What are HaGeZi's DNS blocklists?

A DNS blocklist is a list of domains that a DNS filter refuses to resolve, so devices on the network can't reach ad servers, trackers, or malicious sites. HaGeZi's DNS blocklists are among the most widely used lists for Pi-hole, AdGuard Home, AdGuard DNS, NextDNS, ControlD, Technitium, and similar blockers. The main "Multi" list comes in five tiers: Light, Normal, Pro, Pro++, and Ultimate. Each tier builds on the one before it, so every tier also contains all the smaller ones.

Unlike a hosts file, a DNS blocklist entry blocks the domain and all of its subdomains. An entry for doubleclick.net also blocks ad.doubleclick.net and stats.g.doubleclick.net, which is why the list doesn't repeat subdomains of a listed domain.

Tool description

This tool checks a hostname or website address against Multi ULTIMATE, HaGeZi's largest and most aggressive tier. It contains every entry of Light, Normal, Pro, and Pro++, and it also covers the Fake, Pop-Up Ads, and Native Tracker lists and part of the Threat Intelligence Feeds. Paste a hostname or a full URL, and the tool shows whether it is blocked, which list entry blocks it, and which hostnames under it are on the list.

Features

  • Accepts bare hostnames and full URLs; the path, port, and query are ignored
  • Checks the full Ultimate list of more than 280,000 domains: ads, trackers, telemetry, phishing, malware, scams, fake sites, and cryptojacking
  • Shows the entry that blocks the hostname, whether it is the hostname itself or a parent domain
  • Lists hostnames under the checked domain that are on the list, such as ad and tracking servers of a site
  • Handles internationalized domain names by converting them to punycode
  • Shows the size of the list and when it was last updated

How it works

The tool looks up the hostname and each of its parent domains in the list. If any of them is on it, the hostname is blocked, because blockers apply each entry to the domain and all of its subdomains. A domain that isn't blocked can still have listed subdomains: checking a whole site, such as google.com, shows the ad and tracking hostnames under it that the list blocks while the site itself keeps working.

Limitations

  • The list is updated several times a day upstream, and the copy used here is refreshed regularly but not in real time.
  • Only Multi ULTIMATE is checked. Standalone HaGeZi lists such as the full Threat Intelligence Feeds, Gambling, NSFW, Social Networks, or Newly Registered Domains are not included, so a domain blocked only by one of those lists shows as not blocked.
  • A smaller tier, such as Pro, may not block a hostname that Ultimate blocks.
  • IP addresses are not checked, because the list contains domains only.