What specific custom uBlock Origin filter rules are commonly recommended to block YouTube ad endpoints?

1. The short list: concrete network-filter examples people add

The most frequently-cited single network rule is a block for Google’s DoubleClick ad endpoint—users paste the URL googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads into “My filters” or use an equivalent host-level rule (for example ||googleads.g.doubleclick.net^/pagead/ads) to stop requests to that endpoint ^[1]. Community-maintained lists and gists that aim for a “pure YouTube” experience include many more host-based block rules for google ad domains (these are distributed as static custom filter text to paste into uBlock) ^[6]. Users therefore commonly start with explicit domain/URL blocks for googleads / googlesyndication / other Google ad hosts and then layer on more specific filters as ads evolve ^{[6] [7]}.

2. Cosmetic and selector-based filters for UI ad containers

When an ad is rendered client-side as a page element, users add cosmetic filters (site-specific element selectors) to hide or remove visual ad boxes; examples from community Q&A include rules like www.youtube.com##li:nth-of-type to hide specific recommendation blocks and similar “##” selectors to target containers ^[2]. These cosmetic rules do not block the ad request but stop the visible container; they are often paired with network rules so a blocked request doesn’t leave a blank space ^{[2] [8]}.

3. Dynamic filtering and “Complete” mode as an escalation

For persistent ad leakage, the community recommends switching to uBlock Origin’s dynamic filtering—blocking script or xhr requests on youtube.com—or setting the popup filtering mode to “Complete” for the site so uBlock intercepts more types of requests (instructions and advice live in filterlists and community docs) ^[3]. Advanced users create temporary or permanent dynamic rules in the popup or dashboard to deny third‑party scripts, media, or XHR that carry ads ^{[8] [3]}.

4. Why these rules can stop working: platform countermeasures

YouTube has been actively testing server-side ad injection and anti-adblock countermeasures, which make ads indistinguishable from content and can defeat network- and DOM-based blocking; uBlock Origin developers have acknowledged new server-side ads and have had to disable some server-ad filters on Chromium temporarily to avoid breakage while they build fixes ^[4]. Additionally, browser platform changes—Manifest V3—limit webRequest interception and push extensions toward declarativeNetRequest, reducing some of uBlock Origin’s dynamic capabilities ^[5]. These are structural limits users must factor into expectations.

5. Maintenance, best practices, and trade-offs

Community guidance stresses keeping filter lists updated and purging caches via the uBlock Dashboard (Purge all caches → Update now) when rules stop working, subscribing to active combo lists or curated YouTube filter gists, and balancing cosmetic vs network blocking to avoid breaking site functionality ^{[9] [6] [7]}. The trade-off is explicit: stricter rules and “Complete” filtering can break site features or cause anti-adblocker prompts, while looser rules may let new ad endpoints slip through ^{[3] [4]}.

6. Read the room: ethics, arms race, and alternatives

The technical recommendations live inside a broader debate: YouTube and creators rely on ad revenue and YouTube is deploying anti‑adblock measures that complicate blocking efforts, while extension developers and filter-list maintainers face both technical and policy headwinds ^{[4] [5]}. Where community lists fall short, users sometimes pivot to network-level solutions like Pi-hole or subscribe to curated filterlists from GitHub repos, accepting different maintenance burdens and ethical considerations about depriving creators of revenue ^{[10] [3]}.