What uBlock Origin Lite is
uBlock Origin Lite, often shortened to uBOL, is a content blocker built on Manifest V3, the extension platform Chrome now requires, which replaced filtering each request with declarativeNetRequest. uBOL declares its filtering in advance and the browser applies it, with no permanent process of its own. It is made by Raymond Hill, the author of uBlock Origin, and it is open source.
It is a separate extension, not an update of the old one: its author says it is too different to replace uBlock Origin automatically, so nobody was moved across without choosing to install it.
| uBlock Origin | uBlock Origin Lite | |
|---|---|---|
| Extension platform | Manifest V2 | Manifest V3 |
| Current Chrome | No longer runs; removed from the store on Aug 31, 2026 | Runs; the version Chrome users install |
| Firefox | Runs in full | Available |
| Microsoft Edge | Listed, while Edge retires Manifest V2 | Available |
How Chrome users ended up on it
Chrome retired the platform the classic extension was built on in steps, and Chrome users who wanted uBlock Origin's blocking had to move to a Manifest V3 extension. The dates come from Chrome for Developers.
Firefox is the exception: Mozilla still supports Manifest V2, so the full uBlock Origin keeps working there. Edge is next: Microsoft said it would start moving consumers off Manifest V2 in August 2026, with enterprises expected to follow in early 2027. On Safari for iPhone, iPad and Mac it is uBOL, so it reaches mobile readers too.
- The Chrome store stops accepting new public Manifest V2 extensions
- Chrome starts warning users of Manifest V2 extensions in Beta, Dev and Canary
- Disabled by default for everyone, with an option to turn them back on
- Chrome 138: disabled for all users, who can no longer turn them back on
- The last Manifest V2 extensions are removed from the Chrome Web Store
- Edge starts moving consumers off it, aiming to finish by the end of 2026
- Edge expects to begin the enterprise deprecation
Chrome for Developers, updated Sep 9, 2026; Microsoft Edge blog, Aug 7, 2026.
Basic, Optimal and Complete: what each mode blocks
uBlock Origin Lite has four filtering modes, set with a slider: no filtering, Basic, Optimal and Complete. The lists are the same in Basic, Optimal and Complete. What changes is how much filtering the extension applies with them, and whether it has the browser permission to read and change data on websites.
Since April 2025 it installs in Optimal. A reader who refuses the broad permission ends up in Basic, and a reader can set a different mode for any single site.
- No filtering
- Basic
- Optimal // default
- Complete
| Mode | What it does | Permission it needs | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| No filtering | Nothing, on the sites the reader puts in this mode | None | uBOL quick guide Nov 1, 2026 |
| Basic | Basic network filtering from the selected lists | None on websites | uBOL interface Nov 1, 2026 |
| Optimal (default) | Advanced network filtering plus specific extended filtering | Read and change data on all websites | uBOL wiki Nov 1, 2026 |
| Complete | Advanced network filtering plus specific and generic extended filtering | Read and change data on all websites; may use more page resources | uBOL interface Nov 1, 2026 |
For a publisher, the point is that every mode except no filtering blocks the ad servers and trackers its lists name. Optimal is the mode new installs start in.
The lists it ships with
Out of the box it uses the same core lists as uBlock Origin: its own filters, EasyList for ads, EasyPrivacy for trackers, Peter Lowe's list and two malware lists, and it can switch on a regional list for the browser's language. They are compiled into each release, and releases are frequent: 62 on GitHub in 2026 up to October 26. Readers can also add optional lists, write their own filters and, since June 2026, subscribe to external lists.
What a uBlock Origin Lite reader means for your ads and your numbers
Take one page view from a reader running uBlock Origin Lite on its default settings. The page still opens, without what its lists block.
Ads Blocked
Usually no impression: the ad is blocked, so there is nothing to count or pay for. It shows up as fewer impressions and less revenue for the same traffic.
Analytics Partly
The default lists include EasyPrivacy, a tracker list, so some analytics requests can be blocked and those visits can be missing from your reports.
Content Loads
Your articles show as usual: uBOL blocks what its lists name inside the page, not the page.
That gap is what ad blocking costs you, and it moves as the lists change. The reader decides site by site, from the extension's popup, whether to lower the mode on your site or turn filtering off for it.
Your ad reports do not say how many page views arrive with a blocker. The adblock detector checks your own site.
uBlock Origin Lite and adblock detection
AntiAdBlock Core detects readers who block your ads with uBlock Origin Lite, in its Basic, Optimal and Complete modes, as it does the other major blockers, on desktop and mobile. It runs a multi-signal engine kept up to date daily, with 99.7% declared detection precision, and we do not publish how it works.
More in our anti-adblock script guide.
What you can do about uBlock Origin Lite readers
You have three options, and they can be combined.
- Measure
Your ad-block rate and daily activity in the dashboard, with network-level blocking counted apart. By type of blocking (extension, browser, Brave, network), never by product.
Plan // All plans; by type, Max and Business
- Ask to allow
A wall from the first blocked page asks the reader to allow your site. Its button reloads the page to check again.
Plan // All plans
What your reader does in uBlock Origin Lite // three steps
- Open the extension's popup while on your site
- Move the filtering slider all the way to the left, to no filtering
- The page reloads, an option that is on by default
- Handle it in your code
The Detection API detects and counts but shows nothing, and hands the result to your code.
Plan // Max and Business
Paid plans start at $5 a month on the pricing page.
Questions publishers ask about uBlock Origin Lite
Is uBlock Origin Lite the same as uBlock Origin?
No. Both come from Raymond Hill, but uBlock Origin Lite is a separate Manifest V3 extension, too different to replace uBlock Origin automatically. Current Chrome runs only the Lite version; Firefox still runs the full one.
Does uBlock Origin Lite block the ads on my site?
Yes, in every mode except no filtering: its default lists include EasyList for ads and EasyPrivacy for trackers, and Optimal and Complete also filter on the page itself.
Which mode does uBlock Origin Lite use by default?
Optimal, since April 2025. Without the permission to read and change data on all websites it falls back to Basic. No public source says which mode most readers use.
Does uBlock Origin Lite block Google Analytics?
No official source names the analytics tools it blocks. Its default lists include EasyPrivacy, a tracker list, so some analytics requests can be blocked, and those visits can be missing from your reports.
How many people use uBlock Origin Lite?
The Chrome Web Store listing showed 22,000,000 users on November 1, 2026: installs, not people. For your own site, what counts is your ad-block rate, which adds up the blockers AntiAdBlock Core detects.
Does AntiAdBlock Core detect uBlock Origin Lite?
Yes, in its Basic, Optimal and Complete modes, with 99.7% declared detection precision. The dashboard does not split blockers by product. The live demo shows the wall.
How does a reader allow my site in uBlock Origin Lite?
The AntiAdBlock Core wall asks the reader to allow your site. In uBOL, they open the extension's popup on your site and move the filtering slider all the way to the left: no filtering, for that site only.
Sources
The main primary sources for uBlock Origin Lite, Chrome and Edge in this guide; the rest are linked where they are cited.
- uBlock Origin Lite README Nov 1, 2026
- uBOL frequently asked questions Nov 1, 2026
- uBOL interface text (filtering modes) Nov 1, 2026
- Chrome for Developers: Manifest V2 support timeline Nov 1, 2026
- Microsoft Edge blog: moving extensions to Manifest V3 (Aug 7, 2026) Nov 1, 2026
- Mozilla Add-ons blog: Manifest V3 and Manifest V2, March 2024 update Nov 1, 2026
- Chrome Web Store: uBlock Origin Lite listing (user count) Nov 1, 2026
See how much of your traffic arrives with an ad blocker
Add one tag or the WordPress plugin and your ad-block rate shows in the dashboard, with the blockers AntiAdBlock Core detects added up, uBlock Origin Lite among them, and none split out by product. The live demo shows the wall on an example site first.
Free plan: 5,000 detections a month, no payment method. Paid plans from $5 a month.
By AntiAdBlock Core · Reviewed