Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Rohkem teavet

Links in Google Search will not open

more options
I received an email and my practice is not to open links in emails. The link was from Bed Bath and Beyond. I searched for Bed Bath and Beyond and got this URL https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwi1xvXC-NSAAxXykloFHUgzAJIYABAAGgJ2dQ&gclid=Cj0KCQjwuNemBhCBARIsADp74QQznb8iH59pv0wRyjGRO4F2u3BCLCFN5wLnICvobs8wZizFvugIjzkaAjGVEALw_wcB&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESauD2_nc6dMVeEHYVGwflfbexMnAE3HOMV2sVmt1JRptWGi8nNcESdzKw4HPrcf9Q8fDAHENpm6rtMoAupgWXY3qw8KD7WPccsNuuSzG41vCoKK7d4j8eeU0Hou9aU-BSp1czBDDnEMhGAvE&sig=AOD64_2tVufyv3ivTfWScwK-WyCpRmIW3g&q&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwiY5e7C-NSAAxXORjABHX0YChwQ0Qx6BAgNEAE FireFox would not open the link but Microsoft Edge did. Is there a potential security problem that I am not aware of or a problem with FireFox?

All Replies (8)

more options

Hi Bill, that's a paid ad URL. Do you use any add-ons that block ads or ad domains?

more options

Not that I am aware of. I have the same add-ons installed on Firefox and Edge. My security software will block unsafe web sites, but it has not blocked anything since July.

more options

Will it open in a private window? For example, right-click > Open Link in New Private Window

(Private windows do not share the web content cache or saved cookies with regular windows, and some add-ons may not run in private windows if you haven't allowed them to do so.)

more options

When I selected open in private window it opened. What does this tell you. Remember I only have two add-ons and they are both in Edge and Firefox, and Edge works.

more options

I just checked both add-ons are in the private windows.

more options

The other things that are different about private windows are cache and cookies.

(1) Clear Firefox's Cache

See: How to clear the Firefox cache (only select Cached web content, don't clear all cookies and site data)

If you have a large hard drive, this might take a few minutes.

(2) Remove the site's cookies

While you're still on the Settings page, click the "Manage Data..." button that's just below the "Clear Data..." button.

Here should should be able to remove cookies for googleadservices individually without affecting other sites.

Any difference accessing the ads after that?

more options

I remove the cache and the same problem occurred. I removed, I think, the google cookies. googleadservices was not listed.

I discovered that the search presented me with the following URL

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwib5L3Yv9WAAxVFq4QIHfLGA5wQFnoECBAQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bedbathandbeyond.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw00GHiYj8oJJ-PJOGX6RLiU&opi=89978449

This URL goes to the same site and it worked.

Does this make any sense?

more options

Thank you for the update.

Google's machinations are very complex, so if they don't seem to make sense, that feeling is completely normal!