Online advertisements are a necessary evil for many websites to generate revenue. However, many internet users find ads annoying and install ad blockers to remove them. This causes issues for website owners who rely on ad revenue. As a result, many sites have implemented ad blocker detection to prevent users with ad blockers from accessing their content.
If you use an ad blocker but still want to access a website that blocks you, there are a few methods you can try to bypass the ad blocker detection.
Understand How Ad Blocker Detection Works
Before trying to bypass ad blocker detection, it helps to understand how it works. There are a few main methods sites use:
- Bait ad code – The website injects bait code that should load an ad. If the ad doesn’t load, they detect the blocker.
- Flow disruption – The website monitors the loading flow of pages. If assets like ads don’t load in the expected sequence, a blocker is detected.
- JavaScript interrogation – Scripts check if ad blocking JavaScript is running and react accordingly if it is.
Knowing the common detection methods can help you identify and troubleshoot issues when trying to bypass the blocking.
Temporarily Disable Your Ad Blocker
The most straightforward option is to simply pause or disable your ad blocker on sites that require it. This will allow ads to be loaded normally and avoid detection.
In most ad blocker extensions, you can toggle blocking on and off for individual sites. Look for an icon or option in the extension to quickly disable blocking for that domain. Just remember to re-enable it when you no longer need access.
Use an Alternative Browser
Many ad blocker extensions are browser-specific. For example, Adblock Plus only works in Chrome and Firefox. Trying an alternative browser without an ad blocker installed can avoid the blocking entirely.
For sites that rely on JavaScript interrogation, using a text-only browser like Lynx completely avoids loading the JavaScript that checks for ad blockers. This isn’t practical for normal browsing but can work in a pinch for accessing specific blocked content.
Whitelist the Website
If you want to permanently allow ads on a certain site, you can whitelist the domain in your ad blocker. This will disable any blocking rules for that website.
To whitelist a site:
- Open the ad blocker extension options.
- Find the whitelisting option.
- Enter the domain you want to allow.
- Save the changes.
With the website whitelisted, ad block detection scripts will no longer find evidence of an ad blocker running on that site.
Remove Specific Filtering Rules
Instead of whitelisting an entire site, you can try deleting just the specific filtering rules that are triggering the ad block detection.
Open the ad blocker dashboard and look for site-specific rules applied to the domain being blocked. For example, rules like “/ads/ad-script.js” or “ads.example.com” that block parts of the site related to ads.
Removing these targeted rules can allow ads and detection scripts to load normally without fully disabling the ad blocker.
Use a Script/Rule Disabler
Tools like uBlock Origin’s logger allow you to temporarily disable just the scripts that contain ad block detection or anti-adblock code.
When you load a page that blocks ad block users, click the logger icon in uBlock Origin. This will reveal the blocking history and requests for that page. Look for any mentions of common detection scripts like “/adblockdetector.js” and click the rule to disable it for that site.
The anti-adblocking scripts will now be allowed to load on that domain only.
Edit the Hosts File
The hosts file acts as a local override of domain name lookups on your device. By editing your hosts file, you can block common ad server domain names that websites rely on to serve ads.
For example, adding:
127.0.0.1 adservice.google.com 127.0.0.1 adsystem.example.net
Will prevent your device from loading ads from those servers. Without the ads loading, the website can’t detect if you have an ad blocker enabled or not.
Note that editing your hosts file can break sites if you block domains that are needed for legitimate content. Only add entries for known ad server domains.
Use a VPN or Proxy
Connecting through a VPN or proxy service can mask your ad blocking traffic from the destination website. By routing your connections through an intermediary server, the site loses visibility into whether ads and detection scripts are blocked by your browser.
Free browser VPN extensions like Browsec can enable this masking without needing to configure a full VPN on your device. Proxies can also filter out ads and hide the blocking from websites.
Block WebRTC IP Leak
Some sites rely on WebRTC technology to detect local IP address information and determine if you are using an ad blocker. Tools like uBlock Origin’s optional setting to block WebRTC can prevent these IP leaks.
With WebRTC disabled, your local IP stays hidden and sites have one less data point to use for ad blocking detection.
Use a User Agent Switcher
Changing your browser’s user agent string can trick some detection scripts. Some sites allow ad blockers on mobile devices but block them on desktop browsers.
Installing an extension to spoof a mobile user agent can help bypass simplistic blocking based on user agent detection. On Firefox, the User-Agent Switcher addon makes this easy to change.
Clear Cache and Cookies
Some ad block detectors rely on browser cache or cookies to function correctly. Clearing your cache and browser cookies can reset these states and allow you to access the site again.
Note that this method may only work temporarily until the site drops new trackers and cookies.
Use an Alternate Domain
If a site checks blockers by domain name, try accessing it via an alternate domain or subdomain that isn’t detecting ad blockers.
For example, a site may enable ad block detection on www.example.com but not detect on sub.example.com. If an alternate path exists to the same content, it’s worth testing to bypass the ad block blocking.
Disable JavaScript
Completely disabling JavaScript can prevent ad block scripts from running at all. This isn’t viable for normal browsing but can be used to temporarily access ad-blocked content.
In Firefox, toggling JavaScript on and off is easy using the QuickJava extension. Chrome requires installing extensions like JavaScript Blocker.
With JavaScript disabled, the main ad block detection techniques no longer work. But interactive sites may not function properly.
Try a Different Ad Blocker
Some ad blockers are better than others at evading detection techniques. If your current ad blocker is frequently blocked, try an alternative.
AdBlock Plus tends to be more easily detected. uBlock Origin maintains lists of anti-adblock scripts to block and can spoof page behavior better to hide blocking activity.
Switching ad blockers or even layering multiple blockers can help avoid issues accessing ad-blocked sites.
Conclusion
Ad blocker detection has led to an “arms race” of increasingly sophisticated methods to detect and circumvent blocking. As websites develop better techniques, ad blockers respond with ever more advanced means of hiding and preventing detection.
As a user, the best options are to either disable your blocker temporarily or find ways to fly under the radar of common detection methods. With some patience and the right tools, you can likely find a combination that will allow you to keep using an ad blocker while still accessing sites normally.
Or if avoiding ads is not absolutely necessary, simply whitelisting sites you want to support can allow normal ad views and prevent issues with anti-adblocking scripts. Finding a middle ground between blocking ads and accessing content is ideal for users and website owners alike.