How to determine what domains or urls to block

[blockingvideo]

Hi, I'm not sure if I'm in the right place or not, but I was wondering if someone could just provide a little tutorial on how to determine what url or domain should be blocked in order stop an ad request. I was particularly interested in learning how to do it with browswer developer tools, and how to determine what to block to stop a video ad. Do you just open up the console in developer tools, note all the sketchy requests being made when the ad starts getting played, and try to block them by trial and error? That's what I've been trying so far.

For example, I'm trying to determine on my own how to block the video ads played during Crackle videos. Could anyone provide a step-by-step explanation of how you would go about doing that using the developer tools? (and without working backwords from a subscription list) Thanks a million.

[mapx]

example video link ?
browser version ?
ABP version ?

anyway you can use firefox + ABP, then open blockable items list to see the web requests you can block / whitelist
To block the video ads: there are no general rules, sometimes you can block xmlhttprequest requests, in other cases block objects (object-subrequest, object) elements with eventually mp4 or flv in the request name.

For now in ABP for chrome is not implemented yet the same feature (as for firefox the blockable items list), so it's better to use ABP for firefox to debug / find the right filters.

[lewisje]

Do you just open up the console in developer tools, note all the sketchy requests being made when the ad starts getting played, and try to block them by trial and error? That's what I've been trying so far.

That's the only way I know: Try to figure out which requests are for ad-content and what patterns the URLs have.

[blockingvideo]

Is fanboy around? Fanboy, could you provide a lesson in how you determine appropriate urls to block? Especially the complicated ones with sketchy domains, url wildcard variations, and stuff in videos? I've seen the tutorials on filter-writing , but there aren't really any explanations of how to determine what domains, urls, and variations are the culprits in the first place. Thanks a million!

[mapx]

Well, I asked you some details, I explained how you can work to find the right requests / filters, @lewisje also commented.
You have chosen to ignore us.

[blockingvideo]

Alright, I didn't mean to ignore. I'm using ulock 0.9.1.0.1 + Fanboy ultimate + Firefox 38.0.5. Here's an example of a site whose video ads I'm trying to block: http://www.crackle.com/c/hitch. Now working backwards using network request log, I think I've determined that the evil url is: http://2517d.v.fwmrm.net/ad/p/1? But I was wondering how I could have figured that out using only Firefox's developer console -- and furthermore, how to determine that the appropriate filter would just be ||v.fwmrm.net^, AND that you also need to let through http://2517d.v.fwmrm.net/crossdomain.xml.

Also, is there way to do this block using only a hosts file? (I was interested in using the Crackle Windows 8 app, which can only do ad blocking via hosts file). I don't think it's possible, because I think I've figured out that you need to let through http://2517d.v.fwmrm.net/crossdomain.xml

[lewisje]

The HOSTS file can only block or allow based on hostnames, not schemes, ports, paths, query strings, or fragment identifiers; this means, in particular, that the only way to block "http://2517d.v.fwmrm.net/a/p/1?" is to add "2517d.v.fwmrm.net" to the HOSTS file, but that will also inexorably block "http://2517d.v.fwmrm.net/crossdomain.xml"

What you might try to do is run an instance of Privoxy or some other local proxy server, if you're serious about blocking ads in the Crackle app for Windows 8.

I'll rewrite below the filters you likely found to block ads in Crackle on the browser without also blocking the content:

Code: Select all

||v.fwmrm.net^
@@||v.fwmrm.net/crossdomain.xml$object,object-subrequest,xmlhttprequest

[blockingvideo]

Okay, but going back to my original question, what is the typical process one would use to determine what is the evil url, what filter pattern to generalize it to, and what other url needs to be allowed in?

[mapx]

go to easylist support forum and ask fanboy. This is a support forum for adblock plus.