Exploring the Firefox Page Info Window (Ctrl+I)

This article provides a comprehensive breakdown of the Page Info window in the Mozilla Firefox web browser, accessible by pressing Ctrl+I on Windows and Linux or Cmd+I on macOS. By exploring the four distinct tabs of this utility—General, Media, Permissions, and Security—users can quickly uncover technical webpage metadata, extract multimedia files, manage site-specific browser capabilities, and verify connection safety.

The General Tab

The General tab displays foundational technical metadata about the webpage you are currently viewing. It is divided into two main sections: basic page properties at the top and source code meta tags at the bottom.

  • Page Title: Displays the official title of the webpage as defined in the HTML.
  • Address: Shows the exact URL of the current page.
  • Type: Indicates the document content type, most commonly text/html.
  • Render Mode: Shows whether the browser is rendering the page in "Standards compliance mode" (following modern web standards) or "Quirks mode" (emulating older browser behaviors for legacy websites).
  • Text Encoding: Displays the character encoding used by the page, such as UTF-8.
  • Size: Shows the file size of the base HTML document (excluding external media).
  • Modified: Displays the date and time the webpage was last updated by the server.
  • Meta: A scrollable list showing all HTML <meta> tags embedded by the website's creator, which often include page descriptions, viewport settings, social media preview data, and instructions for search engine crawlers.

The Media Tab

The Media tab catalogs every visual and audio element loaded on the current webpage, allowing you to inspect and download individual assets that might otherwise be difficult to access.

  • Media List: A table at the top lists the URL (Address) of each asset alongside its Type (such as Image, Background, or Icon) and Alt Text.
  • Media Details: Clicking on any item in the list reveals specific details below the table, including the file's exact location, file size in kilobytes, pixel dimensions, and file format (e.g., PNG, JPEG, SVG, WebP).
  • Preview Pane: The bottom section of the window generates a visual preview of the selected image or graphic.
  • Save As Button: This feature allows you to directly download any selected image, icon, or media file to your computer, bypassing webpage restrictions like disabled right-click menus.

The Permissions Tab

The Permissions tab lets you override Firefox's default behavior and customize exactly what the current website is allowed to do on your device. For each capability, you can leave the "Use Default" box checked or uncheck it to specifically choose "Always Ask," "Allow," or "Block."

The configurable permissions include:

  • Autoplay: Controls whether the site can automatically play audio and video files when the page loads.
  • Use the Camera / Use the Microphone: Manages the website's access to your hardware for video calls or recordings.
  • Share the Screen: Dictates whether the site can capture your screen or specific application windows.
  • Access Your Location: Controls whether the website can view your physical geolocation data.
  • Send Notifications: Determines if the site can push desktop alerts to your screen.
  • Store Data in Persistent Storage: Manages the site's ability to save large amounts of data locally on your hard drive.
  • Open Pop-up Windows: Allows or blocks the site from launching new browser windows automatically.
  • Override Keyboard Shortcuts: Controls whether the web application can hijack standard Firefox keyboard shortcuts for its own functions.
  • Use Virtual Reality: Manages access to connected VR headsets and hardware.

The Security Tab

The Security tab provides transparency regarding the safety of your connection to the website and how your personal data is being handled by the domain. It is organized into three sections:

Website Identity

  • Website: The root domain name of the site.
  • Owner: Information about the person or organization that owns the site (if provided by an Extended Validation certificate).
  • Verified by: The name of the Certificate Authority (CA) that issued the security certificate.
  • View Certificate: A button that opens a detailed view of the site's SSL/TLS certificate chain.

Privacy & History

  • Have I visited this website prior to today?: Tells you if the site is recorded in your browsing history and how many times you have visited it.
  • Is this website storing information on my computer?: Indicates if the site is currently using cookies or local storage, accompanied by a "Clear Cookies and Site Data" button to wipe them immediately.
  • Have I saved any passwords for this website?: Confirms if Firefox Lockwise/Password Manager holds credentials for this domain, alongside a "View Saved Passwords" button for quick access.

Technical Details

  • Connection Status: Explains whether your connection is encrypted or not. If encrypted, it displays the exact cryptographic protocol, key exchange mechanism, and cipher suite used (for example, Connection Encrypted (TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256, 128 bit keys, TLS 1.3)), confirming that data sent between your browser and the server cannot be easily intercepted.