This program can be configured at an advanced level: search ads and promotion of websites can be enabled, elements hiding and CSS rules set (with some less flexible elements hidden), filter update interval set as desired and more. All settings may also be restored back to factory default if required.
Create user filters manually (requiring knowledge of rule syntax). Do this through the User rules tab or import an already prepared list of filters.
Content blocker
Standalone apps go beyond browser-based ad blockers by filtering ads and tracking elements at the network level, saving battery and bandwidth while speeding website loading time. Furthermore, these standalone apps may block some ads which cannot be blocked with extensions due to browser limitations – for instance CNAME-cloaked tracking which requires DNS filtering only.
AdGuard uses similar syntax to Adblock Plus; however, with additional modifiers that make rules even more flexible. A $path modifier, for instance, restricts rule application only in specific locations on websites and can even accommodate regular expressions and special characters.
Modifiers like $jsonprune allow filters to only apply to pages of certain formats (for instance HTML) while also limiting the number of lines per page and preventing filtering from taking up too much CPU or memory resources.
The $replace modifier allows you to replace parts of URL requests in requests made for certain types of spam and phishing attacks, providing an effective solution against some forms of spam and phishing attacks. It can be combined with other modifiers and can even use wildcard TLDs. It can even be negated using ||. Finally, AdGuard for Windows/Mac/Android and AdGuard Browser Extension for Firefox support rules that use this modifier purely as readability improvers; in contrast to all the others which only support rules using $replace/|| or using ||/noop modifiers!
Ad blocker
Adguard Web Filter is an efficient browser extension designed to remove ads, trackers and threats while browsing the Internet. It can block ad networks from tracking user data while disabling social media widgets that collect browsing statistics. In addition, Adguard offers numerous additional features, such as tracking blocked ads in figures and graphs as well as DNS protection.
The program features an easy and straightforward user experience, featuring several main categories and subcategories organized with two viewing modes (basic and extended). Expanded or collapsed sub-categories may be expanded or collapsed as needed, and HTML coding filter rules support allows more complex cases than extensions for different browsers can manage.
Add new filters easily, but require some knowledge of rule syntax. You can create your own filter or import one from text files using the Add new filter button, while you can also group multiple rules into folders which saves you time when adding multiple filters at once.
Adguard Web Filter’s AdBlocker feature not only efficiently blocks ads but also speeds up page loading speed by filtering pages before they load to browsers – saving bandwidth while speeding up website loads times. Furthermore, Adguard can filter websites that utilize Extended Validation Certificates that require their owners to go through an intensive verification process before being considered secure websites.
Browsing security
The browsing security feature blocks ads, reduces traffic consumption, loads web pages faster and protects against phishing sites and malware. In addition, Adguard detects antivirus software which could interfere with its work and warns you accordingly.
Adguard in this mode only filters apps with CA certificates installed both in the user store and system store (verified by Adguard), including those downloaded manually by users and downloaded/installed directly by themselves – an effective way of protecting against viruses, Trojans and spyware agents.
User filters allow you to create your own rules for blocking ads and content online, including popups, video ads and any other unwanted material. Furthermore, it enables you to limit or even delete cookies altogether.
Cosmetic rules use CSS, an open and common language understood by every browser, to add a stylesheet with higher priority than inline styles that can hide even elements that browsers display as visible.
Modifiers are parameters that “clarify” a basic rule by expanding or restricting its scope or function. Common modifiers include those which specify a particular request (i.e. pattern), an URL prefix to speed up matching, an exception clause (for long or cryptic URLs), or @@ to mark special characters.
Assistant
This feature allows you to access Adguard settings directly within your browser. Furthermore, it offers many additional functionalities. For instance, it can filter websites that utilize HTTPS – much more secure than regular HTTP – or check whether an EV certificate verifies identity through an extensive, global standard process.
The program can monitor all web requests and present them in various formats for easier rule creation, detect errors and report them back to developers as well as help locate missing files or resolve outdated filter versions.
One important feature is the ability to create your own filter lists, enabling you to block specific elements on any given web page. Filters created this way are stored in the User filter tab and can be activated or deactivated at any time; additionally, this program displays all active protection components including traffic blocking and browsing security features in an easy-to-read graphical view.
AdGuard can be configured to use your default proxy server for updating filters and downloading new ones, or automatically or manually synching changes in its filter repository, making it easy for users to stay up-to-date. Furthermore, AdGuard allows users to exclude certain applications from being checked by AdGuard.
Browsers
AdGuard Home’s primary function is to block ads and other types of online threats in browsers. This feature is offered both standalone programs and extensions for most popular browsers, while additionally it also prevents access to sites which could contain phishing or malware as well as cookies, identifiers and tracking information from apps and websites.
This application includes numerous filters that work across the entire system and are regularly updated, organized into separate filter groups that can be enabled or disabled as desired. Furthermore, an advanced user has access to a debugging tool which displays detailed information on all web requests made by this program.
Other features of the program include Family Protection Mode and SafeSearch, which ensure search results don’t display explicit material like pornography or inappropriate photos. Furthermore, SafeSearch helps encrypt DNS requests to make it harder for third parties to track your searches.
As well as these major modules, the extension offers several smaller but useful settings. You can adjust the filter update interval and specify which DNS servers the program should use to resolve domains. There is even an area dedicated to DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH), for better privacy protection; additionally you can configure it to block websites with Extended Validation SSL certificates.
Network
Within this tab, users may configure network security settings, use AdGuard as an HTTP proxy, and adjust their WFP network driver settings. Furthermore, program logs may be created at either a base level or detailed level to monitor activity and compare statistics.
This app also supports proxies, enabling users to choose their own custom proxy server to update filters, install new versions of programs or filter websites that carry Extended Validation certificates – providing stronger protection.
An important feature is automatic ad blocking when visiting foreign websites, saving time on selecting language-specific filters each time your browser starts up. Plus, the software offers the convenience of automatically launching at login – for even faster and simpler work!
Open-source software gives tech-savvy users a way to inspect its code and improve it, along with inspecting built-in help documentation and taking advantage of forums such as Reddit, Telegram and XDA for solving issues. Furthermore, customer support via email is available.
