Security Zones: Do not allow users to add/delete sites
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 5.0
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer Description
Prevents users from adding or removing sites from security zones. A security zone is a group of Web sites with the same security level. If you enable this policy, the site management settings for security zones are disabled. (To see the site management settings for security zones, in the Internet Options dialog box, click the Security tab, and then click the Sites button.) If you disable this policy or do not configure it, users can add Web sites to or remove sites from the Trusted Sites and Restricted Sites zones, and alter settings for the Local Intranet zone. This policy prevents users from changing site management settings for security zones established by the administrator. Note: The "Disable the Security page" policy (located in \User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer\Internet Control Panel), which removes the Security tab from the interface, takes precedence over this policy. If it is enabled, this policy is ignored. Also, see the "Security zones: Use only machine settings" policy.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings Value name: Security_zones_map_edit
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/InternetExplorer/DoNotAllowUsersToAddSites Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Security Zones: Do not allow users to add/delete sites
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 5.0
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings]
"Security_zones_map_edit"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Security Zones: Do not allow users to add/delete sites
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 5.0
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'Security_zones_map_edit' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/InternetExplorer/DoNotAllowUsersToAddSites
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Security Zones: Do not allow users to add/delete sites
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 5.0
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings' -Name 'Security_zones_map_edit' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Security Zones: Do not allow users to add/delete sites
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 5.0
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'Security_zones_map_edit' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Security Zones: Do not allow users to add/delete sites
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 5.0
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Security Zones: Do not allow users to add/delete sites
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 5.0
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings' -Name 'Security_zones_map_edit' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Security Zones: Do not allow users to add/delete sites
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 5.0
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'Security_zones_map_edit' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.