Modifier/redirect for Google Shopping ads (DoubleClick) being blocked by Adguard DNS filter

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Chris4

New Member
If you have the Adguard DNS filter enabled, you'll know that within the Google app (I'm on Android) you can't select any Shopping ad, which are often the top result for search queries. When you select it, a page opens with the URL starting `ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/clk` and is blocked.

For example, I did a Google search for "TV" and selected a Google Shopping ad/listing

Code: 
https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/clk/465758560;270927818;z;u=ds&sv1=67389284558&sv2=3292045339879063&sv3=7567459458374082709&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3-yQBhD3ARIsAHuHT65uI2qqyKmPaH2wuKdnVo01eisTOAzdU0_uRPz9yvuy2C5jBZVOfXcaAs2NEALw_wcB;%3fhttps://www.argos.co.uk/product/9498967?storeID=526&istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=30f62ea9-9626-4cac-97c8-9ff3921f8558&istItemId=pirlqramp&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157%7cacid:416-707-6621%7ccid:9567730957%7cagid:98490215736%7ctid:pla-1459280480536%7ccrid:423217901962%7cnw:g%7crnd:14542737549272035351%7cdvc:m%7cadp:%7cmt:%7cloc:1006621&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=9567730957&utm_term=9498967&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=98490215736&utm_custom2=416-707-6621&GPDP=true&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3-yQBhD3ARIsAHuHT65uI2qqyKmPaH2wuKdnVo01eisTOAzdU0_uRPz9yvuy2C5jBZVOfXcaAs2NEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
which should take you to

Code: 
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9498967
That URL is within the long doubleclick URL, so you can manually extract and go to it without notifying Google's tracker you've clicked their ad.

Through Adguard custom rules, it possible to extract, modify or redirect to this URL? This would be the perfect solution to bypass the ad tracker. I've tried looking through the documentation but I can't work it out.
 
C

Chris4

New Member
Blaz said:
Nope. DNS does not work that way.
Click to expand...
Okay thanks for confirming. Ignoring DNS then, that ad tracker is permitted at a content filter level – with adblocking and tracking enabled, it still passes through the googleadservices/doubleclick tracker – assumingly because otherwise it would break the functionality as the DNS filter does. So what about modifying / redirecting the URL at the content filter level, is that possible?
 
Blaz

Blaz

Moderator & Translator
Staff member
Moderator
You can use a rule which includes javascript to rewrite the url on google.com to avoid waiting for redirect of those pages (#%# rules). Redirect usually only takes a few milliseconds though.

EDIT: Something like this:

google.*#%#AG_onLoad(function() { setTimeout(function() { var b = document.querySelectorAll('a[href^="https:"][href*="%3fhttps"]'); b.forEach(function(b) { var c = b.href.split("%3f"); if(c[1]) { b.setAttribute("href", c[1]);} }); },1000) });
 
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C

Chris4

New Member
Thanks very much for your suggestion @Blaz, but I don't think that's quite what I'm after. That solution would only apply on Google.com if I understand correctly, and I'm talking about from the app. I understand the limitations with that though. Let me try to clarify.

We're all here because we want to block ads and stop trackers right? So despite having tracker blocking enabled, if you open up the Google app on your phone, Google can track the Shopping ads you clicked on. They know what you're buying, essentially. With Adguard's DNS Filter enabled it does block the trackers altogether through the app, but then results in you not being able to access the product, like so:

ezgif.com-gif-maker (2).gif

Understandably, AdGuard can't apply inline content blocking within the app like it does on web. However, when you click a Google Shopping link, it pops open a web page and directs you through Google's ad network and then to the product. As this is the web, Adguard can insert itself here to stop the tracker. But instead of blocking it altogether so Google Shopping can't be used, why not play the system?

So the idea is - and if this works I think it would be a great permanent addition to the filter list - as the destination URL is within the DoubleClick tracking URL, it could extract that, stop processing it, and instead go straight to the product, therefore bypassing Google's tracking. Similar to your Google redirect solution above, but applied to the app through URL modification.

If you scroll through the long DoubleClick URL I posted above you'll see the destination product URL part way through it (hopefully clearer displayed now):

https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/clk/465758560;270927818;z;u=ds&sv1=67389284558&sv2=3292045339879063&sv3=7567459458374082709&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3-yQBhD3ARIsAHuHT65uI2qqyKmPaH2wuKdnVo01eisTOAzdU0_uRPz9yvuy2C5jBZVOfXcaAs2NEALw_wcB;%3fhttps://www.argos.co.uk/product/9498967?storeID=526&istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=30f62ea9-9626-4cac-97c8-9ff3921f8558&istItemId=pirlqramp&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157%7cacid:416-707-6621%7ccid:9567730957%7cagid:98490215736%7ctid:pla-1459280480536%7ccrid:423217901962%7cnw:g%7crnd:14542737549272035351%7cdvc:m%7cadp:%7cmt:%7cloc:1006621&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=9567730957&utm_term=9498967&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=98490215736&utm_custom2=416-707-6621&GPDP=true&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3-yQBhD3ARIsAHuHT65uI2qqyKmPaH2wuKdnVo01eisTOAzdU0_uRPz9yvuy2C5jBZVOfXcaAs2NEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

If my understanding is correct, by processing this URL, Google tracks you've gone to that site, right? So my thought was, if we can extract the destination URL from this tracking URL before it can process it, we can potentially stop the tracker at that point and go to the destination while keeping our shopping habits out of Google's hands.

Is that possible through AdGuard's custom filter syntax? So you could turn DNS Filter off, and the custom content rule would bypass the tracker and take you to the product.
 
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Y

yskhoe

New Member
I've added the custom filtering rule:
||doubleclick.net^$domain=google.com

this blocks doubleclick.net except when coming from google.com. So it enables Google shopping ads from the google search page.

edit: weird, this rule should do the opposite and block all request to doubleclick.net from the google.com domain, but it seems to work for now.

If I follow the manual the rule should be: block doubleclick.net, except when coming from Google.com.
||doubleclick.net^$domain=˜google.com

tried it, seems to be working
 
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D

Diver1977

New Member
Hello Together,
i have the same problem.
Even if i "disconnect" all filters in Adguard i can´t go to a Google Shopping link.

i put this in my Rules
@@|| pagead2.googlesyndication.com^
@@||doubleclick.net^$domain=˜google.com

but it still doesn´t work.
what can i do.
The rest of my family will kill me if i cant fix this problem :)
thanks for your help

diver
 
Blaz

Blaz

Moderator & Translator
Staff member
Moderator
Looks like you have DNS server setup to block something.
 
D

Diver1977

New Member
Hello Blaz
thanks for your fast answer. I´m not really firm in DNS server. Maybe you´ve got a idee what I´m block?
Thanks for your help
I have the AG installt in Homeassistant
Homeassistant VErsion 2022.11.1
AG Version 4.7.4
Fritzbox 7530 Version 7.29
Diver
 
Blaz

Blaz

Moderator & Translator
Staff member
Moderator
Exchange uplink server with 8.8.8.8 (Google DNS). For adblocking enable DNS filter and then your user filters to unblock should work.
 
Blaz

Blaz

Moderator & Translator
Staff member
Moderator
Yes. That way you can unblock requests on your choice in AdGuard Home (do not forget to enable DNS filter).
 
D

Diver1977

New Member
Hello Blaz,
thanks for your quick anwere
i´m use these filters
1669013941672.png


For privat Filter i tried to stop youporn.
1669018028332.png

the problem ist, on my macs and ipads it block youporn, but on the Iphones (with WLAN) it open the side.
If i try it with the child safety lock i´ve got the same result. What could be the cause?

Diver
 

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Blaz

Blaz

Moderator & Translator
Staff member
Moderator
Likely some different DNS is setup on iPhone or cache issue (try to restart iPhone).
 
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