AWAGAM TLD, Domain, and URL Blocker Chromium

• browser-extension
• privacy
• blocking

A Chromium browser extension enabling you to block access to TLDs, domains, and URLs via user-configurable blocklists. Designed for use against actors engaged in wars, genocides, and misanthropy, but effective in blocking anything—including ads and trackers.

(Create your own blocklist—it’s easy—or use an existing blocklist.)

Add to your browserBrowse blocklistsBuy commercial license

This extension does not collect or share any data with IA Defensa or third parties. The source code is available for auditing. The extension is free for personal use.

Features

Core Blocking

• Dynamic rule generation using Chromium’s declarativeNetRequest API
• Comprehensive blocking of all resource types (pages, images, scripts, style sheets, fonts, media, requests)
• Real-time blocking without content script overhead
• Visual indicators—highlights blocked links with “✕” symbols
• Punycode support for internationalized domains
• Smart allocation system prioritizes TLDs > domains > URLs to maximize blocking coverage within browser limits

Blocklist Management

• Add multiple blocklists from any HTTPS URL
• GitHub integration with automatic URL conversion and fallbacks
• Auto-update system with configurable intervals (1 hour to 1 week)
• Format validation and comprehensive error handling
• Import/export configurations for backup and sharing
• Smart caching with ETag support and fallback mechanisms
• Dynamic browser limits detected automatically (e.g., 30,000 rules in Chrome 121+)

User Interface

• Popup controls for quick enable/disable and statistics
• Temporary disable options (5 mins, 15 mins, 1 hour)
• Options page for complete blocklist management
• Status indicators with detailed, non-truncated error messages
• UI notifications instead of intrusive alert dialogs
• Limit warnings when total rules exceed browser capacity

Privacy

• No tracking or analytics collection
• Local storage only for configurations and cache
• No external API calls except for configured blocklists
• Open source for transparency and security review
• Cross-device sync via Chrome storage API

Installation

1. Go to the IA Defensa AWAGAM TLD, Domain, and URL Blocker page in the Chrome Web Store
2. Click “Add to Chrome” (or equivalent for other Chromium browsers)

Afterwards, configure the extension according to your preferences and consider pinning it to your toolbar for easy access.

Tip: Enable the extension in private mode (“Allow in Incognito”). The extension does not share any information with IA Defensa or third parties.

Usage

1. Click “Manage blocklists” in popup
2. Add new blocklist (URL to a valid AWAGAM JSON file)
3. Configure update settings
4. Set update interval and enable/disable as needed
5. Monitor status and rule counts in real-time
6. Import/export configurations for backup

Blocklists

You find community and country starter blocklists in Jens Oliver Meiert’s AWAGAM blocklists repository. IA Defensa does not provide blocklists.

If you share your own public blocklist, you’re encouraged to release it under a permissive or public domain license such as the Unlicense or CC0. This ensures maximum compatibility and reuse. If your blocklist is licensed, please include a license file or link in your repository.

If you provide a list of blocklists, reach out for us to consider adding it here.

Blocklist Converter

There’s an experimental converter that allows to convert EasyList blocklists (Adblock, uBlock Origin) to AWAGAM format, and vice-versa. Note that these extensions do not do the same thing—AdBlock and uBlock Origin are content blockers, whereas AWAGAM also blocks navigating to TLDs, domains, and URLs directly.

Please use the IA Defensa forum to report issues.

Blocklist Format

Blocklists must use the AWAGAM JSON format:

{
  "group-id": {
    "name": "Human-readable group name",
    "context": "Optional description or context URL(s)",
    "tlds": [
      ".example"
    ],
    "domains": [
      "example.com",
      "example.org"
    ],
    "urls": [
      "https://example.net/foo",
      "example.com/ads/*",
      "example.com/*?affiliate="
    ]
  }
}

URL Formats

AWAGAM supports flexible URL blocking:

• Full URLs: https://example.com/path (blocks both http:// and https://)
• Protocol-agnostic: example.com/path (blocks both http:// and https://)
• www-agnostic: example.com/path and www.example.com/path are treated as equivalent
• Wildcards: example.com/*?param= (use * to match any characters)
• Query parameters: site.com/?tracking= (blocks URLs with specific parameters)

Examples:

• example.com/*?affiliate= blocks all URLs on example.com with ?affiliate= parameter
• example.com/ads/* blocks all paths under /ads/ on example.com
• Both HTTP and HTTPS protocols are always blocked for security

Format Requirements

• HTTPS URLs only for security
• Valid JSON structure with proper UTF-8 encoding
• Domain validation prevents malformed entries (supports IDNs and partial IP patterns)
• Size limits (10 MB max) for performance
• Rule limits vary by browser version
• Rate limiting and timeout protection

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

“Blocklist error”:

• Verify URL is accessible and uses HTTPS
• Check that repository is public (for GitHub URLs)
• Ensure JSON format matches AWAGAM specification
• Look at detailed error message in tooltip

“File not found (404)”:

• URL may be incorrect or repository private
• Try alternative URL formats (raw, jsDelivr CDN)
• Verify file exists at the specified path

“Network error”:

• Check Internet connection stability
• Verify URL uses HTTPS protocol
• Try again after temporary service outage
• Check browser network permissions

“Token URL warning”:

• GitHub token URLs expire quickly
• Use public repository URLs instead
• Consider jsDelivr CDN for reliability

Error Messages

The extension provides specific error diagnostics:

• 404: File not found, check URL and permissions
• 403: Access forbidden, repository may be private
• Network error: Connection or DNS problem
• Invalid JSON: Syntax error in blocklist file
• Validation failed: AWAGAM format specification issue