Safari extensions
This article is about AdGuard for Safari, which safeguards only your Safari browser. To protect your entire device, download the AdGuard app
What Safari extensions are
Safari extensions are small software programs that add functionality to the Safari web browser. They allow users to customize and enhance their browsing experience by adding features that are not natively built into the browser. AdGuard for Safari uses extensions primarily to apply filtering rules on websites opened in Safari.
How it works
To block ads, trackers, and annoyances on websites, AdGuard uses filtering rules. The rules from AdGuard's and your custom filters are converted into ones comprehensible by Safari and are integrated into 6 Safari extensions:
- AdGuard General
- AdGuard Privacy
- AdGuard Social
- AdGuard Security
- AdGuard Custom
- AdGuard Other
Each content-blocking extension can include up to 150,000 active filtering rules. The number of rules within most filter groups does not surpass 150,000. However, if you activate too many language-specific or custom filters, you might exceed the limit. In such cases, random rules that are over the limit will be automatically disabled, which may lead to incorrect blocking. We strongly recommend activating only the filters you need.
There is also one more extension responsible for other features: AdGuard for Safari, which adds the AdGuard icon next to the search bar in Safari and allows using advanced rules to block complex ads.
More on each extension below.
Content-blocking extensions
AdGuard General applies rules from filters that you can find in Filters → Ad blocking and Filters → Language-specific. This extension focuses on comprehensive ad blocking and includes filters for ads in specific languages.
AdGuard Privacy applies rules from filters located in Filters → Privacy. It blocks tracking mechanisms and ensures that your browsing activity remains private.
AdGuard Social applies rules from filters that can be found in Filters → Social Widgets and Filters → Annoyances. It blocks popups, social media buttons, online assistant windows, and other elements on web pages that you might find annoying.
AdGuard Security applies rules from filters under Filters → Security. This extension identifies and blocks potentially harmful elements, safeguarding users from malicious content.
AdGuard Other applies rules from filters that that don't fall under the above-mentioned categories and that are located in Filters → Other: Filter unblocking search ads and self-promotion, AdGuard DNS filter, and AdGuard Experimental filter.
AdGuard Custom applies rules from filters that you add on your own to Custom filters.
User rules and allowlist rules are included into every extension.
AdGuard for Safari
AdGuard for Safari activates the AdGuard icon next to the search bar. It's useful if you want to quickly set up protection for a specific website or block ads manually. It also contains advanced rules that aren't converted to the format supported by Safari. These include CSS rules, extended CSS selectors, and scriptlets, which allow AdGuard to block complex ads, such as those on YouTube.
How to manage Safari extensions
Open Safari and click Safari in the upper left corner of the screen to expand the menu.
Click Settings...
Select Extensions.
Why AdGuard for Safari requires permission
When enabling the AdGuard for Safari extension, you might notice that it requires access to web page content and access to browsing history. Here's why it needs these permissions:
- Access to web page content is required for manual ad blocking and advanced blocking rules to work correctly
- Access to browsing history is required to check the protection status on websites and determine which advanced rules should be applied
We do not use this data for any other purpose or share it with anyone. For more info, you can consult our Privacy policy.