While it’s generally best to let your antivirus software scan everything, there are situations where you might need to exclude certain websites from Avast Antivirus scans. This can speed up your scans and reduce the chance of “false positives,” where a safe website is mistakenly flagged as a threat. However, it’s crucial to understand that creating exclusions can also lower your security if not done carefully.
Only exclude websites you are absolutely certain are safe. If you have any doubts about a website’s safety, it’s always better to let Avast scan it. If you’re unsure about a website, you can use online tools like VirusTotal to have it scanned by multiple antivirus engines, or you can report it to Avast Threat Labs for analysis.
This guide will show you how to add and manage website exclusions in Avast Antivirus, ensuring your browsing experience is both secure and efficient.
Adding Website or Domain Exclusions in Avast Antivirus
Excluding a website or domain in Avast Antivirus means that all pages within that domain will be ignored during scans and by Avast’s shields, including Web Shield which is designed to protect you from web-based threats. Here’s how to set it up:
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First, open Avast Antivirus. You can usually do this by finding the Avast icon in your system tray (bottom right corner of your screen) or on your desktop and double-clicking it. Once Avast is open, navigate to the Menu and then click on Settings.
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In the Settings menu, select General and then click on Exceptions. Next, click the Add exception button. This will take you to the exception setup area.
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Before proceeding, Avast will display a warning about the risks of adding exceptions. Read through these questions carefully. This is a crucial step to ensure you understand the security implications. After reading, click Next and then I understand risks to confirm you wish to continue.
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You will now see different types of exceptions you can add. To exclude a website, ensure you are in the Website / Domain tab.
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In the text field provided, enter the URL of the website or the domain name you wish to exclude. For example, to exclude all pages of
example.com, you would enterexample.com. Once you’ve entered the URL, click the Add button.
The website or domain is now added to your exceptions list and will no longer be scanned by Avast Antivirus.
Managing Your Website Exclusions
It’s important to periodically review and manage your list of website exclusions. You might need to edit or remove exclusions as your browsing habits change or as websites evolve. Here’s how to manage them:
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Open Avast Antivirus and go to Menu â–¸ Settings as you did when adding an exception.
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Navigate to General â–¸ Exceptions. This will display a list of all your current exceptions, including websites, files, and folders.
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To manage a specific website exception, hover your cursor over the exception in the list. You will see two icons appear: a pencil icon and an ‘X’ icon.
- Click the pencil icon (Edit) to modify the website URL or domain you’ve excluded. This might be useful if a domain name changes slightly, or you need to adjust the exclusion rule.
- Click the ‘X’ icon (Remove) to delete the website exclusion from your list. If you no longer trust a website or want Avast to scan it again, use this option.
The list of exceptions updates immediately after you make any changes.
Important Considerations When Excluding Websites
While excluding websites can be helpful, always remember these key points:
- Risk Assessment: Before excluding any website, thoroughly assess its safety. Are you certain it’s trustworthy? If it’s a website you’re unsure about, do not exclude it.
- Regular Review: Periodically review your list of excluded websites. Websites can get compromised, or your trust in them might change. Regularly checking your exclusions is a good security practice.
- Minimize Exclusions: The fewer exclusions you have, the better your overall security posture. Only exclude websites when absolutely necessary.
- Alternative Solutions: If you’re experiencing false positives with a particular website, consider reporting it to Avast. This helps improve the antivirus software for everyone and might be a better solution than permanently excluding the site.
By following these guidelines, you can effectively manage website exclusions in Avast Antivirus to enhance your browsing speed and reduce interruptions, all while maintaining a strong security defense for your system. For further information on managing other types of exclusions like files or folders, refer to Avast’s comprehensive support resources.
