Privacy 3 min read
How ad blocking works — and what to try when a site breaks
You open an article and have to dismiss several ads before reaching the text. A blocker removes some of those interruptions by stopping requests and hiding unwanted elements. Occasionally, a rule also catches code a site needs.
One blocker, two kinds of work
A web page is assembled from text, images, videos and scripts. Some resources come from the site itself; others come from advertising networks and analytics services. A blocker checks requests against rules and stops those that match. Other rules hide advertising elements in the page after it loads.
Sverk for Windows includes a blocker that runs from the first launch in a regular window. You do not need a second one just to enable blocking. Running several blockers together also makes it harder to find the cause when something stops working.
The counter measures requests, not ads
A single ad can make several network requests. Conversely, one blocked script might have created several ads. “Blocked requests” therefore does not mean that precisely that many pictures were removed from the page.
The number is not a useful score for comparing unrelated sites either: their pages load differently. Judge a familiar page by the outcome instead. Is the text still there? Does the video work? Are the interruptions gone?
When a button, sign-in or video stops working
- Reload the page and see whether the issue repeats. A network problem or a site outage can look similar.
- Open the shield on the toolbar and temporarily turn blocking off for this site only. Reload the page.
- Repeat the exact action that failed. If it now works, a blocking rule may be involved.
- Restore blocking when the test is over. If the site needs an exception, keep it limited to that site.
If nothing changes, avoid turning off unrelated security settings at random. Check the site permissions and other extensions; the help pages explain where to look. A page address and a description of the failed action are more useful to support than a screenshot of the counter alone.
What blocking does not promise
Rules evolve as websites change. An ad may slip through, and a rule may occasionally affect something useful. Blocking does not make you anonymous either: sites still see your IP address, and signing in identifies your account.
Sverk Shield does not run in Incognito by default. Allow it in Incognito separately on the extensions page. Test regular windows and Incognito independently.