How to check if your ad blocker is working
The clearest check is to run several known ad and tracker requests from the browser you actually use. Open Super Adblock Test with your extension, browser protection, VPN, or DNS filter enabled, then run the adblock test. Wait until every category finishes instead of judging protection from one empty ad slot.
The score reflects your combined setup. A blocked request might have been stopped by an extension, Brave Shields, a VPN, Pi-hole, NextDNS, or another network rule. The test can show the outcome, but a browser page cannot always identify which layer made the decision.
Use a clean comparison
Run once with your normal protection enabled. If you are troubleshooting, change only one setting at a time and run again. That makes score changes easier to explain.
What a blocked result means
Blocked means the probe failed, was intercepted, or could not reach the tested domain. For that specific request, your current browser and network path provided protection. A group with consistently blocked ad and tracking hosts is a strong signal that the relevant filtering rules are active.
Blocked does not necessarily mean an extension removed a visible box from a page. Network blocking prevents a request from completing; cosmetic filtering hides or rearranges page elements. A DNS blocker can stop the host while leaving an empty placeholder because it cannot rewrite the page layout.
What an unblocked or reachable result means
Reachable means the browser appeared able to contact the tested host. It does not prove that a visible advertisement loaded or that the host tracked you. It does show that this request was not stopped by the protection active during the test.
A few reachable results can come from intentionally limited filter lists, site permissions, or differences between blocking tools. Use the category breakdown and the adblock test score explanation before deciding whether the result is a real problem.
Why your blocker may miss some ads
Modern sites do not deliver every promotion through a well-known third-party ad server. Sponsored posts, native placements, first-party ads, and some video advertising may come from the same domain as the content. Blocking that domain could also break the site, so general filter lists may leave it reachable.
Your blocker can also miss ads when it is paused, excluded on the current site, waiting for filter updates, or configured to allow acceptable ads. Some browsers restrict what extensions can inspect. If ads still appear, work through the checks in why your adblock may not be working.
What to do if the score is low
- Confirm the extension is enabled in this browser and allowed on the test site.
- Update its filter lists and enable an established privacy or tracker list.
- Review acceptable-ad settings and custom site exceptions.
- Check that your VPN or private DNS feature is connected if you rely on network filtering.
- Retest after changing one setting so you can see what helped.
Do not enable every available list without review. Overlapping or highly aggressive rules can slow troubleshooting and break legitimate site features. Start with the blocker’s maintained defaults, then add focused privacy protection.
Should you test in private or incognito mode?
Yes, if you browse privately. Extensions often require separate permission to run in private windows. Built-in tracking protection, cookie behavior, and temporary storage can also differ. A strong normal-window result does not guarantee the same configuration in incognito mode.
Open a private window, confirm the blocker is allowed there, and run the same test. Compare the category totals rather than expecting identical timing for every request.
Keep a useful baseline
Save the final percentage and the weakest category after your setup is working. Retest after major browser, extension, VPN, or DNS changes. A baseline makes it easier to notice a disabled permission or stale configuration later, without assuming every small score variation is a problem.
Final recommendation
Treat an adblock score as a practical diagnostic signal, not a certificate that every advertisement or tracker on the web will disappear. Test in your real browser, read the categories, correct obvious settings, and repeat the check after meaningful changes. That process answers “is my adblock working?” more reliably than checking one website.