The ultimate guide to ad blocker filter lists

Ad-blocking filter lists are critical in keeping the advertisements that irritate us the most away. However, with an overwhelming number of ad blockers and an even greater number of filter lists to select from, it may be difficult to determine which choice is best for you.

We will examine what ad-blocking filter lists are, which ones are appropriate for your circumstances, and how to use them in our comprehensive guide to ad-blocking filter lists. These issues will be discussed in the context of a variety of various ad-blockers. But first, let us address the most basic questions:

What is an ad-blocking filter list?

You’re undoubtedly familiar with the term “ad blocker.” Even if you’ve never heard of one, the term is rather explanatory: it’s anything that prevents ads from being shown.

To be successful, an ad-blocker must be able to filter out certain advertisements. This may be accomplished in a very straightforward manner, as simply as turning off scripts. However, this will not remove all advertisements and will also block a variety of other things, leaving you with a large number of websites that do not function correctly.

A more elegant approach is to use an ad blocker that incorporates well-maintained filter lists. An ad blocker is a piece of software that enforces the restrictions specified in the lists it maintains. Ad blockers enable users to customize what is and is not limited to by allowing them to add pre-existing filter lists, custom lists, and even exceptions.

The majority of advertisements do not originate from the websites or applications on which they are shown. Rather, they are loaded from third-party websites, which may be included in filter lists.

These lists are carefully chosen domains and other components known to contain advertisements or other internet annoyances. For instance, if a user wishes to restrict their exposure to advertising and tracking from social networking sites, they may add a social media-specific filter list to their ad blocker.

Certain ad-blockers enable users to create an unlimited number of filter lists. While this will increase content blocking, it is also likely to damage a large number of websites, so users must exercise caution.

Before we can completely comprehend ad-blocking filter lists, it’s necessary to step back and examine how ad blockers operate.

How do ad blockers work?

There are many methods for ad blocking. For instance, you may simply deactivate JavaScript in your browser, which would then prevent all JavaScript-based advertisements. As mentioned before, this will not prevent all advertisements and may impair the functionality of many websites.

Another possibility is to manually modify the DNS records of known ad-servers to refer to empty addresses. As a result, your device will block requests from these hosts, thus prohibiting their advertisements from being shown. However, marketers may easily bypass this method.

Additionally, there are external devices, such as the PiHole, that use hardware to prevent advertisements. Additionally, ISPs and governments often conduct their blocking, with some of them banning specific advertisements.

However, we will focus on the most user-friendly forms of ad blocking, such as those that use browser extensions.

Ad-blocking web extensions

A web extension is just a browser add-on that enhances your browser’s capabilities. They provide a variety of various functions, usually improving the functionality of users’ browsers.

Ad-blocking extensions are simple extensions that prevent the user from seeing advertisements. They do, however, prevent advertisements from being shown via the browser on which they are installed, not elsewhere on the device. For instance, if you have an ad blocker installed on your phone’s Firefox app, it will only prevent advertisements from being shown inside Firefox. It will not affect advertisements shown on YouTube or elsewhere on the device.

Caveats of ad-blocking extensions

Ad-blocking extensions block just the advertisements that have been set to be blocked through the filter lists enabled on them. Advertisements from sources not included in these blocklists will continue to be shown.

This may be seen as either a positive or negative development, depending on your viewpoint. This may mean that some of those annoying advertisements make it through, and you’ll need to fine-tune your lists to achieve peace.

On the other hand, this enables you to block the most intrusive advertisements while still allowing some to get through to support your favorite websites. While striking the ideal balance may be challenging, ultimately the decision is yours.

Advertisers and platforms may develop methods to bypass these restrictions over time. This may result in previously banned advertisements being shown again. While this does occur on occasion. Advertisement blockers and individuals who maintain filter lists are continuously engaged in a game of cat and mouse, attempting to discover new methods to block content. Often, these advertisements may reappear for a short period, or you can discover more filters to prevent them from appearing again.

Ad blockers are capable of blocking more than simply advertisements.

Ad filters may prevent us from seeing many of the most apparent advertisements. These may vary from standard display advertisements such as banners and pop-ups to YouTube pre-rolls. Whether or not an advertisement is banned is determined by how it is presented to you and the filter lists used in your ad blocker.

While the advertisements you see are the most visible aspect of the business, they are not the only intrusive item you encounter online. Additionally, websites such as Facebook, Google, and a slew of others include trackers that record your online behavior. These businesses may use your data for their marketing reasons or sell it to other parties.

Third-party tracking is often disabled by ad blockers. Third-party cookies are included in the HTTP headers of the server response. If an ad blocker is configured to prevent requests to a certain third-party server, the request will be denied. Since there can be no response, an ad blocker may prevent third-party cookie tracking in these instances.

When an ad blocker is configured with more stringent filtering, it may prevent advertisements and other kinds of tracking to a greater extent. However, it may also result in the blockage of many critical components of websites, resulting in their loss of functioning or possibly the site’s total failure.

This is often because a critical component of the website is disabled, preventing the visitor from completing the task for which they visited the website. They may then need to adjust their ad blocker’s settings or seek out another website that is not affected by their ad blocker. This may be more bothersome for many people than just being exposed to certain advertisements.

What ad blockers are unable to prevent

Native advertising and other types of marketing that resemble real content may be more challenging to block. For instance, although it is possible to remove the advertisements that the Instagram network puts in your feed, blocking advertisements from influencers is not viable.

If an influencer visits a restaurant and has a wonderful time, they may opt to share their experience with their followers. This may be entirely genuine content with no hidden agenda.

However, the Instagrammer may have been compensated by the restaurant for writing a glowing review, even if they did not have a good time. In the second instance, it’s very obvious that the content is an advertisement. The issue is that there is no technical distinction between the two. To block one but not the other, your ad blocker would need to be all-knowing.

The most important lesson from this is to avoid being overconfident in your ad blocker. Simply because you are “blocking advertisements” does not mean you are not being targeted.

Why would you want to use an ad blocker?

There are a variety of valid reasons to use an ad blocker. These include the following:

Preventing harmful advertising — Malvertising occurs when internet advertisements transmit malware to site users. While similar assaults are less prevalent on respectable websites, they have occurred on major websites such as The New York Times and the BBC. Malvertising may also involve drive-by downloads that infect your device without requiring you to click on anything. If advertisements are the cause of these attacks, it follows that they may be avoided by banning these advertisements. While this method makes sense, banning all advertisements to protect oneself is probably excessive, given the rarity of these assaults on trustworthy websites.

Enhancing privacy — As previously stated, ad blockers may often prevent third-party cookies and restrict the amount of data collected about an internet user online. Additionally, they may be set to restrict analytics from popular platforms.

Optimum user experience — We have all encountered intrusive and infuriating advertisements. They may just be irritating, difficult to disable, or even render the page’s content illegible. Adopting an adblocker may assist in removing the most vexing distractions and potentially accelerating website load speeds.

Ethics of ad blockers

We’ve been candid about the annoyances and other issues associated with different advertisements. Now is the time to examine the situation from a different perspective.

At the very least, the majority of us find certain advertisements irritating. At worst, we may develop an aversion to them and never want to see another advertisement. Ad filters seem to be the ideal answer.

We must, however, be realistic. Although it may be an unpleasant truth for some of us, much of the internet and many of the activities we like on it are reliant on advertising to exist.

The majority of us browse a plethora of various websites and use a diverse array of different software packages. We may even contribute to a few subscriptions, but unless you are an idealist, you are unlikely to contribute to the bulk of this.

Certain publications, such as The New York Times, can generate substantial income through subscription fees. Other organizations operate on a freemium model, with basic services being provided for free and premium services being charged. In the end, paying subscribers subsidize the service for free users.

Additionally, there are open-source businesses that operate on other revenue models, such as donation-only. Some may even be side projects undertaken only for the sake of commercial benefit by a developer.

While these alternatives exist, they may not always function. In certain instances, these companies can only offer their goods and services via the use of advertising as a revenue source. One of them is PrivacyExplore, which enables us to offer free information to everyone. It covers the salaries of our writers, editors, and other critical personnel, as well as our infrastructure costs.

While we wish we could offer all of our content for free without the odd advertisement, this is just not possible. There simply aren’t enough users willing to pay subscription fees for the content they consume in the modern era. We will be unable to continue generating fresh content or cover our hosting expenses.

As is the case with many other online companies, we depend on advertising income to fund our operations. If you install an ad blocker to prevent our website from receiving advertising revenue, we will continue to incur expenses associated with creating content and maintaining the website.

If you appreciate our website and want to assist us in maintaining a high standard of content, there is a fair compromise. You may use an ad blocker to prevent the most intrusive advertisements while maintaining a whitelist of websites you want to support. This strategy enables PrivacyExplore and similar websites to earn a little profit from your visit.

You may be reluctant to accept some advertisements, which is reasonable. However, consider for a minute what would happen if more users followed suit. The sites that publish quality content have the greatest operating costs since they require much more work to create than listicles and sensationalism. These websites would soon fade out, leaving us with low-quality sources and sites that are inaccessible to the majority of people due to their membership costs. It is just not feasible for individuals to pay membership fees for each website they visit.

We are not advocating against the usage of an ad blocker—there are legitimate reasons to do so. Rather than that, just be mindful of how you use it and make an effort to support the websites you love.

We make every effort to ensure that the advertisements are relevant to our users and not too intrusive. Additionally, we serve the advertisements internally to avoid the possibility of malvertising assaults on our users. Therefore, if you want us to continue our job, please consider whitelisting us. We’ll explain how to do so later in the post, in the whitelisting section for each of the ad blockers we discussed.

Which ad blockers are the best to use?

There are many ad blockers, and it would be impossible to cover them all when our primary focus is on filter lists. uBlock Origin is one of the finest choices due to its privacy safeguards and flexibility. It is available for Firefox (on both the desktop and Android app), Chrome (the Chrome app does not accept extensions), Edge, and Opera.

AdGuard is a great option for Safari on iOS, iPad, and macOS. Another solution for blocking system-wide advertisements is AdGuard DNS, which is available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. However, it may be necessary to download it through the company’s website rather than the appropriate app store.

Additionally, we will cover some of the most popular ad blockers, such as Adblock Plus and AdBlock Plus (these are different companies with similar names).

Which filter list should you use for ad-blocking?

Each ad-blocker has a default set of ad-blocking filter lists. These vary considerably, with some ad filters blocking much more than others. Each individual’s requirements are unique, and some individuals may be quite happy with the default choices. Others may want to spend some time determining the optimal mix of filter lists.

A perfect configuration may include the inclusion of additional filter lists that remove the most obnoxious advertisements, as well as whitelisting your favorite websites so that you may continue to support them via ad income each time you visit.

Many of the most popular ad-blocking filter lists are intended for Western English speakers, and therefore may miss a large number of advertisements if you are from another country. However, certain ad blocks may automatically apply extra filters based on the language settings of your browser, so you may not encounter this issue.

Adblock Plus has a comprehensive library of language-specific ad-blocking filter lists. Additionally, it has many lists for additional annoyances, such as social network integration and bitcoin miners. FilterLists offers the most complete collection of lists, but their sheer quantity may overwhelm you.

Finally, the items you want to filter are subjective, so you may wish to spend some time exploring the available choices. Later in the post, we’ll discuss how you may apply your custom filters to further refine your ad filtering. However, it’s better to avoid adding too many filter lists at once, since this would likely damage a large number of websites and need some fiddling to fix.

Utilizing ad-blocking filter lists in your preferred ad blocker

The following sections detail the different methods for using ad-blocking filter lists in some of the most popular ad blockers:

Adblock Plus

While Adblock Plus is one of the most popular browsers, it has come under fire for its participation in the Acceptable Ads program, which we shall cover in more detail later in the article.

What does Adblock Plus’s default filtering do?

Adblock Plus is pre-configured with the ABP filter list and the EasyList (https://easylist.to/) filters.

EasyList filter lists are a collection of rule sets that were initially created for AdBlock (not Adblock Plus). They are designed to automatically eliminate advertisements and other obnoxious content from websites. Four writers continue to maintain the list, with help from the broader community.

By default, AdblockPlus utilizes just the core EasyList, not the organization’s additional filter list. These other lists, however, may simply be created if users want to restrict more content.

The EasyList filter list prevents a variety of advertisements from appearing on foreign websites. This category contains undesirable pictures, frames, and objects. It is the most frequently used list and is supported by a wide variety of ad blockers. Additionally, it serves as the foundation for many additional lists that have been created.

When you click on the ABP filter list link inside the Adblock Plus add-on (through a desktop browser), you are sent to the ABP anti-circumvention filter list sites. One indicates that the Adblock Plus desktop browser extension’s default configuration includes just this extra filter. However, there are many more ABP filters, including one for mobile (which is probably enabled by default in mobile browsers) and several others aimed at resolving known ABP filtering problems.

The default ABP anti-circumvention filter list is intended to prevent advertisements that use increasingly advanced methods to thwart the operation of ad-blocking technologies. Due to the nature of these advertisements, the list may be unable to prevent the most cutting-edge attacks, but it is an excellent complement to the EasyList filter. The ABP anti-circumvention filter list excludes sophisticated advertisements from Quora, Facebook, and a variety of other sources.

What kind of advertisements are permitted in the Acceptable Ads program?

Regardless of the filters stated before, Adblock Plus users are automatically engaged in the Acceptable Ads program. These are advertisements that “…are not intrusive or irritating.” These advertisements are identified as such and then added to a whitelist where they are visible to AdBlock Plus users who have participated in the program. Users are automatically registered with Acceptable Ads, however, the site includes conspicuous options for opting out.

The opt-out option is located on the right, just below the fold on the landing page, under the heading “Learn how.”

While others claim that an ad blocker should not show advertisements by default, this is not concealed from users. If people continue to view advertisements, they understand that not all advertisements have been banned. Additionally, it is not difficult for consumers to find out how to opt-out.

Acceptable Ads has several criteria for its advertisements:

• Advertisements may not interrupt readers’ normal reading flow – they may appear above, below, or alongside content, but not in-between.
• Advertisements must be easily identifiable as advertisements – they cannot be disguised as content.
• Ads must be limited in size – they may take up no more than 15% of the first load screen and 25% of the page after visitors begin scrolling down.

There are certain extra requirements and exclusions, as well as mobile-specific restrictions. They are accessible via the link at the top of this section.

Certain individuals may be concerned that the Acceptable Ads program might serve as a gateway for malware. While it is true that internet advertisements have the potential to spread malware, we found no indication that Acceptable Ads allowed any to sneak through.

This is not to say that the Acceptable Advertisements program is without criticism. It charges 30% for displaying advertisements to its users and has strong ties to the advertising industry. Its methods have even been dubbed “extortion.”

While some of these critiques are arguable, the reality remains that the 30% charge imposes extra expenses on the ecosystem as a whole. It may be preferable to support your favorite websites through alternative means, such as whitelisting them. We will demonstrate how to do this for each ad blocker in the whitelisting section.

How to unsubscribe from the Acceptable Ads program

Acceptable Ads is enabled by default for Adblock Plus subscribers, but disabling it is simple.

On Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera:

1. In your toolbar, click the Adblock Plus icon.
2. Following that, click on the gear icon in the top-right corner.
3. Scroll down to Acceptable Ads on the General tab.
4. Allow Acceptable Ads is unchecked.
5. Close the menu to hide Acceptable Ads.

Safari on macOS has the following:

1. In the toolbar of your browser, click the Adblock Plus icon.
2. Open Adblock Plus by selecting it.
3. Allow Acceptable Ads is unchecked.

In the Android Adblock Browser:

1. Navigate to the browser’s menu bar by clicking on the menu icon.
2. Click on Settings, then on Ad blocking.
3. Select Acceptable Advertisements.
4. Allow for some non-intrusive advertising to go unchecked.

On the iOS version of Adblock Plus

1. Open the app and click the Settings icon at the bottom of the page.
2. Select Acceptable Advertisements.
3. Allow certain non-intrusive advertisements to toggle off settings.

How to include more filter lists into Adblock Plus

If you want to prevent advertisements and other types of content that are not limited to the default filters, you may do so by adding additional pre-existing filter lists. As we covered in the Which ad-blocking filter list should you use? section, there are many options.

You may create a new filter list by following the instructions on your browser. It’s worth noting that Safari on macOS and iOS cannot add pre-existing filter lists. Individual websites, on the other hand, may be added to an allowlist.

Mozilla Firefox (on desktop)

1. In the Firefox toolbar, click the Adblock Plus icon.
2. To access the Adblock Plus Settings tab, click the gear icon in the top-right corner.
3. Select the Advanced option, then scroll down to Filter Lists.
4. To open the box to add filter lists, choose Add a new filter list.
5. In this box, in the Filter list name area, type the title of the filter list you want to add.
6. In the Filter list URL box, enter the URL for the desired filter list.
7. Select Add a filter list.
8. That is all that is required. Once the tab is closed, a new filter list will begin blocking the information contained inside.

Chrome (desktop browser)

1. In the toolbar of your Chrome browser, click the Adblock Plus icon.
2. In the top-right corner, click the gear icon. This will launch the Adblock Plus Preferences dialog box.
3. Select the Advanced tab from the options and then the Filter Lists section.
4. By clicking the Add a new filter list button, a box to create filter lists will appear.
5. In this box, in the Filter list name area, type the name of your chosen filter list.
6. In the Filter list URL input box, enter the URL for the filter list.
7. Select the button Add a filter list. If the word “Just now” shows next to the list, it indicates that the new filter list was successfully inserted. You may now close the tab.

Microsoft Edge (desktop browser)

1. Launch the Microsoft Edge browser and then click the Adblock Plus toolbar button.
2. In the top-right corner, click the gear icon. This will launch the Adblock Plus Preferences dialog box.
3. To access the Filter Lists section, choose the Advanced tab and then the Filter Lists section.
4. Select Add a new filter list to open the window.
5. In the Filter list URL box, enter the URL for the desired filter list.
6. Add a filter list by selecting Add a filter list. If the operation was successful, the words “Just now” will be displayed near the list. You may now close the tab.

How to build your own Adblock Plus filter list

Along with default Adblock Plus filter lists and pre-existing filter lists, you may also build your list of content to block. This offers you more control and enables you to block the things that irritate you the most while still allowing any advertisements, scripts, requests, or pictures that you want to view.

Adblock Plus supports the creation of custom filters only on browsers that implement the WebExtensions API. These include Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Yandex.

Create your filters in any of the browsers mentioned above by:

1. By clicking on the Adblock Plus icon in your browser’s toolbar.
2. By clicking the gear icon in the top-right corner. This opens the Adblock Plus Settings’ General tab.
3. By selecting the Advanced menu item and scrolling down to MY FILTER LIST. By entering the information in the box and clicking ADD, new filters may be created.

Using Adblock Plus to create your own blocking filters

To block anything at the network level in Adblock Plus, just add it using the steps outlined in the preceding section. For instance, you may block https://fakewebsite.com by entering it in the input box and clicking ADD.

This, however, will disable the whole website, which is inconvenient if you want to view other content on fakewebsite.com. If this is the case, you may want to be more precise and disable just the features that irritate you. This may be accomplished by entering a URL such as https://fakewebsite.com/ads or https://fakewebsite.com/ads.banner*.gif.

Using Adblock Plus to create your own content filters

Instead of hiding the whole page, content filters may be used to conceal particular parts on a website. They are a bit more involved, but they are still produced by entering the information and pressing ADD, as explained before.

To do this, you must examine the source code of a web page whenever you encounter anything you want to block. It’s a bit complex, and we have far too many other topics to discuss, so you’re probably better off visiting the Adblock Plus website to learn more.

Using Adblock Plus to create your own exception filters

At times, your Adblock Plus add-on may prevent you from seeing what you want to view. Exception filters may be used to unblock certain requests or components. @@ syntax is used for exception filters.

For instance, if https://fakewebsite.com/ was banned by Adblock Plus and you did not want it to be, you might create an exception filter to enable you to see all pages. Simply write @@||fakewebsite.com$document and click ADD to get access to the site’s whole collection of pages.

The Adblock Plus website has more information on how to create exceptions.

How to whitelist websites in Adblock Plus that you want to support

If you wish to assist a website and guarantee that it receives some advertising money to continue operating, you may whitelist it in Adblock Plus. This will enable the website to continue to show advertisements. All you have to do is follow the steps below that correspond to your browser:

Mozilla Firefox (on desktop)

1. In the Firefox toolbar, click the Adblock Plus icon.
2. To access the Adblock Plus Settings tab, click the gear icon in the top-right corner.
3. Select Whitelisted websites from the dropdown.
4. In the input box, type the website’s URL, for example, www.privacyexplore.com.
5. By clicking ADD WEBSITE, the website will be added to the whitelist. You may now contribute to the website’s support every time you visit.

Chrome (desktop browser)

1. In the toolbar of your Chrome browser, click the Adblock Plus icon.
2. In the top-right corner, click the gear icon. This will take you to the General tab of the Adblock Plus Settings menu.
3. Select the Whitelisted websites option from the settings menu.
4. Enter the website’s URL, for example, www.privacyexplore.com, in the input box.
5. Select ADD WEBSITE. This will add the site to your whitelist, enabling you to continue to support it whenever you visit it.

Microsoft Edge (desktop browser)

1. Select the Adblock Plus button in the toolbar of the Microsoft Edge browser.
2. In the top-right corner, click the gear icon. This will bring up the Adblock Plus Settings dialog box.
3. Select the tab “Whitelisted websites.”
4. Enter the URL of the website you want to unblock, for example, www.privacyexplore.com.
5. To begin, click the ADD WEBSITE button. After that, the website will be whitelisted.

Safari (desktop browser)

1. From the Safari browser’s toolbar, click the Adblock Plus button.
2. Select Open Adblock Plus from the pop-up menu.
3. Select the Whitelist option.
4. Input the website’s URL, for example, www.privacyexplore.com.
5. By clicking ADD WEBSITE, you will now be contributing to the website’s support.

Safari (iOS browser)

1. Launch the Adblock Plus program on your iPhone.
2. To begin, click the Tools button.
3. Select websites that have been whitelisted.
4. Enter the URL of your choice in the box below. Create a whitelist entry for a website.
5. Close the app by clicking the + sign. This is all that is required to whitelist the website.

AdBlock

Another significant participant in the market is AdBlock. While the business is unaffiliated with Adblock Plus, it is a member of the Acceptable Ads program. As a result, the section What is permitted via the Acceptable Ads program? also applies here.

What does AdBlock block in its default filter?

AdBlock’s default ad-blocking filter lists are EasyList and Anti-Circumvention, but it also supports Acceptable Ads. Both of these issues were addressed at the beginning of the Adblock Plus section, so you can just go to that part for more information.

How to opt-out of Acceptable Advertisements

While AdBlock’s instructions for opting out of Acceptable Ads are not as clear as Adblock Plus’s, they are still reasonably simple to find and follow.

For Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge:

1. In the toolbar of your browser, click the AdBlock icon.
2. In the resulting menu, click the Gear icon.
3. Navigate to the tab Filter lists.
4. Uncheck the checkbox Acceptable Ads.
5. When you refresh the website, the advertisements that were sent through the Acceptable Ads program will be removed.

For Safari on macOS:

1. Within the Safari browser toolbar, click the AdBlock icon.
2. Select Settings.
3. Navigate to the Filter Lists tab in the newly opened window.
4. Uncheck the Allow certain non-intrusive advertisements check box.
5. Reload the page to remove the Acceptable Ads.

For Safari on iOS:

1. Begin by launching the AdBlock for Mobile application.
2. Select Settings.
3. Turn off the Allow some non-intrusive advertising option.
4. Reload the website and the Acceptable Ads network advertisements should be gone.

How to include more filter lists with AdBlock

Additionally, AdBlock enables users to create filter lists to block more particular advertisements, trackers, and other annoyances. Certain filter lists, on the other hand, are only available for the AdBlock extension on certain devices.

Simply follow the steps below for the relevant browser to add an existing filter list. It’s worth noting that Apple enables you to change existing filter lists only on iOS and macOS. It does not permit the addition of new filter lists.

Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge (desktop)

1. Select the AdBlock icon from your browser’s toolbar.
2. From the popup, click the gear icon.
3. Navigate to the Filter Lists tab in the left-hand menu.
4. After that, you may check the circles next to any other filter list you want to activate.
5. If your preferred list is not shown, you may add it by entering the URL in the box underneath Custom Filter Lists and clicking Subscribe.

For Safari on macOS:

1. Within the Safari browser toolbar, click the AdBlock icon.
2. Select Settings.
3. Navigate to the Filter Lists tab in the newly opened window.
4. Uncheck the Allow certain non-intrusive advertisements check box.
5. Reload the page to remove the Acceptable Ads.

For Safari on iOS:

1. Begin by launching the AdBlock for Mobile application.
2. Select Settings.
3. Turn off the Allow some non-intrusive advertising option.
4. Reload the website and the Acceptable Ads network advertisements should be gone.

How to build your own AdBlock filter list

Custom filters are available on AdBlock, but only on Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Since configuring AdBlock correctly may take some debugging, we will just point you to AdBlock’s tutorial rather than going through the overview here.

How to whitelist websites in AdBlock that you want to support

Allowing websites like PrivacyExplore to display your advertisements allows them to earn a small amount of advertising money each time you visit. This is achievable via the AdBlock add-on without being inundated with advertisements elsewhere, a technique known as whitelisting.

To add a website to your whitelist, follow the steps below for your browser type:

Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge (desktop)

1. Click the AdBlock icon in your toolbar while visiting the page you want to whitelist.
2. In the pop-up menu, you’ll notice Pause on this site:, as well as two boxes labeled “Once” and “Always.” To enable advertisements every time you visit the site, click Always.

Safari on macOS

1. While visiting the website that you wish to whitelist, click on the Adblock icon in the Safari toolbar.
2. Select Allow advertising on the site from the option that appears.
3. The site will immediately refresh, this time with the advertisements unblocked.

Safari on iOS

1. To access the AdBlock application’s settings, navigate to the AdBlock application and tap the Settings button.
2. Select Websites for the Allowlist (an allowlist is essentially AdBlock’s word for a whitelist).
3. Enter the domain name of the website, for example, privacyexplore.com, in the input box.
4. Choose Go and then Settings to add the website on the whitelist. AdBlock may take up to 30 seconds to process the modifications.

uBlock Origin

uBlock Origin is the most versatile ad blocker available, and it is widely used in privacy circles. It offers a plethora of functions, but we will just cover the essentials. Please keep in mind that this ad blocker is called uBlock Origin and should not be confused with the standard uBlock.

What does uBlock Origin’s default filter block?

By default, uBlock Origin includes the following filter lists, which may all be disabled individually:

• uBlock filters – uAssets — These filters have been tuned for use with uBlock Origin and are intended to be used in conjunction with EasyList.
• uBlock filters – Badware risks — This ad-blocking filter list excludes websites known to carry malware. Badware is a term that refers to programs that behave in an irreversible or misleading manner, as well as to those that engage in unpleasant conduct.
• uBlock filters – Privacy — These filters are set with the ‘important’ filter option, which prevents exception filters from overriding them.
• uBlock filters – Resource abuse — This ad-blocking filter list is intended to prevent websites from abusing bandwidth or CPU resources without the user’s explicit permission.
• uBlock filters – Unbreak — This filter list is intended to repair websites that have been harmed by default-enabled third-party filter lists.
• EasyList — We covered this filter list in detail in the section on Adblock Plus.
• EasyPrivacy — EasyPrivacy extends the functionality of EasyList by eliminating different kinds of tracking, such as scripts, web bugs, and information collectors. Its objective is to safeguard the user’s privacy.
• Online Malicious URL Blocklist — This list restricts access to websites that are used to distribute malware.
• Peter Lowe’s Ad and tracking server list — This collection of ad-blocking filters includes the host files used to block trackers, advertisements, and other internet annoyances.

This is a much greater number of default filter lists than the ad blocks previously stated. Together, they block a much larger percentage of advertising, trackers, and other internet annoyances than others do by default. This may be beneficial if you despise advertisements, but it may also result in more websites breaking and requiring some tweaking.

If you want to show your support for your favorite websites, be sure you whitelist them as described below. While uBlock Origin may be an excellent option from a user standpoint, it may result in less revenue for websites you respect.

How to include more filter lists into uBlock Origin

Additional filter lists may be added to uBlock origin:

1. In the toolbar of your browser, click the uBlock Origin icon.
2. Select the three gears from the pop-up menu.
3. This will redirect you to a new page. Ascertain that you are on the Filter listings tab, and then scroll to the bottom.
4. You’ll notice + Custom with an Import check box underneath it. Select the checkbox to create a new input field.
5. Enter the URLs for the third-party filters you want to import, one per line.

How to build your own uBlock Origin filter list

By following the links, you may add your filters and rules to uBlock Origin. Rather than discussing these choices in detail, we’ll discuss one of uBlock Origin’s most useful tools, the Element Picker.

The Element Picker is helpful because it enables you to quickly block any advertisements that may sneak through or other distracting elements on a page.

Assume you despise the news and get angry even when you see it on Wikipedia. All that is required is that you:

1. Select uBlock Origin from the toolbar, then mouse over the little eyedropper icon that reads Enter element picker mode.
2. As you move your mouse across the website, you’ll notice that different elements have taken on a faint pink hue. Shift your cursor until a pink box appears around the part you want to delete, then left click inside that area.

A box with a variety of choices will appear. By clicking Create, the element you want to delete will be removed.

This function may assist you in removing a variety of annoyances that are not considered to be advertisements. All it does is automatically generate a filter for you without you having to enter it into uBlock. If you go to the Settings page of uBlock Origin and then to the My filters tab, you will see the element you just banned at the bottom of the list.

How to whitelist websites in uBlock Origin that you want to support

By clicking on the uBlock Origin button in your toolbar, you may whitelist your favorite websites to show your support. In the pop-up menu, you’ll see a large blue power button. Simply wait for it to become gray and then reload the page. Once it reloads, uBlock will be disabled for that page.

AdGuard

AdGuard is another well-known ad blocker that works across a variety of platforms. It’s an especially compelling choice for Apple users since ad blockers are often limited in functioning on iOS and macOS. While this is a consequence of Apple’s rules, AdGuard seems to have managed them better than a number of the alternatives.

According to AdGuard’s search ads and self-promotion policy, certain ads are enabled by default. However, this option can simply be toggled off at the top of the options.

What does AdGuard’s default filter block?

By default, AdGuard activates its AdGuard Base filter, as well as a filter that permits the ad types listed before. The Base filter is based on EasyFilter, however, AdGuard has changed it.

How to incorporate more filter lists into AdGuard

Additional filter lists may be enabled in the majority of popular browsers by:

1. By clicking on the AdGuard icon in the toolbar of your browser and then the gear icon in the top-right corner. This will take you to the AdGuard settings page.
2. On the left, click Filters.
3. This page will provide a list of available features, such as Ad Blocking, Privacy, and Social Widgets. Click on any of them to see the filters available within that category. Toggle the filter on or off if you discover the one you wish to use.
4. When you return to the Filters menu, verify that the category toggle is likewise set to on.

For example, suppose you wish to activate EasyPrivacy. To begin, you must locate it (hint: it is located in Privacy). Return to the main Filter menu by flicking the EasyPrivacy toggle to the on position. When you return to the Filter menu, ensure that the Privacy toggle is likewise set to on. Carry out this procedure for each filter list that you want to activate.

If none of these categories include the filter you’re looking for, just click on Custom at the bottom of the Filter menu. Click Add custom filters and then enter the URL of the desired filter list. Additional list URLs are available on Filterlists.

Safari on macOS

1. In the Safari toolbar, click AdGuard, then choose settings by clicking on the gear icon.
2. Select the Filters tab from the main settings menu.
3. You may modify the filter list in a way similar to what was described before. Apple’s limitations, on the other hand, have hampered the system’s operation, and AdGuard utilizes content filters to enable extra functionality.

Content blockers are just groups of filters with a common theme. These include the following:

• AdGuard General
• AdGuard Privacy
• AdGuard Social
• AdGuard Security
• AdGuard Other
• AdGuard Custom

When enabled, each of the above filters out different advertisements, trackers, and other annoyances. Aside from AdGuard Custom, which enables you to enter the URL for a pre-existing filter list, they are all very self-explanatory. For further details on how AdGuard content filters work on Safari, you can consult this overview.

If you’re dissatisfied with Apple’s Safari browser restrictions, you may be interested in AdGuard’s macOS software. This option provides a more comprehensive set of functions.

AdGuard for iOS

Once again, Apple’s limitations hinder the creation of ad-blocking filter lists. AdGuard for iOS, like the Safari browser plugin, filters material using the same six themed content blocks. They may be customized by adjusting the filter lists that comprise them.

1. Navigate to the Settings menu in the AdGuard app.
2. By selecting Safari protection and Filters
3. Then, depending on your requirements, you may turn the necessary filters on and off.

Further information on how these new filters operate in AdGuard for iOS may be found in the company’s documentation.

How to create your own AdGuard filter list

AdGuard enables you to build custom filters. Simply follow the steps below for the browser or operating system you’re using:

The majority of web browsers (except Safari)

In AdGuard, you may build your filters by clicking on the AdGuard icon in the toolbar and then selecting User rules from the settings menu. However, because this involves some complex syntax that would take an inordinate amount of time to explain, you should refer to the AdGuard page.

Safari on macOS

Safari on macOS enables you to define custom filtering rules. To do this:

1. Navigate to AdGuard in the Safari toolbar, then click on the gear icon to see the settings.
2. Select the Filters tab and then Custom.
3. You may now add custom filters using the syntax described in this tutorial to build ad filters.

AdGuard for iOS

You may apply your own custom rules to Safari on iOS to restrict websites and advertisements. You will need AdGuard for the iOS program to do this:

1. Navigate to the AdGuard for iOS app’s Settings.
2. Select Safari protection from the menu.
3. Toggle the ON/OFF switch to Safari user rules.
4. Then, using the syntax described on the How to build your own ad filters page, you may add your own rules to prevent advertising.

Take note that many of these rules may not function properly due to Safari’s limitations.

How to whitelist websites in AdGuard that you want to support

If you want to show your support for your favorite websites, you can add them to the Whitelist, which will prevent them from being blocked when you visit them. On the majority of major browsers, you can add sites to it by:

1. By clicking on AdGuard in your web browser’s toolbar.
2. By clicking the gear icon, you may go to the settings.
3. Select Whitelist from the menu on the left inside the settings.
4. By typing the domain name into the input field, for example, privacyexplore.com. Automatically, the webpage will be stored.

Safari on macOS

At the time of writing, the AdGuard website did not include a section on how to whitelist websites via its Safari web extension. While there may be a better method, you can probably accomplish comparable functionality by using the syntax described in AdGuard’s guide on creating custom rules.

AdGuard for iOS

You may whitelist websites on Safari using the AdGuard for iOS app:

1. Navigate to the AdGuard for iOS app’s Settings.
2. Select Safari protection from the menu.
3. Select Allowlist and then enter the domain, for example, privacyexplore.com, in the input box. Once the program has saved the domain, it will whitelist the website.