Applies to all editions of Windows 7.

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Suggested Sites: frequently asked questions

Here are answers to some common questions about Suggested Sites.

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What is Suggested Sites?

Suggested Sites is an online service designed to suggest other websites you might be interested in based on the websites you visit most.

How do I view Suggested Sites?

To view suggestions for other websites based on the webpage you're visiting, click the Suggested Sites Web Slice on the Favorites bar.

Picture of Suggested Sites Web SliceSuggested Sites Web Slice on the Favorites bar

When you turn on Suggested Sites for the first time or go to a webpage you haven't visited before, there might not be enough history for the service to offer you suggestions. When this happens, you'll get a message suggesting you browse the web a little more and come back later.

How does Suggested Sites work?

When you turn on Suggested Sites, your web browsing history is sent to Microsoft, where it's saved and compared to a frequently updated list of related websites. You can choose to stop Internet Explorer from sending your web browsing history to Microsoft at any time.

You can also delete individual entries from your history at any time. Deleted entries will not be used to provide you with suggestions for other websites, although they'll be retained by Microsoft for a period of time to help improve our products and services, including this feature. For more information on what data Suggested Sites sends to Microsoft and how it's used, read the Internet Explorer Privacy Statement online.

How do I turn Suggested Sites on or off?

To turn Suggested Sites on or off in Internet Explorer, follow these steps:

  1. Open Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button. In the search box, type Internet Explorer, and then, in the list of results, click Internet Explorer.

  2. Click the Tools button, and then click Suggested Sites.

Does Suggested Sites work with InPrivate Browsing?

No, Suggested Sites doesn't record or send browsing history information when InPrivate Browsing is turned on. For more information on InPrivate Browsing, see What is InPrivate Browsing?

I deleted the Suggested Sites Web Slice. How do I get it back?

To restore the Suggested Sites Web Slice

  1. Open Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button. In the search box, type Internet Explorer, and then, in the list of results, click Internet Explorer.

  2. Click the Favorites button, and then, at the bottom of the favorites window, click See Suggested Sites.

  3. Scroll to the bottom of the Suggested Sites webpage, and then click Add Suggested Sites to your Favorites Bar.

  4. In the Add a Web Slice dialog box, click the Add to Favorites Bar button.

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