uBlockDefine

A fork of uBlock Origin that adds !#define macro support for domain list expansion in filter lists.

The purpose of this fork is to implement uBlock-issues#330.

In 2018 this was a convenience request. In 2024–25 it's a countermeasure. Link shortener, file hosting and video hosting sites now buy 1–2 domains per day specifically to outpace static filter updates. The only sustainable response is a domain group you update in one place. Maintaining 20+ filter lines that each repeat a 10-domain prefix, where that list changes daily, is not a viable workflow.

Element Picker - Add Current Domain To Define Lines Screenshot

Details

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Features

• !#define domain macros, expanded at parse time
• Nested macros, with circular-reference protection
• Negation with ~Macro
• Macros usable in cosmetic filters, network filters and filter options
• Red directive highlighting in the filter editor
• Auto-rename of macro usages when a !#define name is edited
• Define search panel in the element picker, with one-tap Add Current
• Mobile (Gboard) fixes for select-all, copy and cut in the filter editor
• Auto-updating Firefox releases
• Daily upstream sync

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Syntax

!#define MacroName (domain1.com,domain2.com,domain3.*)

• The macro name can be anything without spaces.
• Domains are comma-separated inside ( ).
• The definition must be on one line and must not contain ) inside the list.
• Text after the closing ) is ignored, so it can hold a note.
• Wildcards like gplinks.* are supported.
• The !#define line is removed from the list at parse time.
• A macro applies only inside the list that defines it.
• Names match whole tokens only. A macro named like a real domain replaces that domain wherever it appears in the list.

Example

!#define GplinksPartners.com (powergam.online,qrixpe.com,sanadegreecollege.in)
GplinksPartners.com##center, .main-content, .myTimerDiv
GplinksPartners.com##+js(set, document.hidden, false)
*$script,1p,domain=GplinksPartners.com

At parse time GplinksPartners.com expands into all three domains, so each rule is written once.

Where macros expand

Position	Result
Before ##, #@#, #?#, #$#, #%#	Joined with , in the same line
domain=, from=, to=, denyallow= option values	Joined with | in the same line
Start of a network filter	One line per domain

Comment lines (!) are never expanded.

Negation

Prefix a macro with ~ inside a domain list or option to negate every domain in it:

*$script,domain=~GplinksPartners.com

Nested macros

!#define Gplinks (gplinks.*,get2.in)
!#define GplinksAll (powergam.online,qrixpe.com,Gplinks)
GplinksAll##.ad-banner

Duplicates are removed. A macro that references itself, directly or through another macro, resolves to nothing for the looping part. An empty macro is not expanded.

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Editor

Red directive highlighting

!#define, !#if, !#else, !#endif and !#include are highlighted in red in the filter editor (#cc0000 light, #ff6b6b dark).

Auto-rename

When you edit the name on a !#define line, all usages of that macro in the same list are renamed automatically. Undo and redo do not trigger a rename.

Mobile input fixes

On Android, Gboard reads select-all, copy and cut from the editor DOM text. Stock CodeMirror 5 put line numbers and extra blank lines into that text. This fork:

• Renders line numbers and lint messages as CSS generated content instead of text.
• Uses inline elements for gutter helpers.
• Renders the whole document for lists up to 5000 lines, so select-all covers everything and not only the visible part.

Copied text is now exactly one line per filter line.

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Element Picker: Define Search

The picker has a search box for the !#define lines in My filters.

1. Type part of a macro name (case-insensitive).
2. Tap Add Current on the match.
3. The current page's hostname is appended to that macro, My filters is saved, all filters are reloaded and the picker closes.

Button states: Added if the domain is already in the macro, Not found if the macro no longer exists. Punycode hostnames are converted to Unicode before being added.

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Build

Artifact

build.yml runs on every push and pull request. It checks out upstream gorhill/uBlock, applies apply_patches.py and patch.py, then runs make firefox. Download the result from Actions → latest run → uBlockOrigin Define V Fork Unsigned.

Release

Run the Release XPI workflow manually. It:

• Builds uBlockDefine.firefox.xpi from this repo.
• Creates release v<version>. If that release already exists, it is skipped.
• Sets update_url in the manifest. Set the repository variable ADDON_ID to override the add-on ID.
• Publishes updates.json to the updates release, so installed copies update themselves (Firefox 115+).

For a signed build, head to the Release section.

Upstream sync

sync-upstream.yml runs daily at 03:17 UTC. It merges gorhill/uBlock master into this repo, keeps this README and the fork's workflows, then triggers Release XPI.

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How Patching Works

This fork does not maintain hand-edited copies of uBlock Origin's files. Two scripts apply string-based patches at build time:

Script	Patches
apply_patches.py	!#define parser and expansion, directive color, auto-rename, element picker search
patch.py	CodeMirror mobile input fixes

Both scripts are idempotent: a patch already present is skipped. If an upstream change breaks a patch anchor (it must match exactly once), the build fails with a descriptive error. Touched JS files are syntax-checked with node --check.

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Based On

uBlock Origin by Raymond Hill — GPLv3