Masterlist Pi-hole Blocklists

This repository provides curated Pi-hole blocklists to block ads, trackers, spyware, malware, and other unwanted domains. It includes instructions for installation, whitelist management, chunk handling, and troubleshooting for both Docker and host installations.

---

Repository Contents

• blocklistA – General ad servers and pop-ups (e.g., ad.doubleclick.net, doubleclick.com)
• blocklistB – Social media tracking (e.g., facebook.com, instagram.com, snap-prod.appspot.com)
• blocklistC – Video streaming trackers (e.g., youtube.com, ytimg.com, googlevideo.com)
• blocklistD – Malware, phishing, and dangerous domains
• blocklist_chunk_aa/ad – Split chunks of the main blocklists (due to GitHub size limits)
• gravity.sql – Optional dump of Pi-hole gravity database

---

Step 1: Prepare Your Environment

Docker Pi-hole: Make sure your Pi-hole container is running. Example: sudo docker ps

Host Pi-hole: Ensure Pi-hole is installed and running on the host system.

---

Step 2: Whitelist Essential Domains

Some domains break websites if blocked. Whitelist them first:

Docker:
sudo docker exec -it pihole pihole allow google.com youtube.com facebook.com instagram.com snapchat.com ytimg.com gstatic.com gvt1.com

Host:
pihole allow google.com youtube.com facebook.com instagram.com

---

Step 3: Add Blocklists to Pi-hole

Docker:
sudo docker exec -it pihole pihole adlist add https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Ashcal9669/Masterlist-Pi-Hole-blocklists/main/blocklistA
sudo docker exec -it pihole pihole adlist add https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Ashcal9669/Masterlist-Pi-Hole-blocklists/main/blocklistB
sudo docker exec -it pihole pihole adlist add https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Ashcal9669/Masterlist-Pi-Hole-blocklists/main/blocklistC
sudo docker exec -it pihole pihole adlist add https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Ashcal9669/Masterlist-Pi-Hole-blocklists/main/blocklistD
sudo docker exec -it pihole pihole -g

Host: Add URLs via Admin → Group Management → Adlists, then click Update Gravity.

---

Step 4: Verify Whitelist Domains

Docker:
sudo docker cp pihole:/etc/pihole/gravity.db /tmp/gravity.db
sqlite3 /tmp/gravity.db "SELECT domain FROM domainlist WHERE type=0;"

Host:
sqlite3 /etc/pihole/gravity.db "SELECT domain FROM domainlist WHERE type=0;"

---

Step 5: Remove Specific Domains from Blocklists

1. Copy raw file locally:
   wget -O ~/Documents/blocklist_chunk_ad.rtf https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Ashcal9669/Masterlist-Pi-Hole-blocklists/main/blocklist_chunk_ad

2. Remove domains using sed (example: remove Facebook, Instagram, YouTube):
   sudo sed -i '/facebook\|instagram\|youtube/d' ~/Documents/blocklist_chunk_ad.rtf

3. Re-add to Pi-hole as a custom blocklist if needed.

---

Step 6: Whitelisting Domains Later

If a site breaks, whitelist it:

Docker:
sudo docker exec -it pihole pihole allow <domain>

Host:
pihole allow <domain>

---

Step 7: Fix Corrupted Gravity Database (Optional)

1. Backup gravity database:
   sudo docker cp pihole:/etc/pihole/gravity.db /tmp/gravity.db
cp /tmp/gravity.db /tmp/gravity.db.bak

2. Dump to SQL:
   sqlite3 /tmp/gravity.db ".dump" > /tmp/gravity.sql

3. Restore:
   sqlite3 /tmp/gravity_fixed.db < /tmp/gravity.sql
sudo docker cp /tmp/gravity_fixed.db pihole:/etc/pihole/gravity.db
sudo docker restart pihole

---

Step 8: Combining Chunk Files

If you want one full list from chunk files:
cat blocklist_chunk_aa blocklist_chunk_ab blocklist_chunk_ac blocklist_chunk_ad > combined_blocklist.txt

Use combined_blocklist.txt as your master blocklist if preferred.

---

Step 9: Troubleshooting

• sqlite3 not found in Docker: install it on the host or in container.
• Sites break: check whitelist first.
• Chunk files show partial content: use raw URLs or combine chunks.

---

References

Pi-hole Documentation: https://docs.pi-hole.net/