A Technical Playbook for Eradicating Online Ads

The Problem: Ads Everywhere

Every time a user lands on a site, a cascade of third‑party requests is fired—tracking pixels, ad banners, and pre‑roll videos. For developers and engineers, this not only slows page load times but also introduces privacy and security risks. The author’s goal was simple: eliminate ads from the browsing experience while preserving site functionality.

Layered Strategy

The author’s solution is built on three orthogonal layers:

1. Browser‑level filtering – The foundation.
2. DNS‑level blocking – Catching ads that slip through the browser.
3. Cloud‑based IP masking – Leveraging the ad‑platforms’ anti‑fraud logic.

1. Browser Extensions

The most visible front line is a robust ad‑blocking extension. The author prefers uBlock Origin on Firefox, citing its flexibility and the ability to load custom filter lists.

Built‑in uBlock filters
EasyList
AdGuard – Ads

Custom filters are the key. The author demonstrates how to pick elements with the picker tool and craft rules that target specific pop‑ups or sticky headers. For advanced scenarios, scriptlet resources in uBlock can block JavaScript behaviors that deliver ads.

2. DNS‑Level Filtering

Ad traffic often originates from well‑known domains. By intercepting DNS queries, one can block entire families of ad servers before they even reach the client.

• Pi‑hole or AdGuard Home run as local DNS resolvers.
• The author runs Pi‑hole inside a Docker container on a low‑cost droplet and connects devices via WireGuard.
• Blocklists from Firebog are used, complemented by an allowlist to avoid breaking legitimate services.

# Example WireGuard config snippet
[Interface]
PrivateKey = <key>
Address = 10.0.0.2/24
DNS = 10.0.0.1

[Peer]
PublicKey = <pi-hole-key>
Endpoint = 10.0.0.1:51820
AllowedIPs = 0.0.0.0/0

3. Cloud‑Based VPN Masking

Ad platforms employ fraud‑detection heuristics. Traffic originating from public cloud IP ranges is often treated as suspicious and served with fewer or no ads.

The author’s experiment: Routing all traffic through a DigitalOcean or Hetzner droplet via WireGuard dramatically reduced ads on sites like YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok. It can take from a few hours to a month for the platforms to register the new IP pattern.

Trade‑offs: Some sites block cloud IPs, triggering captchas or HTTP errors. The author mitigates this by toggling the VPN on and off as needed.

Ancillary Tools

• Consent‑O‑Matic for cookie pop‑ups.
• Buster to break captchas.
• SponsorBlock for skipping paid content on streaming services.
• On iOS, disabling Background App Refresh limits data leakage.

Personal Metrics

Over three years, the author reports a near‑complete elimination of ads. The table below summarizes effectiveness across platforms:

Why It Matters

For developers, a cleaner web means faster load times, reduced attack surface, and better user experience. For security professionals, blocking third‑party domains cuts down on data exfiltration vectors. The author’s layered approach offers a reproducible blueprint that balances automation with manual fine‑tuning.

Source: https://troubled.engineer/posts/no-ads/