Firefox does not include a built-in ad blocker, so disabling one means turning off the extension you installed. This guide covers every desktop path: the Add-ons Manager, the toolbar Extensions button, the per-site pause option, and how Enhanced Tracking Protection fits in.
Whether you use uBlock Origin, AdBlock Plus, or another extension, the steps below explain the difference between disabling and removing an extension, plus what to try if the toggle is greyed out.
In this guide, I have covered:
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Why You Might Need to Disable Your Firefox Ad Blocker
You hit a site that refuses to load, hides its content behind a blank page, or blocks you from logging in. Some news sites and video players show anti-ad-blocker warnings that won’t dismiss until the extension is paused. That’s when you need to disable your ad blocker in Firefox.
Ad blockers like uBlock Origin, AdBlock Plus, and AdGuard are popular Firefox extensions. But they can break things. Disabling one is quick and reversible.
Firefox itself does not ship with a built-in ad blocker. Mozilla’s own forum staff have clarified that the browser’s Enhanced Tracking Protection feature can hide some tracker-based ads in Strict mode, but it is not a full ad blocker. If you want to whitelist a single site or temporarily stop filtering everywhere, the steps below walk through every desktop path.
Open the Add-ons Manager From the Firefox Menu
The fastest way to reach your extensions list is through the main Firefox menu.
Click the 
hamburger icon in the top-right corner of the toolbar and choose Add-ons and themes. The Add-ons Manager opens in a new tab with three sections along the left rail: Extensions, Themes, and Plugins. Make sure you are on the Extensions tab.
You can also open the Add-ons Manager with the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + A on Windows or Linux, or ⌘ + Shift + A on macOS. If neither works, paste about:addons directly into the address bar and press Enter.
The Plugins tab is a leftover from the old NPAPI plug-in era. Most modern sites no longer use it, so you can ignore it for ad blockers.
Turn Off an Ad Blocker With the Toggle Switch
Once you are on the Extensions tab, find the ad blocker in the list. Each row shows the extension’s name, a short description, and a blue toggle switch on the right.
Click the toggle to switch the extension off. Mozilla describes this as turning the extension off without removing it, so your settings, custom filter lists, and whitelist entries stay saved. You can come back later and flip the same toggle on again. For the full official procedure, see Mozilla’s disable or remove add-ons support page.
After disabling, refresh any open tab where the ad blocker was interfering. If the page still seems broken, reload with Ctrl + F5 (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + R (macOS) to bypass the cache.
Use the Extensions Button on the Toolbar
Firefox 109 and newer shows a puzzle-piece icon on the toolbar that opens a unified menu of every installed extension. If your toolbar already has this icon, it is the quickest path for ad blocker control.
Click the puzzle-piece icon. A small panel lists every extension with a quick toggle next to it. Find your ad blocker and click the toggle to disable it. You can also click the three-dot 
menu next to an extension and pick Disable or Remove.
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Don’t see the puzzle-piece icon? Right-click an empty area of the toolbar and confirm that Extensions is checked under the Customize Toolbar menu. You can also save a quick link to the Add-ons Manager. Our guide to adding site shortcuts in Firefox walks through it.
Disable an Ad Blocker on a Single Website
You don’t always have to disable an ad blocker globally. Most popular ad blockers expose a per-site pause option right from the page.
While you are on the website where the ad blocker is causing trouble, click the ad blocker’s toolbar icon (uBlock Origin, AdBlock, AdBlock Plus, AdGuard, or similar). In the popup that opens, look for a button labeled Disable on this website, Pause on this site, or Allowlist. The exact wording depends on the extension. Click that button, then reload the page.
This is a good middle ground because the ad blocker keeps running on every other site while the whitelisted page loads its content normally.
Disable vs. Remove: Which Should You Pick?
Disabling keeps the extension installed and synced through your Firefox account if you are signed in. It is the safest option for a temporary break.
Removing uninstalls the extension entirely. Click the three-dot menu next to the extension in the Add-ons Manager and choose Remove, then confirm the prompt. Firefox also offers a short window to undo the removal in case you change your mind.
What About Enhanced Tracking Protection?
Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) is Firefox’s built-in privacy feature. It is easy to mistake for an ad blocker because Strict mode can hide some ads that rely on tracking scripts. It is controlled separately from your extensions, as explained on Mozilla’s Enhanced Tracking Protection page.
Look for the shield icon (🛡) on the left side of the address bar. Click it to open a panel showing the current protection level for the site. Slide the toggle at the top to the off position to disable ETP just for that site, or click the protection level link to change the global setting between Standard, Strict, and Custom.
Turning off ETP does not turn off your ad blocker, and turning off your ad blocker does not turn off ETP. They are independent layers of protection. If you would rather skip extensions entirely, browsers like Brave block ads by default. Our guide to blocking misleading ads on Brave walks through the built-in tools.
Troubleshooting If the Ad Blocker Won’t Disable
If the toggle is greyed out, or the extension re-enables itself after a restart, try the fixes below.
Restart Firefox. Some corporate-managed installs lock extensions through policies. Restarting once after disabling gives Firefox a chance to apply the change.
Check for managed extensions. If your Firefox is provided by a school or workplace, an administrator may have pinned the ad blocker on. You will see a note in the Add-ons Manager saying the extension is managed.
Test in a Private Window. Open a private window with Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + P (macOS). Private windows normally run extensions too, but it is a quick way to rule out a corrupt profile issue.
Re-sync your Firefox account. If you are signed into a Mozilla account and use Firefox Sync, sign out and back in to push the new state to other devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Firefox have a built-in ad blocker?
No. Firefox does not include a true ad blocker. The browser’s Enhanced Tracking Protection can hide some tracker-based ads in Strict mode, but it is not designed as an ad blocker. To block ads you need an extension such as uBlock Origin, AdBlock Plus, or AdGuard.
How do I turn off the ad blocker on one website only?
Click the ad blocker’s icon in the Firefox toolbar while you are on that site. Look for a button labeled Disable on this website, Pause on this site, or Allowlist, then reload the page. The exact label depends on the extension.
Will disabling my ad blocker delete my settings and filters?
No. Disabling only turns the extension off. Your custom filter lists, whitelists, and preferences are kept in Firefox’s storage and come back the moment you flip the toggle on again.
Why are some ad blocker toggles greyed out?
Greyed-out toggles usually mean the extension is managed by your organization, installed through a system policy, or required for the browser to function. Removing the lock requires changing the policy that controls Firefox on your computer.
Is turning off Enhanced Tracking Protection the same as disabling my ad blocker?
No. Enhanced Tracking Protection is a separate privacy feature controlled by the shield icon in the address bar. Disabling ETP stops Firefox’s anti-tracking filter for the site but leaves your ad blocker extension running as usual.
