Followlink.click ads: what it is and how to remove it
Followlink.click is the potentially unwanted program that collects views for sponsors and third-party commercial content creators. These intrusive ads fill up the screen and keep the user from accessing regular content and getting to commonly visited pages.
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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Followlink.click ads: summary
| Distribution | Freeware installations, deceptive online material, other PUPs |
|---|---|
| Name | Followlink.click |
| Type | Adware, redirect, push notifications virus |
| Category | Potentially unwanted program |
| Issues | Redirects, pop-ups, banners, notifications lead to various insecure sites and possibly damaging content |
| IP address | 94.130.51.235 |
| 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 10 more facts
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Symptoms | Notification spam from a website |
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Domains | followlink.click |
| Ads shown as | Desktop notifications |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| Installed on the PC | Nothing; a browser notification permission only |
| First seen | 8 October 2021 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
What the Followlink.click ads ads look like
Type Allow to verify that you are not a robot
Is Followlink.click ads dangerous?
From our report of Oct 2021 · not reviewed since
Malicious programs are becoming intrusive nowadays
The potential harm beyond these PUAs should encourage you to remove any possibly malicious pieces efficiently.
Your devices operate poorly, so please do not hesitate and get rid of the program. Of course, notifications might not stop right away, so you may want to alter those preferences manually.
Remove unwanted notifications from Google Chrome (desktop):
Remove unwanted notifications from Google Chrome (Android):
Remove unwanted notifications from Mozilla Firefox:
Remove unwanted notifications from Safari:
Remove unwanted notifications from MS Edge:
Remove unwanted notifications from MS Edge (Chromium):
Remove unwanted notifications from Internet Explorer:
There are a few typical signs that you have malicious or at least unwanted software installed on your computer. You may see advertisements popping up where they shouldn't be or web pages not displaying properly anymore without permission. User permissions are not needed, and PUPs manage to install other programs; websites redirecting to different platforms than what was expected when clicked.
- Open Google Chrome browser and go to Menu > Settings.
- Locate Privacy and security section and pick Site Settings > Notifications.
- Look at the Allow section and look for a suspicious URL.
- Click the three vertical dots next to it and pick Block. This should remove unwanted notifications from Google Chrome.
- Open Google Chrome and tap on Settings (three vertical dots).
- Select Notifications.
- Locate the unwanted URL and toggle the button to the left (Off setting).
- Open Mozilla Firefox and go to Menu > Options.
- Click on Privacy & Security section.
- Under Permissions, you should be able to see Notifications. Click the Settings button next to it.
- In the Settings – Notification Permissions window, click on the drop-down menu by the URL in question.
- Select Block and then click on Save Changes. This should remove unwanted notifications from Mozilla Firefox.
- Click on Safari > Preferences...
- Go to the Websites tab and, under General, select Notifications.
- Select the web address in question, click the drop-down menu and select Deny.
- Open Microsoft Edge, and click the Settings and more button (three horizontal dots) at the top-right of the window.
- Select Settings and then go to Advanced.
- Under Website permissions, pick Manage permissions and select the URL in question.
- Toggle the switch to the left to turn notifications off on Microsoft Edge.
- Open Microsoft Edge, and go to Settings.
- Select Site permissions.
- Go to Notifications on the right.
- Under Allow, you will find the unwanted entry.
- Click on More actions and select Block.
- Open Internet Explorer, and click on the Gear icon at the top-right of the window.
- Select Internet options and go to the Privacy tab.
- In the Pop-up Blocker section, click on Settings.
- Locate web address in question under Allowed sites and pick Remove.

From our report of Oct 2021 · not reviewed since
Being suspicious can help you with PC security
Automatically displayed pop-ups recommend fake updates and other browser applications being installed without knowledge.
All of these things point towards Followlink.click adware which can potentially the machine besides affecting the time on the internet.
Unfortunately, these intruders can spread around unnoticed, so users are clueless when push notifications start coming to their screens and desktops without having the web browser open. You may install the PUP yourself when the torrent site is the main source for programs. However, adware is more likely a consequence of the freeware installation process.
Promotional advertisements, false updates, and error messages can lead to silent installation. But if you pay attention to details on random pop-ups and control the installation processes with Advanced or Custom options, PUPs can be avoided. It is a bit more difficult to remove Followlink.click from mobile devices but possible.
Uninstall unwanted programs from Android phone:
Clear Storage and data files on Android from Google Chrome or other apps:
If you are seeing ads on top of other apps but are not sure what is causing it, perform the following steps:
Even though these programs are not malicious or dangerous, your device can be significantly damaged when those Followlink.click ads continuously redirect you to questionable platforms. There are serious privacy issues in these campaigns because, according to experts, data tracking is the function that almost all commercial content developers have and the PUP itself can initiate.
Get rid of the cyber threat fully, so you do not need to repair serious parts of the system. If you need some tips on removing the program from Windows or Mac, follow the guide. Also, sometimes full reset of the browsing tool can help with the additional issues and push notifications.
- Go to Settings -> Apps/Applications.
- Expand the full list of the installed apps.
- Scroll through the list and tap on a suspicious application once.
- Tap on it and select Uninstall.
- Reboot the device.
- Go to Settings > Apps/Applications.
- Expand the full list of the installed apps.
- Tap on Chrome and select Storage & cache.
- Clear storage and clear cache of the app.
- Go to Apps/Applications.
- Tap Advanced.
- Select Special App access.
- Tap on Display over other apps.
- Eliminate apps with these access rights enabled.

From our report of Oct 2021 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Followlink.click
- Try to run a program like an anti-malware tool, so all malicious pieces get eliminated fully
- Recover the machine with the help of
How Followlink.click ads got into your browser
From our report of Oct 2021 · not reviewed since
Followlink.click is the potentially unwanted program that collects views for sponsors and third-party commercial content creators.
These intrusive ads fill up the screen and keep the user from accessing regular content and getting to commonly visited pages. Speed issues and additionally installed browser-based applications can create concerns and suspicion, but usually, there are no programs that can show up on the machine to indicate the adware-type infection.
These annoying Followlink.click pop-ups are a result of the adware infection, and this redirecting behavior makes you click random links for them to provide more information or show advertisements with special offers. This content may be explicit if not followed through on by the user, which could lead to malicious websites.
The site is not checking what's being shown before putting it online unless paid extra money from advertisers. The potentially unwanted program is related closely to shady advertisers and can promote their products, other pages, and PUPs.
These pop-up promotions is a great way to acquire new customers and also drive traffic back to your site, as well as it's an affordable marketing instrument. This is the method used by various services and program providers. However, PUP developers and distributors adapt the method and use these techniques to achieve their malicious goals.
The ability to show the pop-up ads forcibly to people who have their machines infected with malware is an ideal basis for malicious ads, and Followlink.click site is one of many push notifications websites that use systems like this. Adware is not malicious nor dangerous, but the third-party content can create issues more serious than those redirects.
The malicious site that displays fake error messages to trick you into subscribing and installing their browser notifications, may then show advertisements on your screen without permission or knowledge. People do not understand that this is how all those PUPs get delivered - via random promotional pages and ads.
Even such pop-ups can lead to serious issues when the PUP takes over your online traffic:
You see advertisements from Followlink.click because your computer is infected with the PUP. To fight the intruder fully, you need a tool capable of terminating viruses. Anti-malware tools like or can help you with that. These intruders come from insecure sites and platforms where software bundling is employed.
If you visited one of the many redirects on web pages that appear when browsing online you may catch the infection without even noticing. If any content looks suspicious enough - avoid it! Less reputable sites can display Followlink.click ads, promotional material, trigger direct installs, so if they keep coming back after being blocked - PUP is controlling the behavior.


Check your browser and PC
- Address:
followlink.click
How to remove Followlink.click ads
How to stop Followlink.click 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 followlink.click from Chrome's notification list
Chrome keeps a list of every site you once allowed to send notifications, and
followlink.clickis on it. Pastechrome://settings/content/notificationsinto the address bar, find followlink.click 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 followlink.click, 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
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 followlink.click from Edge's notification list
Open Settings and more (the three dots) > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Site permissions > All permissions > Notifications. Remove
followlink.clickfrom 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 followlink.click from Firefox's notification permissions
Open the menu (three lines) > Settings and click Permissions and data in the left list, then Notifications. Select
followlink.click, 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.
Uninstall from Windows
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.

Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices.
Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings.
Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact - you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use for the data restoration process.
Questions about Followlink.click ads
followlink.click keeps sending notifications. Is it a virus?
No. Notifications from followlink.click come from a permission stored in the browser, not from a program installed in Windows. Someone clicked Allow on a prompt from that site, usually without realising what it meant, and the site now sends ads through the browser's notification system.
Antivirus scans often find nothing because there is nothing to find on the disk. Removing followlink.click from the browser's list of allowed sites stops the messages for good. A scan is still useful if you clicked a notification and downloaded or ran something from the page it opened, because those downloads can be unwanted programs.
Did a notification from followlink.click infect my computer?
A notification cannot infect a PC. It is a short text with a link that the browser displays. Clicking it opens a page, and a page cannot install anything unless you agree to a download and run the file.
So the answer depends on what you did after clicking. Looked and closed: you are fine. Downloaded but did not open: delete the file.
Opened a downloaded file: uninstall what it added and scan the PC. Typed card or login details: contact the bank and change the password. In every case, remove followlink.click from the browser's allowed notifications so the messages stop.
Why does Followlink.click show me ads?
Because that is its whole purpose. Followlink.click 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 followlink.click safe to visit?
No. The site followlink.click 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 followlink.click notifications?
Each notification shows the name of the browser and the site in its small print. In the cases we saw, the messages from followlink.click 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 Followlink.click?
Look for notifications from followlink.click. That is the trace Followlink.click 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.
Why didn't my antivirus catch Followlink.click?
Many security products do not block adware or notification sites by default, because users often agreed to them, even through a misleading prompt. Notification spam installs nothing at all, so there is no file to detect.
In Windows 11 you can make Microsoft Defender block potentially unwanted apps: open Windows Security > App & browser control > Reputation-based protection settings and turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking. If notifications caused the pop-ups, no scanner will report them; the fix is in the browser's site settings.
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.
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.
Will Fortect remove Followlink.click?
No program removes Followlink.click 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: Adware (read October 6, 2026)
- Smallbusiness: What Are the Dangers of Torrents? (read October 6, 2026)
- Senzavirus: Senzavirus (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)