The Problem: Ads and Trackers in China Region

If you’ve ever browsed the internet in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Macau, you know the experience: intrusive pop-ups, video ads that autoplay, trackers following your every click, and regional-specific advertising that most global blocklists simply miss.

Most popular adblock filter lists — while excellent — are primarily designed for Western audiences. They work well for blocking ads on YouTube, Facebook, or CNN, but they often fall short when encountering region-specific advertising networks prevalent across Greater China.

This creates a gap: users in China regions are left with suboptimal protection, or they must manually curate multiple filter lists that may conflict with each other.

The Solution: 5whys AdGuard Home Blocklist

The 5whys AdGuard Home Rules project addresses this gap directly. It aggregates and curates blocklists specifically optimized for China region users, with three tiers of protection to match your hardware constraints.

Three Tiers of Protection

The project offers three blocklist options, allowing you to balance protection level against available memory on your AdGuard Home server:

1. 5whys-FULL — Maximum Protection

  • Requirement: >100MB free memory on your AdGuard Home server
  • Coverage: Worldwide ads and trackers blocking
  • Best for: Users who want comprehensive protection regardless of region
  • Link: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/5whys-adblock/AdGuardHome-rules/main/rules/output_full.txt

2. 5whys-MED — Balanced Protection (Recommended)

  • Requirement: >50MB free memory
  • Coverage: Effective blocking for all China region ads and trackers
  • Best for: Most users — good balance of coverage and performance
  • Link: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/5whys-adblock/AdGuardHome-rules/main/rules/output_medium.txt

3. 5whys-MIN — Essential Protection

  • Requirement: Minimal memory footprint
  • Coverage: Core ads and trackers blocking for China regions
  • Best for: Low-memory devices or users prioritizing speed
  • Link: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/5whys-adblock/AdGuardHome-rules/main/rules/output_min.txt

All lists are updated daily, incorporating changes from upstream sources automatically.

How to Set Up

Setting up the blocklist is straightforward. In your AdGuard Home dashboard:

  1. Go to Filters → DNS blocklists
  2. Click Add blocklist
  3. Choose Add a custom blocklist
  4. Paste one of the URLs above (recommend starting with 5whys-MED)
  5. Click Save and Apply

Within seconds, your AdGuard Home will begin filtering requests based on the blocklist. You can verify it’s working by checking the Query Log — blocked requests will show as blocked.

Why This Matters

Beyond the obvious benefit of removing annoying advertisements, using a DNS-level blocklist like AdGuard Home with proper filters delivers several advantages:

Privacy Protection

DNS-level blocking stops trackers before they can even load. Unlike browser extensions that only block what they see, DNS blocking prevents the connection entirely — your data never reaches the tracking server.

Faster Browsing

Ads and trackers consume bandwidth. By blocking them at the DNS level, you reduce unnecessary network traffic, resulting in faster page loads — especially noticeable on mobile devices or slower connections.

Bandwidth Savings

For families or small businesses, every bit of bandwidth counts. Blocking ads at the DNS level means less data consumed by content you never wanted to see.

Family-Safe Browsing

Many blocklists include malicious domains, phishing sites, and adult content. By applying appropriate filters, you create a safer internet environment for all users on your network.

A Note on 5whys-SUPER

The project also offers a 5whys-SUPER blocklist for advanced users who want maximum blocking. However, this is not recommended for general use — it may block legitimate services and requires careful tuning. Use it only if you understand the implications.

Link: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/5whys-adblock/AdGuardHome-rules/main/rules/output_super.txt

Contributing and Support

The 5whys AdGuard Home Rules project is open-source under MIT license. Contributions, feedback, and new blocklist sources are welcome via the GitHub repository.

If you find the project useful, consider giving it a star — it helps others discover it and motivates continued maintenance.

Have you tried AdGuard Home with custom blocklists? Share your experience in the comments.