Should I allowlist Startpage in my ad blocker?

Startpage doesn’t track or profile you, and allowing Startpage ads doesn’t change that

The short answer

Yes. Startpage is free thanks to ads — non-personalized and contextual, matched to your search query, not your personal data.

How to allow Startpage ads →

What happens when you allow Startpage ads?

What stays the same:

• Your searches remain private. Startpage doesn’t record your IP address, log your searches or serve tracking cookies, whether your ad blocker is on or off.
• No personal data is collected, stored, or shared with advertisers.
• No tracking cookies dropped. No behavioral advertising. No profile built.

What changes:

• You see a small number of non-personalized, contextual ads matched to the search you just typed, not to who you are.
• Those ads fund the private search engine you’re using.

How to allow Startpage ads

Most ad blockers work from filter lists that target ad-tech infrastructure across the web — ad slots, trackers, and scripts. Those lists generally treat all ad slots the same by default, regardless of whether the ad behind the slot is personalized or contextual. Startpage’s ads share the technical category but not the behavior.

Your blocker is doing what it was built to do. We’re asking you to make a deliberate exception for Startpage, whose business model isn’t what your blocker was designed to fight.

Follow the steps for your blocker:

uBlock Origin: Click the uBlock Origin icon in your browser toolbar or within the extensions menu (puzzle piece icon). Drag the large dark blue slider all the way to the left (“filtering mode: no filtering”). Refresh the page.

AdBlock: Click the AdBlock icon in your browser toolbar or within the extensions menu (puzzle piece icon). Click “Pause on this site.” Refresh the page.

AdBlock Plus: Click the AdBlock Plus icon in your browser toolbar or within the extensions menu (puzzle piece icon). Click the large toggle beneath “Block ads on:” next to this website. Refresh the page.

Brave Shields: Click the Brave Shields icon (orange lion) in the address bar. Toggle “Shields” to OFF for startpage.com.

AdGuard Extension: Click the green AdGuard icon in the extensions bar or within the extensions menu (puzzle piece icon). Click the large green toggle to turn it off. Refresh the page.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to allowlist Startpage in my ad blocker? Yes. Startpage doesn’t track or profile you, and allowlisting doesn’t change that. The ads we display are non-personalized, matched to your search query.

Will Startpage start tracking me if I allowlist it?
No. Startpage doesn’t record your IP address, log your searches, or serve tracking cookies. Allowlisting enables ad revenue, not data collection.

What kind of ads does Startpage show?
Startpage serves non-personalized, contextual ads. These are chosen by the words in your search, not by a profile built from your activity. There is no profile.

Do I have to allowlist Startpage to use it?
No. Startpage works the same with or without your ad blocker enabled. Your searches stay private either way. Allowlisting is the simplest way to support us if you choose to.

Why does Startpage need to show ads at all?
Running a private search engine costs money. Contextual advertising is a revenue model that doesn’t require collecting user data. It’s how Startpage has stayed profitable since 2006 without tracking or profiling our users.

Read more about how Startpage makes money without tracking or profiling.