Integrating ad blocker extension with Puppeteer

Other Questions Puppeteer
1

I’m trying to use an ad blocker extension with Puppeteer but I’m running into some issues. Here’s what I’ve done so far:

  1. Downloaded the ad blocker files
  2. Set up the extension path in my code
  3. Launched the browser with the extension loading argument
const adBlockerPath = './adBlocker/chrome'
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
  headless: false,
  args: [
    '--window-size=1920,1080',
    `--load-extension=${adBlockerPath}`,
  ]
})

When I visit a site that usually has ads, they’re still showing up. It seems like the extension isn’t working properly. Am I missing a step or doing something wrong? Any help would be great!

2

hey mate, i had similar issues. make sure ur extension is compatible with the puppeteer version ur using. Also, try clearing browser cache before loading the extension. sometims that helps. if nothin works, u could try a headless browser like playwright instead. it has built-in adblocking features that mite be easier to setup

3

I’ve dealt with this issue before, and it can be tricky. One thing to check is if you’re using the correct path for the ad blocker extension. Sometimes, the relative path doesn’t work as expected. Try using an absolute path instead.

Another potential problem is that some ad blockers require additional setup or configuration to work with Puppeteer. You might need to tweak the extension’s settings or use a specific version compatible with automation tools.

If those don’t work, consider using a pre-configured Puppeteer with ad blocking built-in, like puppeteer-extra-plugin-adblocker. It’s easier to set up and maintain in my experience.

Lastly, make sure you’re giving the extension enough time to initialize before navigating to websites. Adding a small delay after launching the browser might help.

4

Have you considered using a different ad blocker extension? Some extensions work better with Puppeteer than others. I’ve had success with uBlock Origin. Make sure you’re using the unpacked extension files, not the .crx file.

Also, verify that the extension is actually loading. You can check this by navigating to chrome://extensions in your Puppeteer browser instance. If it’s not there, there might be an issue with your file path or permissions.

Another troubleshooting step: try running Puppeteer in non-headless mode (which you’re already doing) and manually check if the extension is active on the sites you’re visiting. Sometimes the ads might still load, but they’re blocked from displaying.

If all else fails, you could look into intercepting and blocking ad requests at the network level using Puppeteer’s page.setRequestInterception() method. It’s more work, but gives you fine-grained control.