Guides
Install the file. Understand the trade-offs.
These guides describe the real installation path for each output format. The menus and limits differ between software versions, so where a detail is version-dependent, it is called out instead of hidden.
AdGuard Home configuration guide
Add a DNS filter list to AdGuard Home from a local file or a private URL, verify the list, and update it without guessing.
- Native ||domain^ syntax
- Local path or URL
- Network-wide
Pi-hole blocklist setup guide
Add a domain-only list to Pi-hole, understand file permissions and gravity, and know what to do when the web UI rejects a local path.
- Domain / hosts lists
- Local file or URL
- v5 and v6 caveats
Hosts file guide
Install host mappings on Windows, macOS, or Linux without replacing the existing file. Includes reversion and cache flushing notes.
- One device
- No wildcards
- Manual updates
DNS blocklist formats, clearly explained
Compare hosts files, domain lists, and AdGuard syntax — including what can and cannot be safely converted between them.
- Hosts vs domains
- AdGuard rules
- Conversion traps
Before you start
Changing DNS is easy to reverse only if you prepare for it.
Keep access to your router, the DNS host, and the admin interface. A filter mistake can make a device feel broken even though the network is still online.
Keep a recovery path
Make sure you can log in to the DNS software from a device that does not depend on the filter. Disable the list if critical services break.
Change one layer at a time
Do not change your router's DNS, add a new list, and update the device cache simultaneously. Isolate changes so you can tell what caused an issue.
Expect version differences
Menu labels and local-file restrictions change across software releases. Follow the official documentation for the version you run.
Know the scope
AdGuard Home and Pi-hole filter devices that use them as DNS. A hosts file affects only the machine it is installed on.
What DNS filtering does not do
The boundary matters as much as the blocklist.
It can reduce hostname lookups
DNS filtering can prevent resolutions for domains your lists contain, across every device configured to use that resolver.
It cannot inspect content
Ads inside encrypted apps, first-party content, alternate resolvers, VPNs, and hard-coded IP connections are outside its reach.
It cannot guarantee safety
Blocklists can be incomplete or stale. Keep operating-system updates and endpoint security in place; do not treat DNS as antivirus.
It can break things
Sign-in flows, telemetry-dependent apps, and shared domains can all be caught by a broad list. Test, keep an allowlist, and review changes.
Not sure where to start?
The generator tells you which guide matches your output before you download.