Manifest V3 and ad blockers: what changed in Chrome
Manifest V3 changed how Chrome ad blockers work. Before, a blocker ran its own code on every network request. Now it hands Chrome a rulebook with size limits, and Chrome does the blocking. The original uBlock Origin didn't switch, and left the Chrome Web Store on 31 August 2026. All four ad blockers in our directory run on Manifest V3.
What is Manifest V3?
Manifest V3 is the current version of Chrome's extension platform. Google calls it "the latest iteration of the Chrome extension platform" and says it brings "enhancements to extension security, privacy, and performance." For ad blockers, the big change is how they block requests. It also swapped background pages for service workers and banned code loaded from a server.
In Google's words, from its Manifest V3 overview:
- "Service workers replace background pages."
- "Network request modification is now handled with the new declarativeNetRequest API."
- "Remotely hosted code is no longer allowed; an extension can only execute JavaScript that is included within its package."
What changed for ad blockers?
Under Manifest V2, ad blockers used a "blocking" webRequest listener: their own code checked each request and decided whether to stop it. Manifest V3 replaces that with the declarativeNetRequest API. The blocker gives Chrome a set of rules in advance, and Chrome applies them itself. Blocking webRequest remains only for extensions installed by company or school policy.
Google's reason: "In Manifest V2, blocking web requests could significantly degrade both the performance of extensions and the performance of pages they work with… and the permissions required for this are invasive. Manifest V3 guards against this problem by replacing callbacks with declarative rules."
Ad blockers can still watch requests with the non-blocking webRequest API. Adblock Plus, AdBlock and AdGuard all still ask for it.
What are the rule limits in Manifest V3?
Each extension is guaranteed at least 30,000 static rules, the rules it ships inside the extension. It can have up to 100 rule sets, with 50 switched on at once. Since Chrome 121 it can also add 30,000 "safe" dynamic rules while running. Anything above the guaranteed amount comes from a pool shared by all your extensions.
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Guaranteed static rules per extension | At least 30,000 (more from a shared pool, if available) |
| Static rule sets per extension | Up to 100, with 50 enabled at once (from Chrome 120) |
| Dynamic "safe" rules (block, allow, upgrade to HTTPS) | 30,000 (from Chrome 121) |
| Other dynamic rules | 5,000 |
| Session rules | 5,000 |
| Regular-expression rules | 1,000 per type |
| Before Chrome 120 | 50 rule sets in total, 10 enabled at once, 5,000 dynamic and session rules combined |
Source: Google's declarativeNetRequest reference, as published in late 2023. Google raised the limits in Chrome 120 and 121 after data from AdGuard and Adblock Plus, shared through the W3C WebExtensions Community Group. Its announcement, "Improving content filtering in Manifest V3", ran on 15 November 2023.
When did Chrome switch to Manifest V3?
Google published its Manifest V3 docs on 9 November 2020. It paused the removal of Manifest V2 in December 2022, then resumed on 16 November 2023. Chrome 127 started warning uBlock Origin users that it "may soon no longer be supported". On 31 August 2026, all remaining Manifest V2 extensions were removed from the Chrome Web Store.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 9 November 2020 | Google publishes "Welcome to Manifest V3" |
| 23 September 2021 | Google blog: "The transition of Chrome extensions to Manifest V3" |
| December 2022 | Google pauses the planned removal of Manifest V2 |
| 15 November 2023 | Google announces higher rule limits for content filtering (Chrome 120 and 121) |
| 16 November 2023 | Google resumes the transition, with Manifest V2 disabling to start "as early as June 2024, in Chrome 127 and later" in pre-stable Chrome |
| 23 and 30 April 2024 | AdBlock (6.0.0) and Adblock Plus (4.0) release their first Manifest V3 versions |
| 19 September 2024 | AdGuard AdBlocker becomes "fully compatible with MV3" (5.0.91) |
| 31 August 2026 | "All remaining Manifest V2 extensions removed from the Chrome Web Store" (Google's timeline, as quoted by uBlock Origin) |
Does uBlock Origin still work in Chrome?
No. uBlock Origin is a Manifest V2 extension, and its developer says "there is no Manifest v3 version of uBO". It was removed from the Chrome Web Store on 31 August 2026. Its developer offers a separate extension for Chrome instead: uBlock Origin Lite. uBlock Origin itself continues on Firefox, which keeps supporting Manifest V2.
It also still runs on Edge and Opera for now. Microsoft says Edge will start moving consumers off Manifest V2 in August 2026 and finish "by the end of 2026", with business users following in early 2027. Manual builds of uBlock Origin exist on GitHub, but the developer notes the Chromium versions "usually won't auto-update". We don't recommend them for most people.
What's the difference between uBlock Origin and uBlock Origin Lite?
uBlock Origin Lite is a separate Manifest V3 extension by the same developer, Raymond Hill. It is not an automatic upgrade: he calls it "too different from uBO to be an automatic replacement." It works entirely through Chrome's rule system, with no background process doing the filtering. That makes it simpler, but some of uBlock Origin's advanced features are gone.
| Item | uBlock Origin | uBlock Origin Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Manifest V2 | Manifest V3 |
| On the Chrome Web Store | No, removed 31 August 2026 | Yes |
| How it filters | Its own code checks requests | Rules handed to Chrome ("operates entirely declaratively") |
| Default lists in Lite | uBlock Origin's built-in lists, EasyList, EasyPrivacy, Peter Lowe's list | |
| Filter list updates in Lite | With each extension release, plus optional remote lists you subscribe to | |
| Per-site switches and dynamic filtering | Yes | Not offered |
Some advanced filters (redirect-rule=, strict1p/strict3p, regex removeparam=) | Yes | No |
| Sites that fight ad blockers | "Less effective", per its developer |
For generic cosmetic filtering, such as hiding leftover ad boxes, uBlock Origin Lite needs its Complete mode. Its default rule set "hovers around 17K" rules, and with extra lists turned on it stays "just slightly above 30K", within Chrome's limits. See Is uBlock Origin Lite safe? for its privacy and permissions.
Which ad blockers in our directory use Manifest V3?
All four. uBlock Origin Lite is built on Manifest V3. AdBlock's first Manifest V3 version came out on 23 April 2024, and Adblock Plus followed on 30 April 2024. AdGuard AdBlocker became fully Manifest V3 on 19 September 2024. Each keeps its filter lists fresh in a different way, shown in the table.
| Ad blocker | Manifest V3 since | Needs at least | How filter lists stay fresh |
|---|---|---|---|
| uBlock Origin Lite | Built on Manifest V3 | Chrome 122 | Built-in lists update with each extension release; optional remote lists |
| AdBlock | 6.0.0, 23 April 2024 | Chrome 127 | eyeo's system: small "diff" updates added as dynamic rules |
| Adblock Plus | 4.0, 30 April 2024 | Chrome 127 | eyeo's system: small "diff" updates added as dynamic rules |
| AdGuard AdBlocker | Fully, from 5.0.91, 19 September 2024 | Chromium 121 | Frequent new extension versions with fresh rule sets, published automatically |
AdGuard started working on a Manifest V3 prototype in mid-2021. eyeo, which makes both Adblock Plus and AdBlock, began its groundwork in Adblock Plus 3.15 on 23 November 2022.
How do Manifest V3 ad blockers keep filter lists up to date?
Rules shipped inside the extension can only change when the extension updates. So vendors found workarounds. AdGuard publishes new extension versions with fresh rules often, using Chrome's faster review route when only rules change. eyeo sends small updates as dynamic rules, up to 30,000. uBlock Origin Lite updates its lists with each release.
AdGuard says it plainly: "Due to the transition from MV2 to MV3, we cannot update our filters remotely." Updates that change script rules still go through full store review. eyeo's documentation notes that its static rules "cannot be changed without an extension update, only enabled or disabled", which is why it uses the dynamic rule set for fixes between releases.
What should I do now?
If you used uBlock Origin on Chrome, install a Manifest V3 ad blocker from our list. uBlock Origin Lite is the closest match. Pick one blocker, not several. Check the install prompt and the store's "Privacy practices" tab before you add it. If you need the full uBlock Origin, Firefox still supports it.
- Check what you have. Open
chrome://extensionsand look for uBlock Origin or any ad blocker that no longer updates. - Pick one Manifest V3 blocker. Our Ad Blockers guide compares all four. Unsure between two? See uBlock Origin Lite vs AdGuard.
- Check it before you install. Read the permissions in the install prompt and the listing's "Privacy practices" tab. Our safety pages do this for uBlock Origin Lite and Adblock Plus.
- Keep it updated. Under Manifest V3, a blocker's rules are only as fresh as its latest release.
Good to know
You will see claims online that Manifest V3 blockers catch a certain percentage fewer ads. They aren't official figures, so we don't repeat them. What is clear: the rule limits are real, uBlock Origin Lite's developer says it handles anti-ad-blocker sites less well, and the gap depends on the sites you visit.
Read more
Sources: Google's Chrome extension documentation (Manifest V3 overview, declarativeNetRequest reference, and the Chrome for Developers blog), and each extension's own public code repository and release notes. The ad blockers named here are third-party extensions, not built by Xplorekit.