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Managing Custom Filters

This article explains how AdBlock360's filter lists work and how to add your own rules or lists.

What Are Filter Lists?

Filter lists are maintained sets of rules that determine what AdBlock360 blocks: ads, trackers, analytics, and unwanted connections. A filter list contains domain and URL patterns — no personal data from users.

AdBlock360 ships with several established community filter lists (such as EasyList) combined with its own rules.

Built-in Lists Update Automatically

You don't manage the built-in filter lists yourself. They are kept current and update automatically in the background — there is no "Filter Lists" page and no manual "Update" button in Settings. Sensible lists are active right after installation and cover what most users need.

Adding Your Own Filters

If you want more control, you can add your own filters under Settings → Advanced → Custom Filters. There are two buttons.

Upload ruleset (a local file)

Use Upload ruleset to add a rule file from your computer:

  1. Open Settings → Advanced → Custom Filters.
  2. Click Upload ruleset and pick a .txt file (AdGuard-compatible rule format).
  3. The file is added to the list, named Local file: <filename>.

Note: A local-file filter is tied to the file and to ad blocking being on. If you delete the source file from your device or turn AdBlocking off, the local custom filter disappears from the list.

Add Filter List (a remote URL)

Use Add Filter List to subscribe to a list hosted online:

  1. Open Settings → Advanced → Custom Filters.
  2. Click Add Filter List and enter the URL of a publicly reachable list.
  3. AdBlock360 fetches the list and keeps it updated automatically while it's enabled.

When a filter is added successfully you'll see "Filter was uploaded successfully!". If it fails, you'll see "Failed to add a custom filter. Please check the file or URL and try again" — double-check the file or URL.

Enabling, Disabling, and Removing a Filter

Each item in the Custom Filters list has a toggle and a trash icon:

  • Toggle it off to disable a filter without deleting it. (If toggling fails you'll see "Failed to enable a custom filter." or "Failed to disable a custom filter".)
  • Trash icon removes the filter entirely. On success you'll see "Filter was deleted successfully!".

Tips

  • Less is more. Don't add every list you find — overlapping lists increase memory usage and can unintentionally break individual websites.
  • Pause a list to debug. If a site stops working correctly after you add a list, disable that list temporarily to test.
  • Use trusted sources only. A malicious list could change blocking behavior in unintended ways.
  • To exempt whole sites from ad blocking, the simpler route is Disable AdBlocking on a Website.
  • More background on filtering and privacy: Privacy & Security.

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