HaGeZi DNS Blocklists block ads, trackers, and threats network-wide

A network-wide set of DNS blocklists

HaGeZi DNS Blocklists is a set of DNS blocklists that block ads, trackers, telemetry, phishing, malware, scams, and other unwanted domains network-wide. The project is licensed under GPL-3.0 and states that the lists work for any region and with every common DNS server, ad blocker, and content blocker. The README frames the goal as making the internet a cleaner, safer place, and it notes the lists are built from various source blocklists that have been optimized and extended rather than simply concatenated.

The lists are designed to run standalone or alongside each other, and the documentation repeatedly emphasizes that a user should pick the tier and format that match their tool and risk tolerance. New users are pointed at Multi PRO plus the Threat Intelligence Feeds list as a starting combination, with a quick setup guide and a direct link generator offered to remove manual steps.

The five Multi tiers build on each other

The all-in-one Multi list ships in five versions named after cleaning tools: Light is the hand brush for basic protection, Normal is the broom for all-round protection, Pro is the big broom for extended protection and is recommended, Pro++ is the sweeper for advanced and more aggressive protection, and Ultimate is the ultimate sweeper for maximum and most aggressive protection. The documentation explains that the bigger the tool, the more thoroughly it cleans, and the more likely it is to sweep up something the user wanted to keep.

The first five tiers build on each other, so the guidance is to pick exactly one of them. The README's at-a-glance table lists entry counts that grow from Light at 79,665 entries through Normal at 176,107, Pro at 211,778, Pro++ at 257,464, and Ultimate at 283,026, with size-optimized mini versions available for the larger tiers. Each step up also raises the stated risk of breakage, from minimal on Light to high on Ultimate.

Standard formats and how to pick one

The README links a "Which format do I need?" guide from its overview, and the repository ships the lists in separate adblock/, adguard/, dnsmasq/, rpz/ and wildcard/ directories, so the first step is to pick the format that matches your tool.

Threat Intelligence Feeds as an add-on layer

The Threat Intelligence Feeds list, abbreviated TIF, is described as a serious security boost and is marked in the README table as blocking threats only, with low breakage risk. Unlike the five Multi tiers, TIF is meant to run alongside a tier: the README's suggested start is Multi PRO plus TIF.

TIF is the largest list by a wide margin, with 1,879,829 entries in its full form, and Medium and Mini versions exist at 311,171 and 191,527 entries, plus an IPs version.

Specialized standalone lists beyond the Multi tiers

Beyond the Multi tiers and TIF, the project maintains a long catalog of focused standalone lists. These include Fake for scams, traps and fake sites, Pop-Up Ads for annoying and malicious pop-ups, Newly Registered Domains for disposable attacker domains, Dynamic DNS abuse protection, Badware Hoster, Most Abused TLDs, and DNS Rebind Protection.

Further standalone categories cover DoH, VPN, Tor, and Proxy bypass prevention, search engines that skip Safesearch, URL shorteners, anti-piracy, gambling, social networks, NSFW or adult content, and native trackers built into devices, apps, and operating systems. The documentation also offers a Direct Link Generator that builds download links with a few clicks, plus a Blocklist Lookup to check any domain or IP against every list.

Entry counts and the trade-off of aggression

The central trade-off is spelled out in the cleaning-tools note: more aggressive tiers clean more thoroughly but raise the chance of blocking a domain the user wanted to keep, which is why Light carries minimal breakage risk while Ultimate carries high risk.

The project supports this with practical guidance rather than just bigger lists. Pro is marked as recommended, Pro++ as more aggressive, and Ultimate as the most aggressive, and size-optimized Mini versions are listed for Pro, Pro++ and Ultimate.

Editorial conclusion

HaGeZi DNS Blocklists is a GPL-3.0, network-wide blocking project that organizes its coverage into five cumulative Multi tiers, a large Threat Intelligence Feeds add-on, and a wide set of specialized standalone lists for scams, pop-ups, new domains, rebind protection, NSFW content, and more. The repository ships the lists in several format directories, including adblock, dnsmasq, rpz and wildcard, so users pick the format that matches their tool. The documentation is candid that aggression trades breakage risk for thoroughness, pointing new users at Multi PRO plus TIF and providing a direct link generator and lookup tool to simplify setup. It is a maintained, source-transparent option for anyone running DNS or content blocking at the network level.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

1. hagezi/dns-blocklists on GitHub
2. Issues
3. License: GPL-3.0
4. README
5. Releases