prompt;
• second window of Double Opt-In;

This option is even more important as there have been appearing more and more laws and privacy policies aimed to protect customer rights, for example:

• Double Opt-In for email;
• GDPR and CCPA requirements for all marketing activities.

At our platform, we share and support all of the above recommendations and enable to implement them in our system. We'll soon update the token collection process to help you reach higher subscription conversions. For example, you’ll be able to show permission requests to your email subscribers who already have spent more than 40 seconds on the website, visiting a particular category or product page.

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