Ads and trackers
Acira blocks known ad and tracker requests while a page loads, hides the empty space they leave, and blocks pop-up ads. It is on by default. You can turn it off for one site and see how much it blocked.
What it does
- Blocks requests to known ad and tracker servers, using the EasyList, EasyPrivacy and uBlock Origin filter lists.
- Hides leftover ad slots on a page, using the cosmetic rules in the same lists.
- Blocks pop-up ads and pop-unders that a page opens from a click. A window you asked for still opens.
- Works in private windows too. A private window starts with blocking on, whatever the profile switch says, and a change you make there is forgotten when the window closes.
Blocking is separate from phishing and malware warnings. It does not check pages for malware.
Turn blocking on or off
For the whole profile
- Open Settings › Privacy.
- In the Protection group, switch Block ads and trackers. The row says Built-in protection for this profile.
The default is on. Each profile has its own switch. See Profiles.
For one site
- Open the website.
- Open the Ads and trackers panel. Choose Ads and trackers in the Acira menu, or use the Ads and trackers button if you added it to the toolbar. See Toolbar and menu.
- Switch Block ads and trackers on this site.
- Choose Reload when the panel says Reload to apply.
The panel shows the site's name and says Saved for this site in this profile. In a private window it says the choice applies to this private session and is forgotten afterwards.
You can also use the Protection row at the top of the Page information panel, which opens from the button at the start of the address field. Its switch is labelled Protection on this site. When blocking is off for a site the row reads Protection off on this site.
The site panels
| Control | Where | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block ads and trackers on this site | Ads and trackers panel | On | Turns blocking off or on for this site in this profile. |
| Block pop-up ads on this site | Both panels | On | Blocks pop-up ads from this site. It is dimmed while blocking is off for the site. |
| Block scripts on this site | Both panels | Off | Stops the site from running scripts. See Block scripts. |
| {count} blocked on this page | Both panels | A running count for the current page, with the busiest hosts listed under Protection. | |
| Hide cookie banners on this site | Page information | On | See below. |
| AI-free mode on this site | Page information | Follows the profile | Shown on sites where Acira has rules. See AI-free mode. |
The panels work on website pages. On Acira's own pages the Ads and trackers panel says Open a website to manage its ad and tracker blocking.
Block scripts
You can stop a site from running scripts. Many pages need them, so a page with scripts blocked may show less and some controls may stop working. Links, forms, downloads and cookies keep working, and content meant for browsers without scripts shows. PDFs and other files that are not web pages are left alone.
Scripts on one site
- Open the website.
- Open the Ads and trackers panel, or the Page information panel from the button at the start of the address field.
- Switch Block scripts on this site.
- Choose Reload when the panel says Reload to apply.
The choice covers the site and its subdomains and is saved for this profile. A private tab or window follows the rules of the profile it was opened from, and a change you make there is forgotten when the window closes. The switch does not show in a Tor tab, which has the Tor security level instead. See Tor tabs and windows.
Scripts everywhere
Open Settings › Privacy › Scripts and switch Block scripts everywhere. The row says Sites run no scripts unless you allow them below. The list below it then reads Scripts are allowed on these sites. With the switch off, the same list reads Scripts are blocked on these sites. Add a site such as example.com to either list. Subdomains are included. Acira keeps both lists when you switch between the two modes. The group is not shown in a private window, so change it from a regular window.
Cookie banners
Under Settings › Privacy › Content filters, Hide cookie banners hides cookie and consent banners on most sites. It is on by default. It never accepts or rejects for you, and it cannot cover every banner. Turn it off for one site from that site's Page information panel, or for the profile in Settings.
Hide selected sources
In the same Content filters group, Hide selected sources hides search results from websites you choose. Type a domain such as example.com and choose Add source. It hides links to those domains on supported search pages. It does not block navigation to those sites. Reset profile filters clears every content filter choice for the profile.
Protection lists
Acira ships with a copy of its lists, so blocking works offline. Open Settings › Privacy › Protection lists:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Update lists now | Its Update button downloads the latest lists from EasyList and uBlock Origin. The row shows the time of the last update, or Using bundled protection lists. |
| Use previous lists | Goes back to the previous set. Its Restore button is dimmed when no earlier set exists. A failed update keeps the existing list active. |
| List sources | Opens a list of each source, its host and size. Reload websites to apply updated cosmetic rules. |
| Update lists automatically | On by default. Refreshes the lists about every four days from easylist.to and raw.githubusercontent.com. Each download is checked before use, and the previous set is kept. |
A private window cannot manage list updates. Do it from a regular profile.
Related protection
These switches add to list blocking. They are on by default and are described on Privacy settings.
- Block hidden trackers catches trackers that hide behind a site's own subdomain.
- Skip tracking redirects goes straight to the destination of known tracking links.
- Remove tracking parameters strips click IDs such as
fbclidandgclid. - Third-party cookies are blocked.
Extensions that block
An ad blocker you add from the Chrome Web Store runs after Acira's own blocker. Its rules apply even when you have turned Acira's blocking off for a site. Turning Acira's blocking off for a site does not turn off an extension. See Extensions.
Related pages
- Privacy settings for fingerprint protection, cookies and clearing data.
- Site permissions and data for what a site may use.
- Troubleshooting if a site does not load.
Last updated November 7, 2026