DeepBlocker, explained

Getting started

DeepBlocker is a content blocker. Its Manifest V2 package, described here, is verified on Microsoft Edge. It inspects the requests a page makes and stops the ones that filter lists identify as advertising, tracking or nuisance content, before the browser loads them.

There is nothing to sign up for and nothing to configure before it works. After installing, DeepBlocker downloads its filter lists and starts blocking on the next page you load.

Download version 2.0.0, then follow the installation steps below.

Packages and browser support

Browsers are moving from Manifest V2 to Manifest V3, the extension format that decides how a content blocker may work. DeepBlocker is built for both, as two separate packages:

• Manifest V2, legacy compatibility: stable, version 2.0.0. The complete DeepBlocker engine: it checks every request itself as a page loads, with every filter list, protection mode and the blocked page. Verified on Microsoft Edge 156 for Windows. Google Chrome 139 and later no longer runs Manifest V2 extensions.
• Manifest V3, modern track: in development. For browsers that run only Manifest V3 extensions, such as Google Chrome. The browser does the filtering, from rules made from the same 16 default filter lists. It is being tested in Google Chrome 156 (with Chrome for Testing) and Microsoft Edge 156 for Windows, and it is not available to download until it passes its release checks.

Microsoft is phasing out Manifest V2 extensions in Edge: some users see deprecation warnings since mid-September 2026, and deprecation for businesses is expected to begin in early 2027. Support depends on the browser, its version and its policies, and can change: it was last verified 1 November 2026, in Edge 156 and against Microsoft's and Google's current guidance. Brave, Opera and Vivaldi have not been tested, and neither package is built for Firefox or Safari. DeepBlocker is not in any browser's extension store.

The addresses /downloads/latest-mv2.zip and /downloads/latest.zip always serve the newest Manifest V2 package, the same file as the versioned download. There is no such address for the Manifest V3 package while it is in development.

Installation

These steps are for Microsoft Edge, where version 2.0.0, the Manifest V2 package, is verified (Edge 156 for Windows). It takes about a minute.

1. Download the ZIP. Save DeepBlocker_2.0.0_MV2.zip from the download section.
2. Extract it. Unzip it into a permanent folder — for example Documents\DeepBlocker. The folder you point the browser at must contain manifest.json directly inside it.
3. Turn on Developer mode. Open edge://extensions and switch on Developer mode.
4. Load unpacked. Choose Load unpacked and select the folder from step 2. DeepBlocker appears in the list and its icon appears in the toolbar.

Pin the toolbar icon

Browsers often hide new extensions behind a puzzle-piece button. Click it and pin DeepBlocker so the popup is one click away.

Verify what you downloaded

Each release has a published SHA-256 checksum on the download section. To check the file you received, run this in PowerShell in the folder where you saved it:

Get-FileHash .\DeepBlocker_2.0.0_MV2.zip -Algorithm SHA256

The value it prints should match the one published on this site exactly.

Using DeepBlocker

Day to day, the popup is the only part you need. Click the DeepBlocker icon in the toolbar while you are on a page.

The power button

Shows Protected when blocking is on. Press it to turn DeepBlocker off for the site you are on: the popup then shows Disabled, every other site stays protected, and DeepBlocker remembers the choice for that site until you press the button again. Hold Ctrl (Cmd on a Mac) while pressing it to turn it off for just the current page instead.

Blocked here

How many requests were blocked on the page currently open, and what share of that page's requests that was.

Total blocked

The running total since you installed DeepBlocker, counted on your device only.

Domains contacted

Of all the domains the page tried to reach, how many it was actually allowed to connect to, for example 4 out of 5.

Shortcuts

The four cards below the counters (Ads, Popups, Cookie banners and Trackers) open the settings or filter lists that control each one.

Settings · Filter lists · About

Open the matching page of the DeepBlocker dashboard.

Pages that are not filtered

On browser pages such as the new tab page, or on DeepBlocker's own pages, the popup reads Not active here — Only websites are filtered and the power button does nothing. Only websites are filtered, so there is nothing to switch off there.

Protection modes

A protection mode is a ready-made selection of filter lists. Each mode adds to the one before it, so moving up never removes protection — it adds more. You change modes on the Settings page.

A new install already blocks ads, trackers, known malicious and phishing domains, cookie banners and common annoyances, without you choosing anything. The modes are there to move that line up or down.

Settings

Open Settings from the popup. The page is short on purpose.

Each option is a switch. One that your browser does not support is switched off and marked Not available in this browser. If your list selection matches none of the three modes — after turning individual lists on or off, for example — the page says Custom filter selection next to the heading instead of marking a mode.

Protection

Auto-update filter lists

Keeps your lists current in the background. On by default; leave it on unless you have a reason not to.

Show blocked count on the toolbar icon

Puts a small number on the DeepBlocker icon showing what was blocked on the current page.

Hide blocked ad placeholders

Collapses the empty space an advert would have occupied, instead of leaving a gap.

Start protection after filters are ready

Briefly holds page loads just after the browser starts, so the first pages you open are filtered too rather than slipping through while lists load.

Privacy

Block browser prefetch connections

Stops the browser from connecting to pages and servers ahead of time, in case you might visit them.

Block hyperlink auditing

Stops the background "you clicked this link" pings some sites attach to their links.

Reduce browser report traffic

Stops the automatic security-policy violation reports that browsers send back to websites.

Detect CNAME cloaked trackers

Catches trackers disguised as part of the site's own domain. It depends on a browser feature Chromium browsers do not have, so it is switched off and marked Not available in this browser.

Local data

Shows how much storage DeepBlocker is using, and lets you back up your settings to a file, restore them, or reset everything to defaults. Backups are ordinary files on your device — nothing is uploaded.

Filter lists

Filter lists are the rules that decide what gets blocked. They are maintained by independent volunteer projects, and DeepBlocker ships a catalogue of 71 of them to choose from.

You do not have to manage these yourself — picking a protection mode selects a sensible set for you. The page is there when you want to look, or to add something specific.

The summary at the top gives the status of your lists and when they were last updated, then five counts: Enabled lists, Available lists, how many of those are Recommended, how many Need update, and how many Failed to load. They count filter lists only — your own My filters is not one of them — which is why these numbers match the ones on Diagnostics.

What you can do here

• See what is active — lists are grouped by what they cover, with the number of rules each contributes.
• Turn individual lists on or off, then apply your changes.
• Update filter content — fetch the newest version of every enabled list immediately.
• Recommended and Reset defaults — go back to a known-good selection in one click.

Diagnostics

Diagnostics answers one question: is DeepBlocker actually working right now? Open it from the Settings page or from the dashboard's top bar.

It reports:

• Engine status — whether filtering has started.
• Filter status — whether lists are loaded, how many are enabled, and how many exist in the catalogue.
• Rules in use — how many blocking rules and how many page-cleanup rules are active.
• Background checks — whether DeepBlocker can reach the dashboard, the active tab and page statistics, and whether the browser permissions it relies on are in place.

If something is wrong, this is the first page to open — and the fastest thing to include if you ask for help.

Updating

Which version do I have?

Open the popup and choose About. It shows the installed version and package, and its Changelog button lists every release.

Filter lists

These update themselves in the background while Auto-update filter lists is on. To refresh them immediately, open Filter lists and choose Update filter content, or use Update filters on the Diagnostics page.

DeepBlocker itself

Because DeepBlocker is installed from a folder, the browser does not update it for you. To move to a new version:

1. Download the new ZIP from this site.
2. Extract it over your existing DeepBlocker folder, replacing the old files.
3. Open your browser's extensions page and press Reload on the DeepBlocker card.

Your protection mode, list selection and counters are kept — they are stored by the browser, not inside the folder. Use the same folder as before: the browser treats a folder in a different location as a different extension, which starts with fresh settings. Moving from 1.4.x to 2.0.0 works the same way: 2.0.0 is the Manifest V2 package and replaces 1.4.x in place.

Troubleshooting

A website looks broken or a feature stopped working

Work through this in order; the first step fixes most cases.

1. Step down a protection mode — Ultra to Strong, or Strong to Standard — and reload the page.
2. Open Filter lists and choose Update filter content. Breakage is often already fixed in the lists.
3. Press the power button in the popup to turn DeepBlocker off for that site, and reload. If the page is still broken, DeepBlocker is not the cause. Press the button again to turn protection back on.

Nothing is being blocked

• Check the popup says Protected. If it says Disabled, DeepBlocker is turned off for this site; press the power button to turn it back on. Not active here means the page is not a website — a browser page such as the new tab page — and nothing there is filtered.
• Open Diagnostics. If filters are not loaded, wait a moment after a browser restart, then use Update filter content on the Filter lists page.
• Counters only cover pages loaded since DeepBlocker started — reload the page you are testing.

DeepBlocker disappeared after a restart

The browser disables a folder-installed extension if the folder is moved, renamed or deleted. Put the folder back, or load it again with Load unpacked.

The browser warns about Developer mode extensions

Some Chromium browsers show a prompt about extensions running in Developer mode, with an option to turn them off. Keep them on. If DeepBlocker was switched off, turn it back on from the extensions page.

Starting over

On the Settings page, Reset DeepBlocker defaults restores the recommended protection mode and list selection. Reset settings clears everything DeepBlocker has stored and returns it to a fresh install.

FAQ

Is DeepBlocker free?

Yes. There are no paid tiers, no subscriptions and nothing to buy.

Which browsers does it work in?

The Manifest V2 package runs in Microsoft Edge, verified on Edge 156 for Windows. Google Chrome 139 and later does not run it. A Manifest V3 package for Chrome and other current browsers is in development and not available to download yet. Neither package is built for Firefox or Safari, and Brave, Opera and Vivaldi have not been tested. The browser support table lists each browser.

Why is it not in the extension store?

DeepBlocker is not in any browser's extension store. It is distributed as a ZIP you load yourself; that is why no store account is involved, and why you keep the folder on your device.

What is Manifest V2, and does it matter?

Manifest V2 is the extension format the current DeepBlocker package uses. It allows an extension to inspect each request as a page loads and decide whether to block it, which is what makes filtering thorough. Browsers are retiring this format: Google Chrome no longer runs it, and Microsoft is phasing it out in Edge, which may show a notice about it. DeepBlocker 2.0.0 runs normally in Microsoft Edge 156.

Is there a version for Google Chrome?

Not yet. Chrome 139 and later runs only Manifest V3 extensions. DeepBlocker's Manifest V3 package is in development; it will be offered here once it passes its release checks, which first needs its filter lists to update between versions. It will not have protection modes or the 55 optional filter lists.

Does DeepBlocker slow down my browsing?

Blocking a request means the browser never downloads it, so ad-heavy pages often finish loading sooner. DeepBlocker does its matching on your device as each request is made.

Does it block ads on video sites?

The filter lists include rules aimed at in-page video advertising, and they work on many sites. Some large platforms actively work against blockers, so results there change over time and are never guaranteed.

Can I turn DeepBlocker off for one site?

Yes. Open the popup on that site and press the power button. DeepBlocker stays off for that site, and only that site, until you press it again.

Will my settings survive an update?

Yes. Settings and counters are stored by the browser, not in the DeepBlocker folder, so replacing the folder keeps them. You can also back them up to a file from Settings.

Does DeepBlocker have an account or sync?

No. There is no account, no sign-in and no cloud sync. Moving your setup to another device is done with the backup file from Settings.

Privacy

DeepBlocker has no servers and no backend. It does not collect, transmit or sell anything: no telemetry, no analytics, no identifiers, no browsing history.

• Stored on your device only — your protection mode and settings, your enabled lists and their cached contents, and local counters such as how many requests were blocked.
• The only outbound requests are to public filter-list providers, to download updated list content. Nothing about you is sent with them.
• No remote code — everything DeepBlocker runs ships inside the extension.

The full text, including the permissions DeepBlocker asks for and why, is in the privacy policy.

Uninstalling

1. Open edge://extensions (or your browser's own extensions page).
2. Find DeepBlocker and choose Remove.
3. Delete the folder you extracted, if you no longer want it.

Removing the extension deletes the settings, lists and counters the browser was storing for it. Nothing is left behind anywhere else, because nothing was stored anywhere else.