What is Adblock?
Adblock helps prevent advertisements from loading on the web pages you visit, which improves the speed and safety of your browsing sessions. Adblock is disabled by default.
To enable this feature, go to the Security & Privacy Center and click the slider on the Adblock tile so that it changes from gray (OFF) to green (ON).
How does Adblock work?
Adblockers work by preventing websites from sending requests to external servers that download ads and other content on your browser. Every time you visit a website, the Adblock technology compares the script that the website runs against filter lists to determine what content the website can load.
The majority of the filter lists that are used by Adblock are maintained by a 3rd-party community of developers, which is not affiliated with any company.
How can I adjust the strength of Adblock?
To determine the strength of Adblock, click the Adblock icon to the right of the address bar, then click
Settings (the gear icon).
The following options are available:
- Essential: Blocks all ads that violate the Acceptable Ads Standard, including popups and auto-playing videos.
- Balanced (recommended): Blocks the same ads as Essential blocking, but additionally blocks other non-intrusive ads to improve the speed and safety of your browsing sessions. Some ads that are helpful when searching online will still show in this state.
- Strict: Blocks all ads. We do not recommend selecting this state, as it may cause websites to not load properly, or even make certain websites completely inaccessible.
What are Adblock filter lists?
The filter lists that Adblock uses differ according to your chosen Adblock state. The table below shows which filter lists are used by each available state:
DESCRIPTION |
ESSENTIAL |
BALANCED |
STRICT |
uBlock EasyList: A block list that contains URLs for English websites Goal: removes unwanted content including unformatted images, ads, banners, and tracking |
YES |
YES |
YES |
Acceptable Ads: Approved content and ad formats Goal: supports websites by allowing some non-intrusive, ads to appear on the website |
YES |
NO |
NO |
Local lists: Your personal list of websites that can always show ads Goal: allows you to cutomize Adblock behavior according to your exact requirements |
YES |
YES |
YES |
Custom lists: Search Partner allow list Goal: allows trusted and non-intrusive search-related content to appear while you browse the web. |
YES |
YES |
NO |
Note: When Adblock is turned OFF, it will not provide any filtering at all, and will have no impact on the sites you visit.
Can I stop Adblock blocking ads on a certain website?
Yes. To always allow ads on a particular website:
- Open CCleaner Browser and navigate to the website that you want Adblock to ignore.
- Click the
Adblock icon to the right of the address bar.
- Click Allow ads on this site.
Adblock no longer blocks any ads when you visit this site.
You can alternatively pause Adblock for the current browsing session by following the steps below:
- Click the
Adblock icon to the right of the address bar.
- Select the Pause Adblock button and choose one of the following options:
- Pause Adblock on all sites: Adblock does not block ads on any websites during this browsing session.
- Pause Adblock on this site: Adblock does not block ads on the current website during this browsing session.
Adblock blocks ads according to your preferences during the current browsing session. When you close and reopen CCleaner Browser, Adblock is no longer paused and blocks ads according to your chosen Adblock state.