Acceptable Ads, and Why Scalpel Opts Out

## Why it matters

Most ad blockers use the same underlying filter lists and block all adverts the same way. But a few popular blockers add a hidden second list: Acceptable Ads. Sites on this list get their adverts through, even though you've got a blocker on. The catch is that advertisers pay to be there, and the blocker keeps a cut of the fee.

Scalpel does not take part. Everything stays blocked. If you want an exception, you control it yourself with the allowlist: no middleman, no paid whitelist, just you choosing which sites you trust.

## How it works

Acceptable Ads is run by a company called Eyeo. Advertisers can pay to join the scheme if their adverts meet a size and format standard (typically smaller, less intrusive creatives). Participating blockers, like Adblock Plus and uBlock Origin, bundle an allowlist of these "acceptable" adverts and let them through by default. Eyeo takes a cut of the fee the advertiser pays.

Blockers that join the scheme often turn Acceptable Ads on by default, so most users don't realise their blocker is letting a second wave of adverts through. Some let you opt out in settings.

Scalpel's approach is different. We block everything. If you decide a site deserves an exception, because you want to support it or because a page broke, you add it to your own allowlist yourself. No payment involved, no hidden deals, just your choice.

## What does not matter

Acceptable Ads is not a transparency scheme. It looks like one ("acceptable" sounds objective), but it's a paid whitelist. Advertisers can meet the format standard and still be left off the list if they don't pay, and some advertisers skip it entirely even when they meet the standard. The standard matters, but the payment mattered first.

Scalpel does not check whether ads are "acceptable" by format. We block at the network level, which means we don't see the ad's size or design. We can't make that judgement, and we don't try. The question we do answer is simpler: did you tell us to block this site? If yes, we block it.

## Code example

The Acceptable Ads list, when enabled in a participating blocker, gets added as an exception rule. In uBlock Origin or Adblock Plus, it lives as an extra ruleset alongside the main lists. In a declarativeNetRequest blocker, it would look like this:

{
  "id": 1,
  "priority": 1,
  "action": {
    "type": "allow"
  },
  "condition": {
    "urlFilter": "||ad.advertiser-paying-eyeo.com^",
    "resourceTypes": ["image", "script"]
  }
}
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This rule lets through requests from advertisers who paid to join the scheme. Scalpel does not include any such rules. Our blocker stays simple: no payment, no exceptions, unless you decide there's a site worth supporting.

## How Scalpel Ads Blocker shows it

Scalpel doesn't show Acceptable Ads anywhere. There's no toggle, no allowlist of "acceptable" adverts, no hidden second list. The only list you get is the one you build yourself: your allowlist. If a site matters to you, you add it. If it doesn't, everything stays blocked.

The donation link on the Scalpel Labs support page makes the value exchange clear: if you want to support ad-free content, donate directly to sites you love or to Scalpel Labs to keep the tools free. No middleman takes a cut.