How to Set a Per-Site Zoom Default That Survives Sync in Edge

When you change the zoom level for a specific website in Microsoft Edge, the browser normally stores that setting locally. If you sign in to Edge on multiple devices with sync enabled, the per-site zoom setting may disappear after a sync cycle or when you clear cookies. This happens because Edge stores per-site zoom values inside the site’s cookies, and sync does not include cookie data by default. This article explains how to set a per-site zoom default that persists across sync sessions and survives cookie clearing.

Why Edge Per-Site Zoom Does Not Survive Sync by Default

Microsoft Edge stores per-site zoom settings in two separate locations depending on how you set the zoom level. When you use Ctrl + or Ctrl – to zoom on a site, Edge writes the zoom value into the site’s cookies. This cookie-based zoom works only on the local device. When you clear cookies or run a sync cycle that does not include cookies, the zoom level resets to the global default.

The second storage location is the Zoom levels list inside Edge’s site permissions settings. Zoom values added to this list are stored as browser-level exceptions. These exceptions are not tied to cookies and survive cookie clearing. They also sync to other devices when you enable the “Settings” toggle in Edge sync options.

Edge sync does not include cookie data by design. Cookie sync would introduce privacy and security risks because cookies often contain session identifiers and tracking data. Therefore, the only reliable way to make per-site zoom survive sync is to use the Zoom levels list instead of the Ctrl + method.

Steps to Set a Per-Site Zoom Default That Survives Sync

Method 1: Use the Zoom Levels List in Edge Settings

1. Open Edge Settings
   Click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of Edge and select Settings.
2. Navigate to Site Permissions
   In the left sidebar, click Cookies and site permissions. Then scroll down and click Site permissions.
3. Open the Zoom Levels List
   In the Site permissions section, click Zoom levels. This page shows all websites for which you have set a custom zoom level.
4. Add a Per-Site Zoom Exception
   Click the Add button. In the dialog box, enter the full website URL, for example https://www.example.com. Then set the zoom percentage using the dropdown menu. Options range from 25% to 500%.
5. Save the Exception
   Click Add to confirm. The site now appears in the Zoom levels list with the zoom value you selected.
6. Verify Sync Is Enabled
   Go to Edge Settings > Profiles > Sync. Ensure the toggle for Settings is turned on. This setting syncs your Zoom levels list to all devices signed in with the same Microsoft account.

After completing these steps, the per-site zoom value will persist across browser restarts, cookie clearing, and sync cycles. To remove a zoom exception, return to the Zoom levels page, click the trash icon next to the site, and confirm removal.

Method 2: Use Group Policy to Enforce a Per-Site Zoom Default

For enterprise-managed devices, administrators can deploy a per-site zoom setting using Group Policy or Microsoft Intune. This method overrides user-set zoom values and syncs across all managed browsers.

1. Download Edge Administrative Templates
   Download the latest Edge policy templates from the Microsoft Download Center. Install the templates on your domain controller or local policy editor.
2. Open Group Policy Management Editor
   Run gpedit.msc on a Windows Pro or Enterprise device. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge.
3. Locate the Zoom Policy
   Find the policy named Configure default zoom level for site. Double-click it.
4. Enable and Configure the Policy
   Select Enabled. In the options box, enter a JSON string that maps domain names to zoom percentages. For example:
   [{"pattern": "https://www.example.com/", "zoom": 150}]
   Use the asterisk wildcard to match all subpages. The zoom value is a percentage without the percent sign.
5. Apply the Policy
   Click OK and close the editor. Run gpupdate /force in a command prompt to apply the policy immediately.

Users on managed devices will see the enforced zoom level for the specified sites. The user cannot override this value through the Zoom levels list or by using Ctrl + . To update the list later, modify the JSON and redeploy the policy.

Common Mistakes and Limitations When Setting Per-Site Zoom

Zoom Set by Ctrl + Does Not Sync

If you use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + or Ctrl – to zoom a specific site, Edge stores that value in the site’s cookies. Cookie-based zoom does not sync to other devices and disappears when you clear cookies. To make the zoom survive sync, you must delete the cookie-based zoom first. Open DevTools with F12, go to the Application tab, expand Cookies, and delete the zoom cookie for that domain. Then add the site to the Zoom levels list as described in Method 1.

Zoom Levels List Does Not Apply to InPrivate Windows

Per-site zoom exceptions set in the Zoom levels list apply only to regular browsing sessions. In an InPrivate window, Edge ignores all saved zoom exceptions and uses the global default zoom level. To temporarily adjust zoom in an InPrivate window, use Ctrl + , but that value will not persist after closing the window.

Sync Conflicts When Zoom Values Differ Between Devices

If you add a site to the Zoom levels list on one device with a zoom of 125% and on another device with 150%, Edge sync will merge the two entries. The last synced value wins. To avoid conflicts, add the zoom exception on only one device and let sync propagate it to others. Alternatively, use Group Policy to enforce a single value across all devices.

Zoom Levels List Does Not Support Partial URL Matching

When adding a site to the Zoom levels list manually, you must enter the full URL including the protocol. Partial URLs such as example.com without https:// will not work. For subdomains, add each subdomain separately, for example https://mail.example.com and https://docs.example.com. The Zoom levels list does not support wildcards for subdomains.

Cookie-Based Zoom vs Zoom Levels List: Behavior Differences

Item	Cookie-Based Zoom	Zoom Levels List
Storage location	Site cookies	Edge browser profile
Survives cookie clearing	No	Yes
Syncs with Edge sync	No	Yes, when Settings toggle is on
Applies to InPrivate windows	No	No
Set via keyboard shortcut	Ctrl + or Ctrl –	Settings menu only
Manageable by Group Policy	No	Yes

You can now set a per-site zoom default that survives sync and cookie clearing in Edge. Use the Zoom levels list in Settings for individual sites or deploy Group Policy for enterprise environments. If you have existing cookie-based zoom values, delete the zoom cookie for each site before adding the site to the Zoom levels list. For advanced control, combine the Zoom levels list with Edge sync to maintain consistent zoom behavior across all your devices.