AdUnblocker 2.0 turns ad blocker detection into a measurable visitor-recovery workflow for WordPress publishers. This major release replaces the old idea of a fixed warning notice with a flexible system for designing recovery messages, understanding how visitors respond and improving the experience over time.
Publishers can now build custom popups with Gutenberg, choose how each message behaves, preview the experience before it goes live and see seven days of privacy-friendly recovery analytics inside WordPress. The optional Pro add-on extends that foundation with multiple campaigns, multi-step journeys, targeting, experiments, offer handoffs and deeper reporting.
The goal is straightforward: help publishers protect ad-supported content without treating every visitor as an adversary. AdUnblocker 2.0 gives site owners better tools to explain the value exchange, test a respectful message and measure whether it works.
A major WordPress publishing update
What changes with AdUnblocker 2.0?
The release connects three jobs that publishers previously handled separately: designing the message, delivering it reliably and measuring the response.
Why AdUnblocker 2.0 matters for publishers
Ad blocking is not only a detection problem. It is a communication problem. A publisher must explain why advertising supports the site, choose how firmly to make that request and understand whether visitors dismiss the message, leave or return with ads allowed.
Earlier anti-adblock tools often stopped at the first step: detect a blocked script and show a notice. AdUnblocker 2.0 adds the missing workflow around that event. The publisher can create a branded message, control its behaviour, preview it safely and compare recovery outcomes rather than relying on instinct.
That distinction matters. A strict interruption may be appropriate for a publication whose content is entirely ad-funded. A softer or temporary message may suit a community site that prioritises reach. The best choice depends on the audience, the value of the content and the publisher’s revenue model.
Build recovery popups with Gutenberg
The largest visible change in AdUnblocker 2.0 is full Gutenberg compatibility. Recovery popups now use the native WordPress block editor, so a site owner can combine headings, paragraphs, images, buttons, lists and columns in the same editing environment used for normal content.
This removes the fixed-template limitation and gives the recovery message a proper place in the site’s brand system. Publishers can use their own tone, explain how advertising funds the work, link to a membership option or give visitors a prominent “I have allowed ads – refresh” action.
The editor also controls behaviour and presentation. Choose a strict, temporary or dismissible experience; set the display delay; decide whether the message applies per page or session; adjust overlay colour, width, spacing and border radius; target selected pages; and preview the adblock experience before publishing.
- Strict: the message remains until the visitor allows advertising.
- Temporary: the message can close after a timer, through a button or through either action.
- Dismissible: the visitor can close the notice and continue browsing.
The free edition supports unlimited popup drafts and one published popup at a time. That makes it possible to prepare seasonal, membership or campaign-specific alternatives without changing the live message until they are ready.
See whether the recovery message is working
AdUnblocker 2.0 introduces a seven-day analytics dashboard in the free plugin. Instead of reporting only that a blocker exists, the dashboard separates raw detection checks from unique visitor outcomes and shows the path from blocked traffic to recovery.
Publishers can review adblock rate, total checks, blocked checks, unique blocked visitors, popup viewers, dismissed visitors and recovered visitors. Daily blocked-versus-not-blocked trends reveal changes over time, while per-popup reporting shows views, recoveries, dismissals and conversion rates for each message.
The analytics are deliberately privacy-conscious. Records remain in the publisher’s own WordPress database and are not sent to Digital Apps. Raw IP addresses are not stored. Browser-generated visitor identifiers are saved as salted hashes, free analytics are automatically pruned after seven days and administrators can clear the data whenever needed.
Site owners should still review their own privacy notice because the browser uses local and session storage for visitor, session and popup state. On pages where detection is enabled, the browser may also contact Google AdSense to test whether an advertising asset is available.
A more accessible and resilient frontend
A recovery message interrupts the normal reading journey, so accessibility cannot be an afterthought. Version 2.0 adds keyboard operation, managed focus, Escape-key behaviour where dismissal is permitted and support for reduced-motion preferences. The refresh action is presented as a clear user control rather than relying on the visitor to guess what to do after changing an ad blocker setting.
The delivery system has also been rebuilt. AdUnblocker can generate its frontend script and stylesheet with randomised filenames and selectors, then store those assets in WordPress’s persistent cache directory. If that location is unavailable, the plugin falls back to bundled assets so the recovery experience can continue operating.
This does not promise that every blocker and every custom filter will behave identically forever. Ad blocking changes continuously. It does, however, give the plugin a stronger delivery foundation and a clearer path for compatibility improvements.
What is included in AdUnblocker Free and Pro?
Version 2.0 introduces a free-core and separate Pro add-on architecture. The free plugin provides the complete foundation for designing one live recovery message and measuring its recent performance. Pro is intended for publishers who need several campaigns, more precise audiences and an optimisation programme rather than a single popup.
| Capability | AdUnblocker Free | AdUnblocker Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Popup design | Gutenberg editor, unlimited drafts and one published popup. | Uses the free plugin’s block-based popup foundation. |
| Campaigns | One active popup at a time. | Multiple simultaneous recovery campaigns. |
| Targeting | Site-wide or selected-page display. | URL, device, browser and visit-based rules. |
| Journeys | Single recovery popup. | Editable multi-step journeys with configurable triggers and outcomes. |
| Experiments | Review per-popup performance manually. | Weighted A/B variants and variant leaderboards. |
| Offers | Use normal blocks and links in the popup. | Subscription, Mailchimp, Kit and generic webhook handoffs. |
| Reporting | Seven-day analytics in WordPress. | Seven, 30 and 90-day ranges, recovery funnels and audience breakdowns. |
Multi-step recovery journeys
Not every visitor responds to the same request at the same moment. Pro journeys let a publisher arrange several recovery steps and decide when each step appears. A soft explanation can come first, followed by a stronger request after inactivity or another chosen trigger. Stop conditions prevent the journey from continuing after the desired result.
Targeting, experiments and offers
Pro campaigns can target URL patterns, device and browser families, and visit behaviour. Weighted A/B experiments distribute visitors between message variants and compare the results in a leaderboard. Offer handoffs can connect a recovery step to a subscription path, Mailchimp, Kit or a generic webhook, giving publishers an alternative way to preserve value when a visitor chooses not to allow ads.
These tools are designed for learning, not for adding friction indiscriminately. A successful programme should identify the least disruptive message that produces a useful response for a specific audience.
The AdUnblocker roadmap after 2.0
AdUnblocker 2.0 establishes the new product foundation. The roadmap now centres on making that foundation easier to adopt, more reliable across the changing browser landscape and more useful for publishers who want to optimise recovery responsibly.
The roadmap is directional and will evolve with publisher feedback. It is not a promise of fixed release dates. Our priorities are:
Make the 2.0 transition dependable
Improve upgrade guidance, popup migration, diagnostics and documentation while continuing compatibility work across WordPress versions, browsers, caching layers and common blocker configurations.
Make good recovery experiences easier to create
Develop clearer starter patterns, practical message guidance and more helpful preview and quality checks so publishers can launch an accessible, brand-appropriate campaign with less trial and error.
Turn experiment data into clearer decisions
Refine reporting, segment comparisons and experiment interpretation so publishers can understand why one message or audience performs differently from another.
Broaden recovery choices and integrations
Use feedback to deepen subscription and webhook workflows, support more publisher use cases and keep the product focused on respectful value exchange rather than confrontation.
Requests and reproducible compatibility reports are welcome through the WordPress.org support forum, the public issue tracker linked from the plugin page or Digital Apps support. Publisher feedback will determine which roadmap items deliver the most practical value.
A practical AdUnblocker 2.0 upgrade checklist
Because 2.0 is a major release, existing users should review the setup rather than assuming every older option maps perfectly to the new workflow.
- Back up the site and test the update on staging where possible.
- Update the free core plugin and the separate Pro add-on independently.
- Open AdUnblocker > Popups and review the inactive starter or migrated popup.
- Check popup type, timing, scope, page targeting, colours and refresh action.
- Use the authenticated preview before publishing the recovery message.
- Test once with advertising allowed and once with a blocker enabled.
- Confirm analytics register detections, popup views and the intended outcomes.
- Review the site privacy notice for local storage and first-party analytics.
New users can install the free edition from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. After activation, open AdUnblocker > Popups, customise the inactive starter message and preview it before publishing.
Frequently asked questions
What does AdUnblocker 2.0 do?
It detects signs that advertising assets are being blocked, displays a recovery message designed by the publisher and measures how visitors respond. It does not itself serve replacement advertising.
Is AdUnblocker 2.0 free?
Yes. The free AdUnblocker plugin includes Gutenberg popup design, unlimited drafts, one published popup, page targeting, authenticated preview and seven-day analytics. Pro adds multiple campaigns, journeys, advanced targeting, experiments, offers and longer reporting ranges.
Does AdUnblocker send analytics to Digital Apps?
No. The plugin sends analytics events to the publisher’s own WordPress installation and stores them in that site’s database. Raw IP addresses are not stored. The browser may contact Google AdSense as part of client-side detection.
Can I design the popup with Gutenberg?
Yes. Version 2.0 uses the native block editor, allowing headings, paragraphs, images, buttons, lists, columns and other compatible blocks to form the recovery layout.
How many recovery popups can I create?
The free edition supports unlimited drafts and one published popup at a time. Publishing another popup returns the previous active popup to draft. Pro supports multiple simultaneous campaigns.
What should I check after upgrading?
Review the popup content, behaviour, timing, scope, target pages and visual settings. Preview the message, test blocked and unblocked states, and confirm that analytics register the expected events.
Design, measure and improve
Try the new AdUnblocker recovery workflow
Start with Gutenberg popups and seven-day analytics in the free plugin. Add Pro when your publishing strategy needs multiple campaigns, targeting, experiments, journeys and deeper reporting.
AdUnblocker Pro is a separate add-on and requires the free AdUnblocker plugin.