Can we rebuild it?

Can we rebuild uBlock Origin Lite?

Build a Chrome extension like uBlock Origin Lite — a uBlock Origin Lite alternative you own.

If you want a lightweight MV3 ad blocker, you can build your own uBlock Origin Lite alternative in minutes. This Chrome extension uses Chrome's native declarativeNetRequest engine to block trackers and ads with zero runtime performance cost. Creating a custom alternative gives you complete control over your own blocking rulesets and site exceptions.

The listing record

What uBlock Origin Lite does

uBO Lite (uBOL) is an efficient MV3-based content blocker. The default ruleset corresponds to uBlock Origin's default filterset: - uBlock Origin's built-in filter lists - EasyList - EasyPrivacy - Peter Lowe’s Ad and tracking server list You can enable more rulesets by visiting the options page -- click the _Cogs_ icon in the popup panel. uBOL is entirely declarative, meaning there is no need for a permanent uBOL process for the filtering to occur, and CSS/JS injection-based content filtering is performed reliably by the browser itself rather than by the extension. This means that uBOL itself does not consume CPU/memory resources while content blocking is ongoing -- uBOL's service worker process is required _only_ when you interact with the popup panel or the option pages.

What the store says

★ 4.5 from 3.5K ratings · 20M users

Pulled live from the Chrome Web Store listing at analysis time.

Can PlugThis rebuild uBlock Origin Lite?

Why build your own uBlock Origin Lite alternative

• Curate only the exact blocking rules and trackers you care about
• Zero bloat with zero background worker CPU consumption
• Add personal URL redirects, custom element hide rules, and whitelist overrides
• Full visibility and auditability into all active network rules

What it costs vs what you'd save

The starter prompt

Build a lightweight declarative content blocker Chrome extension using Manifest V3's chrome.declarativeNetRequest API. Include static rule sets to block common ad and tracking network requests, along with a clean popup to toggle protection levels, enable or disable specific rulesets, and manage a domain whitelist.

Features you could add that uBlock Origin Lite doesn't have

Because you own the code, these are a follow-up prompt away — tap one to add it to the prompt above.

• Custom Whitelist Manager — Quickly disable blocking on specific domains directly from the extension popup.
  + add to prompt
• Local Filter Rule Editor — Add custom URL regex patterns and CSS cosmetic selectors on the fly.
  + add to prompt

Questions about rebuilding uBlock Origin Lite

How to build it yourself

1. 1
   Open PlugThis and start a new build

   Head to PlugThis and start a new Chrome extension. You're describing a uBlock Origin Lite alternative you'll own outright — no store subscription.

2. 2
   Paste the starter prompt

   Paste the starter prompt above. PlugThis expands it into a full Manifest V3 extension — popup, content scripts, and service worker included.

3. 3
   Review, tweak, and load it

   Review the generated code, ask for tweaks in plain English, then download and load the unpacked extension in Chrome to try it.

4. 4
   Publish it (optional)

   When you're happy, publish your uBlock Origin Lite alternative to the Chrome Web Store — or just keep it as a private tool for yourself.

More teardowns

We run the same teardown on any Chrome extension — what it does, whether a self-built alternative holds up, and the prompt to make one. Tear down another extension, or see the extensions we've actually rebuilt and filmed — real build times, real prompts, real recordings.