AdGuard Browser Extension v5.4: Filtering you can trust, settings you can share

Perfect ad blocking, like an Olympic record, isn’t easy to achieve — but we’re working toward it with every update. Filters need to update instantly, apply flawlessly, and exclusions should trigger precisely. In this release, we’ve raised the bar even higher: refined filter update logic, fixed several issues that could cause blocking to behave incorrectly, and improved how exclusions are handled. Beyond speed and accuracy, we’ve also focused on usability: you can now easily share your extension settings, and new interface prompts help prevent accidental mistakes.

Filtering: Faster, stronger, better

Custom filters in MV3 can now update independently from extension updates again, so ad blocking stays accurate and responds to changes more quickly.

We’ve also fixed several issues where filters could be added but wouldn’t work properly. For example, the extension now validates sources when you add a custom filter by URL — this prevents situations where a filter appears in your list but doesn’t actually apply.

Beyond filter improvements, we’ve refined Allowlist: if you add a full page URL to your exclusions (say, copied straight from the address bar), the extension will automatically extract the domain, and the exclusion will work as expected.

Settings import: Show, don’t tell

You can now share your extension settings. This makes it easy to set up AdGuard on a new device or after reinstalling your browser. You can also help a friend configure their extension, or share your setup with the support team — they'll see your exact settings instantly. Just go to General and click Share settings.

If you’re an active GitHub user, you can now import settings directly from Issues — especially useful for filter developers and those helping test fixes.

Interface: Better prompted than puzzled

We’ve added a few small improvements to prevent confusion and make the extension behave more predictably.

• Warning for Opera users. Opera doesn’t grant extensions access to search engine pages by default, which prevents AdGuard from blocking ads in search results. The extension popup now shows a notice prompting you to allow this access. Click Go to Settings in the popup — you’ll be redirected to the extension settings in Opera, where you can turn on the Allow access to search page results toggle.

• Confirmation for Invert Allowlist. The Invert Allowlist feature reverses how the extension works: blocking is disabled everywhere except sites on the list. To prevent accidental activation, we’ve added a confirmation dialog that explains what will happen when you enable it.

More sharing: This time, your thoughts

Enjoying the update? Have ideas for what’s next? Share your feedback on our social channels or start a conversation on GitHub. Every comment helps us improve.