Split-tunneling allows you to choose specific websites that will bypass the VPN while the rest of your internet traffic continues to use the VPN connection. This feature can be useful when you want a website to connect directly to the internet instead of going through the VPN. For example, a banking website, streaming service, company portal, or location-based website may not work correctly while VPN is enabled. In these cases, you can use Split-tunneling.
This guide shows you how to use Split-tunneling in the Bitdefender desktop app for Windows and macOS to exclude a website from the VPN. The steps are the same on both operating systems.
What Happens When you Add a Website to Split-tunneling?
When a website is added to the Split-tunneling list:
- That website accesses the internet directly
- The website will not use the VPN server location
- Other websites and apps continue to use the VPN as usual
- You can remove the website from the list at any time
This is useful when only one website has trouble working through VPN, and you do not want to disconnect Bitdefender VPN completely.
If you can’t access any websites when the VPN is connected, refer to this article instead: How to Fix Internet Connection Issues After Installing Bitdefender App.
1. Go to VPN Settings
- Open the Bitdefender app and click your profile icon in the top-right corner to go to settings.
- Click VPN in the left-side menu.
This changes the main panel on the right so that it displays the settings related to the VPN service.
2. Access the Split-tunneling settings
On the VPN settings panel, scroll down and click on Split-tunneling.
The Split-tunneling section opens. This area is used to manage the websites that are allowed to bypass VPN.
3. Turn on Split-tunneling
On the Split-tunneling section, enable the Split-tunneling switch.
When the switch is turned on, Bitdefender displays the option to add websites under Allow websites to bypass VPN.
4. Add the website address
In the website name field, enter the address of the website you want to allow outside the VPN. You can enter the domain without https:// or www. Example: websitename.com
After entering the website address, click Add website.
The website appears under the Websites list. This confirms that the website has been added to Split-tunneling.
From now on, that website will bypass Bitdefender VPN and connect directly to the internet.
5. Test the website
Open your browser and visit the website you added.
If the website previously had issues while Bitdefender VPN was enabled, check whether it now loads or works correctly.
If needed, refresh the page or close and reopen the browser.
How to remove a website from Split-tunneling
You can remove a website from the bypass list at any time.
Open the Bitdefender app > profile icon > VPN > Split-tunneling > click the trash icon next to the website.
After the website is removed, it will use the VPN connection again when the VPN is enabled.