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Advanced settings

Infos

This article describes AdGuard for Windows v8.0, a comprehensive ad blocker that protects your device at the system level. This is a beta release that is still under development. To try it, download the beta version of AdGuard for Windows.

The Advanced settings section contains options that go beyond what most users usually need. AdGuard for Windows works perfectly out of the box, but these settings can be useful in special cases or for troubleshooting.

Vorsicht

Changing advanced settings without understanding them may cause performance issues, break your Internet connection, or affect your security and privacy. Only modify them if you know what you’re doing or if instructed by our support team.

Exclude app from filtering by entering the full path​

If you want AdGuard to skip filtering a specific app, enter its full file path here. You can add multiple apps by separating their paths with semicolons.

Enable AdGuard pop-up notifications​

Enable this feature to see AdGuard pop-up notifications. They do not appear too often and contain only important information. You can also reopen the latest notification from the tray menu.

Automatically intercept filter subscription URLs​

When enabled, AdGuard will automatically detect filter subscription links (like abp:subscribe) and open a window to help you add them to your filters.

Use redirect driver mode​

With this option enabled, AdGuard reroutes all your traffic to a local proxy server for filtering.

If it’s turned off, AdGuard filters traffic directly — without redirecting it. In this mode, Windows sees AdGuard as the only app connecting to the Internet, since all other apps go through it. This can slightly improve performance but may reduce the effectiveness of the system firewall.

Open AdGuard at system start-up​

Enable this option to launch the AdGuard window automatically when your PC starts.

Enable filtering at system start-up​

Since version 7.12, AdGuard doesn’t start filtering traffic automatically after you boot your PC — unless the Launch AdGuard at system start-up option is enabled. Instead, it runs in a passive “idle” mode.

Turning this on allows AdGuard to filter traffic immediately, even if the app hasn’t been opened yet.

Filter localhost​

Enable this to allow AdGuard to filter loopback (localhost) traffic, which some apps use to communicate within the system. If AdGuard VPN is installed, this setting is always on because the VPN requires it to work properly.

Capture HAR​

This is for debugging only. When enabled, AdGuard will create a HAR file (HTTP Archive 1.2 format) with detailed info about all filtered requests. You can open it in apps like Fiddler.

Keep in mind: it may slow down your browsing.

Show QUIC in the filtering log​

When enabled, AdGuard will include QUIC protocol traffic in the filtering log — but only for blocked requests.

Block Java​

Some websites still use Java plug-ins, which rely on outdated and insecure technology. You can disable these plug-ins for security.

Using the Block Java option does not affect JavaScript — it will remain enabled.

Blocking mode for DNS rules​

Choose how AdGuard responds when a domain is blocked by a DNS rule based on the hosts-style syntax.

  • Return a REFUSED error
  • Return a NXDOMAIN error
  • Return a custom IP address

Custom IPv4 address​

If Custom IP address is selected in Blocking mode for DNS rules, this IP address will be returned in response to blocked A requests. If none are specified, AdGuard will reply with the default REFUSED error.

Custom IPv6 address​

If Custom IP address is selected in Blocking mode for DNS rules, this IP address will be returned in response to blocked AAAA requests. If none are specified, AdGuard will reply with the default REFUSED error.

Fallback servers​

Set backup DNS servers here. AdGuard will use them if the main DNS server doesn’t respond within the timeout you set. You can:

  • Use your system’s default DNS servers
  • Add custom fallback servers
  • Or choose not to use fallback servers at all

DNS server timeout​

Specify how long (in milliseconds) AdGuard should wait for a DNS response before switching to a fallback server. If left empty or invalid, the default is 5000 ms (5 seconds).

Custom bootstrap addresses​

A bootstrap is an intermediate DNS server used to get the IP address of the secure DNS server you chose earlier in DNS protection. Such a “middle ground” is needed when using protocols that denote the server address by letters (such as DNS-over-TLS, for example). In this case, the bootstrap acts as a translator, transforming the letters into numbers your system can understand.

But if needed, you can specify different IP addresses here — they’ll be tried in the order from top to bottom. If none work or nothing is entered, AdGuard will fall back to system defaults.

DNS exclusions​

Domains listed here bypass AdGuard DNS servers. Their requests go through the system’s default resolver, and AdGuard does not apply any blocking rules to them.