uBlock Origin Integration

uBlock Origin is built directly into Helium as a component extension, providing powerful ad blocking and privacy protection from the moment you install the browser.

What is uBlock Origin?

uBlock Origin is a free, open-source content blocker that excels at:

Ad Blocking

Removes advertisements across the web efficiently

Tracker Blocking

Prevents analytics and tracking scripts from running

Privacy Protection

Blocks known privacy-invasive domains

Performance

Uses minimal CPU and memory compared to alternatives

Built-In vs Extension Store

Helium installs uBlock Origin as a component extension, not a regular extension:

Aspect	Component Extension	Regular Extension
Installation	Bundled with browser	Manual install from store
Updates	Via browser updates	Automatic from store
Removal	Cannot be removed	Can be uninstalled
Permissions	Pre-granted	Requires user approval
Availability	Always present	Must be added

Component extensions are part of the browser itself, ensuring uBlock Origin is always available and properly integrated.

Version

Helium includes uBlock Origin version 1.69.0-2, as specified in deps.ini:

[ublock_origin]
version = 1.69.0-2
url = https://github.com/imputnet/uBlock/releases/download/%(version)s/uBlock0_%(version)s.chromium.zip
sha256 = fdc0607538082b409833acd2a80f3a2d657b2af70813a9a8e8e5c7a9938f7e29
download_filename = ublock-origin-%(version)s.zip
output_path = third_party/ublock
strip_leading_dirs = uBlock0.chromium

The version is pinned to ensure stability. Updates come with new Helium releases after testing.

Integration Details

Component Extension ID

From components/helium_services/extension_ids.h:

namespace helium {

inline constexpr char kUBlockOriginWebstoreId[] =
    "cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm";

inline constexpr char kUBlockOriginComponentId[] =
    "blockjmkbacgjkknlgpkjjiijinjdanf";

inline constexpr char kUblockOriginComponentIdHashed[] =
    // SHA1(kUBlockOriginComponentId)
    "70C2895ED505C532A80761F0928B821B103D0786";

}  // namespace helium

Why different IDs?

Webstore ID: Original uBlock Origin extension ID
Component ID: Custom ID for Helium’s component version
This prevents conflicts and allows independent management

Component Loader

Helium adds uBlock Origin during browser initialization:

// From patches/helium/core/ublock-install-as-component.patch
void ComponentLoader::AddUBlock() {
  Add(IDR_UBLOCK_MANIFEST_JSON, base::FilePath(FILE_PATH_LITERAL("ublock")));
  
  using namespace extension_l10n_util;
  ComponentExtensionInfo& info = component_extensions_.back();
  std::string error;
  bool localized = LocalizeExtension(info.root_directory, &info.manifest,
                      GzippedMessagesPermission::kAllowForTrustedSource,
                      &error, true);
  
  if (!localized) {
    LOG(ERROR) << "Failed to localize uBlock: " << error;
  }
}

This:

Loads the manifest from resources (IDR_UBLOCK_MANIFEST_JSON)
Localizes the extension for the user’s language
Registers it as a component extension

Allowlist Entry

Component extensions must be explicitly allowed:

// From chrome/browser/extensions/component_extensions_allowlist/allowlist.cc
constexpr auto kAllowed = base::MakeFixedFlatSet<std::string_view>({
    extension_misc::kInAppPaymentsSupportAppId,
    extension_misc::kPdfExtensionId,
+   helium::kUBlockOriginComponentId,
    // ...
});

Without this entry, uBlock Origin would be blocked as an unauthorized component.

Resource Integration

From third_party/ublock/resources/grit/ublock_resources.h:

#include "third_party/ublock/resources/grit/ublock_resources.h"

// Manifest resource ID
Add(IDR_UBLOCK_MANIFEST_JSON, base::FilePath(FILE_PATH_LITERAL("ublock")));

The entire uBlock Origin extension is compiled into Helium’s resources, making it available without network requests.

Loading Process

Browser Startup

During initialization, ComponentLoader::AddDefaultComponents() is called

AddUBlock Called

if (!skip_session_components) {
  AddWebStoreApp();
+     AddUBlock();
}

Manifest Loaded

uBlock’s manifest is loaded from compiled resources

Localization

Extension UI is localized to the user’s language

Extension Activated

uBlock Origin starts blocking content immediately

Settings Integration

Helium adds a direct link to uBlock Origin settings:

// From patches/helium/ui/ublock-show-in-settings.patch
// Adds "Content Blocking" section to Settings

You can access uBlock Origin settings via:

chrome://settings → Privacy → Content Blocking
Click the uBlock Origin toolbar icon
chrome://extensions → uBlock Origin → Details

Configuration

Default Settings

Helium preconfigures uBlock Origin with sensible defaults:

// From patches/helium/core/ublock-reconfigure-defaults.patch
// Optimized for privacy and performance

Default filter lists enabled:

uBlock filters
EasyList
EasyPrivacy
Peter Lowe’s Ad/tracking server list
Online Malicious URL Blocklist

Custom Filter Lists

You can add custom filter lists:

Click the uBlock Origin icon
Open the Dashboard
Go to “Filter lists”
Enable additional lists or add custom URLs

Popular additional lists include:

AdGuard Base - More aggressive ad blocking
Fanboy’s Annoyances - Removes cookie notices and social widgets
uBlock Annoyances - Removes newsletter popups and other annoyances

Custom Rules

Advanced users can write custom rules:

! Block specific domain
||ads.example.com^

! Allow specific domain
@@||good-ads.example.com^

! Cosmetic filter (hide element)
example.com##.advertisement

! Procedural cosmetic filter
example.com##:xpath(//div[@class="ads"])

Add these in Dashboard → My filters.

Performance Impact

uBlock Origin is designed for efficiency:

<50MB RAM

Minimal memory footprint even with many filter lists

<5% CPU

Negligible CPU usage during browsing

Faster Loading

Pages load faster by blocking unnecessary content

Performance tips:

Enable only filter lists you need
Use “Parse and enforce cosmetic filters” judiciously
Disable “Ignore generic cosmetic filters” for better performance

Advanced Features

Dynamic Filtering

Create site-specific rules on the fly:

Click uBlock Origin icon
Click the “</>” button (logger)
Browse the site
Create rules based on network requests

Element Picker

Manually hide elements:

Click uBlock Origin icon
Click the eyedropper icon
Select element to block
Click “Create”

Trusted Sites

Disable uBlock Origin on specific sites:

Click uBlock Origin icon
Click the power button
Reload the page

Trusted sites are saved per-domain. You can manage them in Dashboard → Trusted sites.

Privacy Benefits

Built-in uBlock Origin enhances privacy:

No Extension Store Connection - No need to connect to Chrome Web Store
No Update Tracking - Updates come with browser updates, not tracked individually
Tracker Blocking - Prevents third-party tracking across websites
Malware Protection - Blocks known malicious domains
Fingerprinting Reduction - Blocks some fingerprinting scripts

Troubleshooting

Site broken after enabling uBlock Origin

Some sites break when ads are blocked:Solutions:

Disable uBlock temporarily (click power button)
Add site to Trusted sites
Report issue to uBlock Origin filter list maintainers
Create a custom rule to allow specific resources

uBlock Origin not blocking ads

Check:

uBlock Origin is enabled (icon should be colorful, not gray)
Filter lists are up to date (Dashboard → Filter lists → Update now)
You’re not on a Trusted site
The “ad” might be native content, not a real ad

Can't remove uBlock Origin

uBlock Origin is a component extension and cannot be removed.Alternative: Disable it:

Go to chrome://extensions
Find uBlock Origin
Toggle it off

This fully disables blocking while keeping the extension installed.

Video streaming sites not working

Some streaming sites detect ad blockers:Solutions:

Add site to Trusted sites
Use the “Disable cosmetic filtering” option
Try disabling specific filter lists (some are overly aggressive)

Updating uBlock Origin

uBlock Origin updates with Helium releases:

New uBlock version is released
Helium developers test it
deps.ini is updated
Next Helium release includes new version

You cannot manually update uBlock Origin. It must be updated by upgrading Helium itself.

Why this approach?

Ensures stability
Prevents breaking changes
Maintains compatibility with Helium patches
Provides testing before release

Comparison: uBlock vs Alternatives

Feature	uBlock Origin	AdBlock Plus	Brave Shields
Open Source	Yes	Yes	Yes
Memory Usage	~50MB	~150MB	N/A (built-in)
Custom Rules	Full support	Limited	Very limited
Filter Lists	Extensive	Moderate	Fixed
CPU Impact	Minimal	Moderate	Minimal
Privacy	Excellent	Good	Excellent
Customization	High	Medium	Low

Configuration Files

Helium applies these patches for uBlock integration:

ublock-install-as-component.patch - Registers as component extension
ublock-reconfigure-defaults.patch - Sets optimal defaults
ublock-setup-sources.patch - Configures resource paths
ublock-helium-services.patch - Integrates with Helium services
ublock-show-in-settings.patch - Adds Settings page link

Source Code

Key implementation files:

components/helium_services/extension_ids.h - Extension IDs
chrome/browser/extensions/component_loader.cc - Component loading
chrome/browser/extensions/component_extensions_allowlist/allowlist.cc - Allowlist
third_party/ublock/ - uBlock Origin source and resources

Best Practices

Start with Defaults

Default filter lists work well for most users. Don’t add too many lists initially.

Use Trusted Sites Sparingly

Only trust sites you actually want to support. Most “ad blocker detection” is fake.

Update Filter Lists Regularly

Check for updates weekly: Dashboard → Filter lists → Update now

Learn Dynamic Filtering

Master the logger and dynamic filtering for surgical control over blocking.

Share Filter Rules

If you create useful custom rules, share them with the community!

Resources

uBlock Origin Wiki
Filter Syntax Documentation
Dynamic Filtering Guide
FilterLists.com - Browse available filter lists

The official uBlock Origin repository has extensive documentation on advanced features and troubleshooting.

Get Started

Features

Usage Guide

uBlock Origin Integration

What is uBlock Origin?

Ad Blocking

Tracker Blocking

Privacy Protection

Performance

Built-In vs Extension Store

Version

Integration Details

Component Extension ID

Component Loader

Allowlist Entry

Resource Integration

Loading Process

Settings Integration

Configuration

Default Settings

Custom Filter Lists

Custom Rules

Performance Impact

<50MB RAM

<5% CPU

Faster Loading

Advanced Features

Dynamic Filtering

Element Picker

Trusted Sites

Privacy Benefits

Troubleshooting

Updating uBlock Origin

Comparison: uBlock vs Alternatives

Configuration Files

Source Code

Best Practices

Resources

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

Features

Usage Guide

​What is uBlock Origin?

Ad Blocking

Tracker Blocking

Privacy Protection

Performance

​Built-In vs Extension Store

​Version

​Integration Details

​Component Extension ID

​Component Loader

​Allowlist Entry

​Resource Integration

​Loading Process

​Settings Integration

​Configuration

​Default Settings

​Custom Filter Lists

​Custom Rules

​Performance Impact

<50MB RAM

<5% CPU

Faster Loading

​Advanced Features

​Dynamic Filtering

​Element Picker

​Trusted Sites

​Privacy Benefits

​Troubleshooting

​Updating uBlock Origin

​Comparison: uBlock vs Alternatives

​Configuration Files

​Source Code

​Best Practices

​Resources

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

What is uBlock Origin?

Built-In vs Extension Store

Version

Integration Details

Component Extension ID

Component Loader

Allowlist Entry

Resource Integration

Loading Process

Settings Integration

Configuration

Default Settings

Custom Filter Lists

Custom Rules

Performance Impact

Advanced Features

Dynamic Filtering

Element Picker

Trusted Sites

Privacy Benefits

Troubleshooting

Updating uBlock Origin

Comparison: uBlock vs Alternatives

Configuration Files

Source Code

Best Practices

Resources