Ads by SaleItCoupon: what it is and how to remove it
Ads by SaleItCoupon is categorized as an adware program that displays coupons and sales offers related to your search products. When the potentially unwanted program infects a particular web browser, the app's settings might get changed.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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Ads by SaleItCoupon: summary
| Name | Ads by SaleItCoupon |
|---|---|
| Type | Ad-supported application |
| Category | Potentially unwanted program |
| Symptoms | Changing web browser settings such as the homepage and new tab URL, delivering intrusive advertisements while visiting e-shopping websites such as Amazon, eBay, and AliExpress, initiating redirects to sponsored domains, collecting non-personal information that is related to the user's browsing sessions |
| Delivery | Potentially unwanted programs usually get delivered through bundled products such as download managers, players, and PDF converters that are downloaded from third-party sources such as softonic.com, download.com, soft32.com, and cnet.com |
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 9 more facts
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
|---|---|
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Evidence | 5 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Domains | softonic.com |
| Ads shown as | Desktop notifications |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| Installed on the PC | Nothing; a browser notification permission only |
| First seen | 22 February 2020 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Is Ads by SaleItCoupon dangerous?
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
Ads by SaleItCoupon - an advertising tool that loads sponsored offers while visiting popular e-shopping platforms
Ads by SaleItCoupon is categorized as an adware program that displays coupons and sales offers related to your search products.
When the potentially unwanted program infects a particular web browser, the app's settings might get changed. There is a possibility that the adware might hijack the homepage and new tab URL.
However, the most accurate symptom of this infection is constant advertising that the user receives while browsing on e-shopping websites such as Amazon, eBay, and AliExpress. Ads by SaleItCoupon start appearing during almost every browsing session and end up hardening the entire surfing process by delivering pop-ups, pop-unders, in-text ads, sales coupons, banner ads, and similar material.
Adware programs such as Ads by SaleItCoupon pose less harm than advanced malware but these programs can be very intrusive and start annoying even the most patient person. Despite the advertising activities that will bother the user every time he uses the infected web browser, the PUP can start initiating redirecting sessions to sponsored websites so you might not be able to get rid of intrusive redirects too!
However, non-personal data collection also falls in the functionality of adware programs and is quite annoying when you realize that the purpose of it is to gather monetary income.
SaleItCoupon virus travels with the help of stealth distribution techniques and ends up on the user's computer before the owner even recognizes it. The adware can drop suspicious processes in the Windows Task Manager or install a questionable application in the Programs section. If it is a Mac computer that you are using, there is a chance to see unexpected apps and folders in the Applications section via Finder.
Even though SaleItCoupon does not operate as dangerous malware, that does not mean it cannot bring any compromisation. Regarding this fact, you might discover some altered entries in your Windows registry that might have been touched by the potentially unwanted program. However, if you find these and more areas of your device compromised, you might have a chance by repairing them with a tool such as .
The main goal of SaleItCoupon is to display an entire load of advertisements that would receive as many clicks as possible. This way the developers can earn from the pay-per-click marketing strategy. Most of the time, you will start receiving various sales offers and coupons while searching for products on popular e-shopping sources such as Amazon, eBay, and AliExpress. However, the adware might still drop different adverts too.
Ads by SaleItCoupon can end up promoting unreliable security utilities and similar rogue protection services. You should never get too interested in what the program offers you as this way you can be lured into paying an inadequate price for a completely useless product.
Nevertheless, the app might produce various fake prize claims or ask to fill in some private data in provided surveys that can lead to sensitive information exposure in the future.
Another feature that Ads by SaleItCoupon might have is the redirecting possibility to other domains. The app can be programmed to deliver the user to sponsored websites that might include attractive-looking offers and deals. However, in other cases, you can get redirected to a potentially malicious website and accidentally catch a dangerous malware infection such as a Trojan horse or a ransomware virus.
To add, SaleItCoupon can include tracking objects such as HTTP cookies, beacons, or pixels into your web browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Safari. This way the program can spy on your browsing sessions and record non-personal information such as recently visited websites, hyperlinks and adverts accessed, search queries, bookmarks saved, your IP address, browser type, etc.
Usually, developers gather such information to share it with other parties for income. Also, they use it for developing their targeted advertising campaigns that would look more attractive to potential visitors. Another thing that SaleItCoupon might do is compromise web browser settings such as the homepage and new tab URL bar. Nevertheless, these changes can be reversed only by entirely wiping out the adware program.
If you want to get rid of all the annoying activities that are caused by the adware and bring your web browsers back to their previous states, you should remove SaleItCoupon with the help of antimalware software or by using the manual step-by-step guide that has been provided at the end of this article.
The technique you are going to use for SaleItCoupon removal is all up to you. Just do not forget to clean and refresh web browsers too as they might be filled with bogus extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons.
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
Software bundling brings adware programs to the surface
Potentially unwanted programs such as adware usually try to slither into the user's PC unnoticed via other free programs an initiate suspicious activities behind the user's back.
For this reason, you have to be more careful when downloading free software from the Internet if you do not want to install adware and similar suspicious programs. If you are one of those users who do not pay much attention to the installation steps of your new programs, you can easily allow additional programs to be added to your computer.
A lot of free programs, even well-known ones, are distributed in a bundle with third-party advertisements because their developers get paid for this. Be extremely careful when downloading such programs as download managers, PDF creators, video streaming software, music players, browsers and so on that can be put up for delivery on secondary websites such as softonic.com, soft32.com, cnet.com, and download.com
Many bundles are installed by default unless you deselect an option indicating them. For this reason, you are highly recommended selecting the Custom or Advanced installation instead of Quick or Basic one and check out every step before clicking on the "next" or "I agree" button.
However, if you are too late and the adware has arrived at your device, be prepared to experience unwanted activities until you get rid of the app.
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
softonic.com
How to remove Ads by SaleItCoupon
How to stop Ads by SaleItCoupon notifications
Do this in every browser you use, and in every profile inside it: each keeps its own list of sites allowed to send notifications.
Nothing has to be uninstalled for the notifications themselves.
Which browser shows the ads?
Step 1: Remove softonic.com from Chrome's notification list
Chrome keeps a list of every site you once allowed to send notifications, and
softonic.comis on it. Pastechrome://settings/content/notificationsinto the address bar, find softonic.com under Allowed to send notifications, open the three-dot menu next to it and pick Remove.Then click Add next to Not allowed to send notifications and type softonic.com, so the site cannot ask a second time. Repeat it in every Chrome profile you use on Windows 11 or Windows 10, since each profile has its own list.
Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Instructions for Google Chrome
Remove from Google Chrome
To reverse Google Chrome back to its previous state and get rid of all suspicious extensions and add-ons, you should go through the following guidelines:
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.
Reset Google Chrome:
If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.
Step 1: Remove softonic.com from Edge's notification list
Open Settings and more (the three dots) > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Site permissions > All permissions > Notifications. Remove
softonic.comfrom the Allowed list, then click Add site next to Not allowed to send notifications and enter it there.Edge is built into both Windows 11 and Windows 10, so check it even if you normally use another browser. If the notifications came with the Edge logo, this is the browser that holds the permission.
Edge on Windows 11: Site permissions > All permissions > Notifications. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Instructions for Microsoft Edge
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.
Step 1: Remove softonic.com from Firefox's notification permissions
Open the menu (three lines) > Settings and click Permissions and data in the left list, then Notifications. Select
softonic.com, click Remove Website and confirm with Save Changes.In versions older than Firefox 152 the same list sits under Privacy & Security, behind a Settings button next to Notifications. Firefox shows these notifications only while it is running, on Windows 11 and Windows 10 alike.
Firefox on Windows 11: the Notification Permissions window. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Instructions for Mozilla Firefox
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.
Our tested steps are for Windows 11 and 10. For Safari (Mac), use the instructions below.
Instructions for Safari (Mac)
Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.
Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.
Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).
Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.
- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Then, whichever browser you use
Step 2: Scan the PC if you downloaded anything from the ads
If you only saw the notifications and clicked nothing, you can stop before this step. If a notification led you to download or run something, delete that file, then scan Windows.
In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan, then choose Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and Scan now. The offline scan restarts the PC and takes about 15 minutes on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
More removal instructions
For programs installed on the PC and older browsers. Open the one you need.
Remove SaleItCoupon virus from your computer
If you want to avoid all unwanted activities that are brought by adware programs and reverse your web browsers back to as they were before the adware attack, you should take care of SaleItCoupon removal as soon as you find the potentially unwanted program lurking on your computer system.
For this process, you can try employing automatic software that would be able to get rid of the cyber threat within a few minutes.
However, if you want to remove SaleItCoupon on your own, you can do it too. Note that this type of task requires some of the user's time and attention. If you think of yourself as a moderate user, you can try completing the manual method.
Below we have provided some step-by-step instructions that should help you to clean operating systems such as Windows and Mac and web browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Safari.
According to technology specialists from LesVirus.fr, you have to get rid of all of the components that were brought by the adware program, including files, processes, extensions, additional apps, otherwise, the PUP might appear again.
Uninstall from Windows
To terminate the annoying application together with all the files and processes that it has included in the Windows operating system, we recommend trying out this step-by-step guide:
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.
Reset Internet Explorer
To erase all browser helper objects (BHOs) from Internet Explorer and reverse all of the changes that the adware has initiated, you should follow the below-provided instructions:
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.
Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.
Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.
Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online.
One of the basic means to add a layer of security - choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features.
However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful VPN - it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable.
Family photos, work documents, school projects - these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur:
- power cuts
- Blue Screen of Death errors
- hardware failures
- crypto-malware attack
- even accidental deletion
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
Questions about Ads by SaleItCoupon
How do I stop notifications from softonic.com?
Remove its permission in the browser. The bottom line of each notification names the browser, so open that browser's notification settings and look under Allowed. Remove softonic.com and any other site you do not recognise.
In Chrome and Edge this is under the site settings for notifications; in Firefox it is under Settings, Permissions and data, Notifications. Do this in every browser profile, because each one keeps its own list.
Restart the browser and wait a few minutes. If a message still arrives, read its bottom line again: the sending address can differ from the site you remember, and that is the entry still left in the list.
The softonic.com notification said my PC is infected. Is it true?
No. Notifications from softonic.com are adverts written to look like system messages. A website cannot scan your files, so it has no way to know whether your PC is infected; it shows the same warning to everyone who allowed its notifications. Real Windows Security messages name Windows Security in the bottom line, not a browser and a website.
If you want to be sure, open Windows Security from the Start menu and run a quick scan there. Then remove softonic.com from the browser's notification settings so the fake warnings stop arriving. Do not call any number or buy anything the notification or its page suggests.
Why does Ads by SaleItCoupon show me ads?
Because that is its whole purpose. Ads by SaleItCoupon is a push-notification spam site, and its operators are paid for every ad it displays and every click it gets. In this case the ads take the form of desktop notifications.
They are chosen by ad networks that accept almost any advertiser, which is why so many look like warnings or prizes. The ads are not a sign that your PC is broken or infected with something worse; they are a sign that something on it, or in the browser, has permission to advertise. Removing that permission or program stops them.
Is softonic.com safe to visit?
No. The site softonic.com exists to push visitors towards ads, and the pages it leads to include fake virus warnings, fake updates, prize scams and notification prompts. Visiting it once does not infect an up-to-date PC, but anything you click or download there is a gamble.
Do not enter personal details, do not allow notifications and do not call phone numbers it shows. If it opens by itself, close the tab and check the browser's extensions and notification permissions. Blocking the single domain helps little, because the operators register new names regularly.
Which browser is sending the softonic.com notifications?
Each notification shows the name of the browser and the site in its small print. In the cases we saw, the messages from softonic.com came through Chrome, Edge and Firefox. Permissions are stored per browser and per profile, so removing the site in one browser does not affect another.
If you use several Chrome or Edge profiles, check each one. If you sync the browser with an account, remove the permission while signed in, otherwise another computer may still hold it and keep receiving the same messages.
How do I know the ads come from Ads by SaleItCoupon?
Look for notifications from softonic.com. That is the trace Ads by SaleItCoupon leaves, and it shows up as desktop notifications. Ads that appear on every site, including ones that never carried ads before, point to something on your PC or in the browser rather than to the sites themselves.
A quick test is a private window, where extensions are off by default: if the ads disappear there, an extension is responsible. If they appear even with the browser closed, the source is a notification permission or a program in Windows.
Will Focus or Do not disturb stop the notifications?
Only for as long as it is on. Do not disturb in Windows 11 holds back notifications from all apps, including browsers, and releases them to the notification centre later. The site still has permission and the messages still arrive.
Use the browser's notification settings to remove the site instead: once its permission is gone, it cannot send anything, whatever Windows is set to. Keep Do not disturb for what it is meant for, such as meetings, presentations and quiet hours.
Did clicking Allow install anything on my PC?
No. Allowing notifications stores a permission in the browser and nothing else. No file is downloaded and no program is added to Windows, which is also why antivirus scans find nothing. The risk comes later, from the notifications themselves: they lead to scam pages, fake updates and phishing forms.
Remove the permission in each browser where you allowed it. If you clicked a notification and downloaded something afterwards, delete that file and run a Microsoft Defender full scan and offline scan.
An ad showed a phone number and I called it. What now?
The number belongs to scammers, not to Microsoft or an antivirus company. If you only talked, hang up and do not call back. If you let them connect to the PC, disconnect it from the internet, uninstall the remote access program they used, such as AnyDesk, TeamViewer, ScreenConnect or UltraViewer, and run a full and offline scan.
If you paid or gave bank details, call your bank at once on the number printed on your card. Change any passwords you typed while they were connected, and report the call.
Will Fortect remove Ads by SaleItCoupon?
No program removes Ads by SaleItCoupon itself, because there is nothing on the PC to remove: the notifications come through a permission saved in the browser, and only the browser's settings take it away, as the steps above show.
What Fortect can do is check the rest of Windows. Its free scan looks for malware, unwanted programs and damaged system files, which is useful if you clicked the ads, downloaded something from the pages they opened, or are not sure what else changed on the PC.
If the scan finds nothing and the notifications stopped after you removed the permission, this problem is solved. Use Microsoft Defender as a second opinion whenever you have downloaded files from pages like these.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Pay-per-click (read October 6, 2026)
- LesVirus: ACTUALITÉS SUR LA SÉCURITÉ ET LES LOGICIELS ESPIONS (read October 6, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)