How to query your allowedlisted database?

This is the place to discuss issues with the acceptable ads list like a website no longer complying with the criteria.
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mksoi
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Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2022 1:43 pm

How to query your allowedlisted database?

Post by mksoi »

Hi there,

I have few questions regarding your acceptable ad policy.
1- Do you deal with websites or publishers?
I mean do you only provide licence for websites displaying ads on their web pages or you also provide licence for ad publishers like Google no matter on which web page they are displayed (for instance, as far as the ad is coming from Google ad server, then it is trusted)?
2- How can I get the list of acceptable ad? I mean I want to query if a particular website has got your licecne or not, how can I do so?
3- Do you know any other ad-blocker relying on your allowedlisted database?

Many thanks
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greiner
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Re: How to query your allowedlisted database?

Post by greiner »

mksoi wrote: Fri Oct 28, 2022 1:55 pm1- Do you deal with websites or publishers?
Both, as long as they're able to ensure that their ads comply with the standard. This means that websites need to ensure that whichever ads they're displaying comply, while ad providers need to ensure that the websites on which their ads are displayed comply.

See also https://acceptableads.com/join/ .
mksoi wrote: Fri Oct 28, 2022 1:55 pm2- How can I get the list of acceptable ad? I mean I want to query if a particular website has got your licecne or not, how can I do so?
You can find the list that contains all the rules that are used for Acceptable Ads at https://easylist-downloads.adblockplus. ... nrules.txt .

Additionally, you can find the proposals with information about each Acceptable Ads partner listed at viewforum.php?f=12 .
mksoi wrote: Fri Oct 28, 2022 1:55 pm3- Do you know any other ad-blocker relying on your allowedlisted database?
There's a variety of products out there that come with Acceptable Ads included, either through eyeo's own products (e.g. Adblock Plus), its technologies (e.g. eyeo's Web Extension Ad Blocking Toolkit), or as custom, third-party integrations.

Feel free to check out https://acceptableads.com/ and use the contact options listed there for more information on Acceptable Ads.
mksoi
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Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2022 1:43 pm

Re: How to query your allowedlisted database?

Post by mksoi »

This is quite informative. Many thanks.

In the shared exception rules, I found Google and Facebook. Does it mean that ABP by default does not block ads on these cites? What about Youtube (specifically in-stream ads)? I just want to make sure that I am reading the list properly.

In addition, could you please point me to the best article (in your opinion) that explains the differences between AdBlock and AdBlockPlus?
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greiner
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Re: How to query your allowedlisted database?

Post by greiner »

mksoi wrote: Fri Oct 28, 2022 5:36 pmIn the shared exception rules, I found Google and Facebook. Does it mean that ABP by default does not block ads on these cites?
The rules merely indicate what the ad blocker should do with those web resources, not for what purpose. There should be lines in there that start with

Code: Select all

!:forum=
at the top of each group of rules (where you can also find comments with other useful information), where you can find a link to a forum post with information about what those rules are for.

Apart from Acceptable Ads, there can be a multitude of other reasons why ads may be shown, such as bugs in the software, there not being any rules for blocking them yet, websites evolving, adblocking-circumvention technology or even the laws that the software is subject to. We're investing heavily into improving all those aspects in various ways to continuously increase the adblocking quality. But due to the above reasons there will naturally always be temporary situations when some ads on some websites aren't blocked even though they should be blocked, and when such problems occur they tend to be more visible on more popular sites than on less popular ones.
mksoi wrote: Fri Oct 28, 2022 5:36 pmIn addition, could you please point me to the best article (in your opinion) that explains the differences between AdBlock and AdBlockPlus?
There are just too many such articles that compare ad blockers to keep track of, so I don't have an answer for you, unfortunately. But I'm sure that there are some good ones out there for comparing different aspects of the two products (e.g. technical, user experience, features, default settings, etc.), because apart from their similar names/logos and the ad blocking rules compatibility, there's not much that they have in common.

There are two official posts, but those are mostly for helping users who confuse one for the other, and therefore don't go into much detail:
- Adblock Plus: https://help.eyeo.com/adblockplus/is-ad ... as-adblock
- AdBlock: https://helpcenter.getadblock.com/hc/en ... lar-names-
mksoi
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Re: How to query your allowedlisted database?

Post by mksoi »

Many thnaks greiner. This is really helpful.
mksoi
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2022 1:43 pm

Re: How to query your allowedlisted database?

Post by mksoi »

@greiner,

I have tested ABP for Youtube. It is quite effective.
As a URL-based filter ad-blocker, could you please provide me with an example of a youtube url ad request that ABP is blocking?

I have checked EasyList, they are all ReqExp, but I need a realtime full URL example, preferably a recent one. I mean I want an example of current Youtube ad URL.

While capturing the packets, I got the following interesting URLs:
1- https://www.youtube.com/api/stats/ads?v ... 2&device=1&... (This could be for YouTube Video Ad)
2- https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/... (This could be for YouTube main page Ad)

Under the list (! youtube), none of the RegEx matches the first one! So I could not figure out a real example of YouTube Ad URL. I would appreciate if you have an example of it.

Many thanks
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greiner
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Re: How to query your allowedlisted database?

Post by greiner »

I'm happy to hear that you find the information useful.

Regarding specific cases of ads, I'd recommend reaching out to filter authors such as EasyList directly, because they're the ones writing those rules and who therefore know best which ads there are and how to block them. Adblock Plus and other ad blockers merely enforce those rules and provide filter authors with the capabilities they need to write them.
mksoi
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Re: How to query your allowedlisted database?

Post by mksoi »

Thanks @greiner
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