DNS

Pi-hole Blocklists

Fahim

• 2 min read
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Pi-hole Blocklists
Photo by Jon Tyson / Unsplash

When you first install Pi-hole, it comes with a single default blocklist (StevenBlack's Unified Hosts). While this is a fantastic starting point, power users almost always add community-curated lists to enhance their protection against telemetry, malware, and more evasive trackers.

When choosing lists, the golden rule is quality over quantity. Adding millions of domains just to see a high number on your dashboard will inevitably break websites and cause headaches for anyone else using your network.

Here are the most popular and reliable blocklists used by the Pi-hole community today:

1. HaGeZi's DNS Blocklists (The Current Community Favorite)

In recent years, HaGeZi has become the gold standard for DNS blocking. His lists are actively maintained, heavily optimized, and offered in different "tiers" depending on how aggressive you want to be.

  • Multi Normal: The best "set it and forget it" list for a typical home. It blocks ads, trackers, and malware without breaking normal functionality (like shopping links or smart TVs).
  • Multi Pro: Recommended for power users. It offers extended protection but might occasionally require you to whitelist a domain if a niche site breaks.
  • Ultimate: Highly aggressive. Only use this if you are willing to actively monitor your logs and troubleshoot blocked connections.

2. OISD (The "Zero False Positives" List)

If you want absolutely zero complaints from your family or coworkers about broken websites, OISD is the list to use.

  • The maintainer of this list strictly removes any domain that interferes with the normal operation of a website or app.
  • It is highly effective at blocking the bulk of mainstream ads and telemetry while being incredibly safe to deploy on any network.

3. StevenBlack's Unified Hosts (The Reliable Default)

This is the list Pi-hole uses out of the box, but it’s worth mentioning because StevenBlack offers expanded versions on his GitHub.

  • In addition to the base ad-blocking list, you can subscribe to specific variants that also block gambling sites, fake news, or adult content.

4. The Firebog (The Ultimate Directory)

If you want to custom-build your own blocking strategy, firebog.net is the place to go. It is a highly respected, curated directory of blocklists categorized by what they do:

  • Advertising: Standard ad networks.
  • Tracking & Telemetry: Background analytics used by smart devices and software.
  • Malicious: Known malware, ransomware, and phishing domains.
  • Tip: Lists on Firebog with a green checkmark are considered highly reliable and unlikely to cause false positives.

A Quick Word on "Regex" Blocking

In addition to standard URL blocklists, you can also use Regular Expressions (Regex) in Pi-hole to block domains based on patterns. For example, you can easily block the entire .zip top-level domain, which is heavily abused by malicious actors, without needing a massive list of individual URLs.