GetBlocked!

Cleaner pages. Fewer trackers. Local-only.

GetBlocked! is a lightweight, local-only Chrome extension that helps reduce common third-party website tracking by blocking known tracker requests, cleaning tracking links, and explaining tracking attempts. An optional experimental Decoy Mode can instead let known tracker requests through while replacing supported analytics identifiers with one consistent fake browser-session profile.

It is built as a small, inspectable Manifest V3 project for people who want a friendly privacy tool and for contributors who want quick, useful pull requests.

What GetBlocked! Does

• Blocks a curated starter list of known third-party tracker domains using Chrome declarativeNetRequest.
• Cleans common tracking URL parameters such as utm_source, fbclid, gclid, dclid, mc_cid, and similar campaign IDs.
• Preserves generic ref parameters used by invitations, referrals, and application routing.
• Detects visible tracking attempts such as pixels, suspicious scripts, tracking iframes, and tracking links.
• Shows a compact popup report with:
  • Estimated tracker resources on this page
  • Decoyed on this page
  • Tracking links cleaned
  • Visible tracking attempts detected
  • Detected categories
• Keeps report data local in chrome.storage.local.
• Saves the Decoy Mode preference locally and keeps the generated fake profile only in chrome.storage.session.

GetBlocked! in Action

Extension Popup Overview

Normal and Decoy Modes

What GetBlocked! Can Block

GetBlocked! blocks a curated starter list of known third-party tracker domains and tracking URL parameters.

Current coverage includes:

• Analytics trackers
• Ad and retargeting trackers
• Social media pixels
• Session replay and heatmap tools
• Affiliate and attribution trackers
• Email marketing trackers
• Tracking URL parameters

The tracker list is intentionally conservative. Rules are limited to third-party requests to reduce website breakage.

When experimental Decoy Mode is on, the main tracker-blocking rule is disabled, but tracking-parameter cleanup remains enabled. Page-level fetch, XMLHttpRequest, and navigator.sendBeacon calls to domains in the same catalog are intercepted where feasible.

What GetBlocked! Cannot Do

• It does not block every tracker.
• It does not make users anonymous.
• It does not stop tracking after logging into an account.
• It does not stop server-side tracking.
• It does not fully prevent advanced fingerprinting.
• It is not meant to replace full-featured ad blockers.
• Decoy Mode cannot hide an IP address, TLS/network metadata, browser fingerprint, or identifiers added outside the supported request formats.
• Decoy Mode cannot rewrite image pixels, scripts, forms, WebSockets, or requests that begin before its session configuration is available.

Experimental Decoy Mode

Decoy Mode is off by default. Use the clearly labeled Experimental toggle in the popup to enable it. It applies to all websites: turning it on from one site's popup pauses catalog tracker blocking everywhere, including other tabs. URL cleanup stays on. Turn it off from any site's popup to restore blocking everywhere; the global preference remains saved across browser restarts.

While enabled:

• Static rule 1, the catalog-based third-party tracker blocker, is disabled.
• Static rule 1000, tracking-parameter cleanup for top-level navigation, stays enabled.
• Known tracker requests made with fetch, XMLHttpRequest, and navigator.sendBeacon are inspected in the page's main JavaScript world.
• Common analytics identifiers and profile fields, including anonymous, client, user, device, and session IDs plus supported email/name/phone fields, are replaced when their request format is supported.
• One coherent fake profile is reused across tabs for the current browser/extension session. It is discarded when Chrome restarts or the extension is reloaded, disabled, or updated.
• A request counts as decoyed only when at least one supported field is actually replaced.

Decoy Mode does not create requests and never changes event names, event types, order or transaction IDs, products, prices, amounts, currencies, conversions, purchases, or ad-click fields. Existing transactional events are not invented or reclassified. Because tracker requests are allowed to reach their destinations, those services may still observe the user's IP address and other network metadata. See Decoy Mode details.

How GetBlocked! Is Different

GetBlocked! is:

• Lightweight: small ruleset, simple popup, minimal moving parts.
• Local-only: no external analytics, telemetry, or remote logging.
• Open source: the rules, popup, and generation scripts are inspectable.
• Educational: categories and wording are designed to explain common tracking clearly.
• Beginner-friendly: small PRs can improve the tracker catalog, docs, tests, or UI.
• Not a replacement for full ad blockers: it focuses on common trackers and clear explanations.

Why All Data Stays Local

GetBlocked! does not send browsing data to any server. The extension uses:

• declarativeNetRequest for local Chrome-managed request blocking.
• chrome.storage.local for page report data.
• chrome.storage.session for the in-memory Decoy Mode fake profile.
• A content script that scans the current page locally for visible tracking signals.

There are no extension-owned analytics, telemetry endpoints, remote logs, or bundled remote assets. In Decoy Mode, the page's existing tracker requests are intentionally allowed through with supported identifiers replaced; GetBlocked! does not initiate additional tracker requests.

Install Locally In Chrome

1. Download or clone this repository.
2. Open chrome://extensions.
3. Turn on Developer mode.
4. Choose Load unpacked.
5. Select the GetBlocked! project folder.
6. Pin GetBlocked! and open the popup on normal web pages.

The production build avoids debug-only DNR feedback permissions. In normal mode, the popup and badge report an Estimated tracker resources on this page count derived from unique known-tracker resource URLs detected locally in the page. This is an estimate of tracker resources targeted by the blocking rules, not a Chrome-confirmed count of matched or blocked network requests. In Decoy Mode, the badge instead mirrors Decoyed on this page, which counts supported request payloads actually modified by the extension. URL-cleaning activity is reported separately. Normal-mode blocking and URL cleanup are enforced by MV3 declarativeNetRequest; in Decoy Mode, only the blocking rule is disabled.

Contribute In 10 Minutes

New to extensions? Browse the open good first issues for small documentation, accessibility, and test tasks with starting files and acceptance criteria. Read the contributing guide, comment on an issue when you start, and open a focused PR. Draft PRs are welcome.

The easiest way to contribute is to add one tracker domain.