Google Chrome users have seen a significant shift in ad-blocking capabilities following the tech giant’s completion of its transition to Manifest V3 in late 2024, a change finalized in July 2025. The move has effectively removed the full version of the widely-used uBlock Origin extension from the Chrome Web Store.
Manifest V3, a major update to the Chrome extension platform, replaced the webRequest API – a tool relied upon by content blockers like uBlock Origin to intercept and block network requests in real-time – with the declarativeNetRequest API. Google has stated the change was implemented for security and performance improvements. However, the declarativeNetRequest API imposes limitations, notably a cap on the number of filter rules and a lack of dynamic filtering capabilities previously available.
The previous filter rule limit was 30,000, which has been increased to 330,000, but developers argue this remains restrictive. UBlock Origin, designed for effective ad and tracker blocking, was unable to function optimally within these novel constraints. The original extension was removed from the Chrome Web Store.
For Chrome users, a lighter version, uBlock Origin Lite, remains available. This version is built using the Manifest V3 framework. The change impacts only Chrome users; uBlock Origin continues to function without modification in other browsers.
The Ghostery adblocker, a JavaScript library designed for blocking ads and trackers, offers an alternative approach. Developed with efficiency and compatibility in mind, Ghostery can be integrated into environments like Puppeteer, Electron, Chrome, and Firefox, as well as functioning as a standalone JavaScript library. The library supports 99% of filters from the Easylist and uBlock Origin projects, according to its developers.
Other open-source JavaScript ad blockers include FuckAdBlock, RecipeFilter, ttv_adEraser, Youtube-AdBlocker, adblock-filter-analyzer, and Reddit-ChromeExt-PromotedBlock, according to listings on SourceForge and LibHunt. However, the impact of the Manifest V3 changes on these projects remains largely unassessed.
Google has not indicated any plans to revisit the limitations imposed by Manifest V3, leaving the future of comprehensive ad-blocking in Chrome uncertain. The uBlock Origin team has not issued a statement regarding potential further development or adaptation strategies beyond the Lite version.
