Looking for a way to turn off shields only for certain sites

[bravoguy]

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Description of the issue:
First, I was really excited to see that Brave incorporated much of what ublock does, and now I don’t have to trust ublock with full control over my browser anymore. Also liked how Brave has added the ability to use filter lists. However, I am looking for a way of turning on and off protections on a site by site basis as is the case with all adblockers. It seems to me that protection is either on for everything or off for everything. If I am using a site frequently that gets broken by shields, then I have to turn on and off all the time which is irritating. So, the question is, how to turn on or off by site? I imagine that turning off only the offending script becomes an issue for an addon…?
How can this issue be reproduced?

1. Goto site that shields breaks.
2. Notice that site is not working correctly.
3. Turn off adblocker and see site working correctly.
4. Worry about remembering to turn adblocker on again after finishing here.
5. Worry whether other open tabs are also unprotected now.
6. Stress about needing to turn on and off every time you visit this favorite site.
7. etc

Expected result:

Similar to ublock: settings are set by site.

Brave Version( check About Brave):
Version 1.38.111 Chromium: 101.0.4951.54 (Official Build) unknown (64-bit)

Additional Information:

[289wk]

@bravoguy ,

Suggestion, use the site-specific Shields (Lion icon) panels

in order to determine the degree to which, you need to lower - SPECIFICALLY - one or more of the settings.

For example, you may find that, for a web page, you only have to lower the Trackers & ads blocked level to Standard.

Close the web page.

–

The following steps, assume that you normally wish to have / leave Brave Browser > Shields: UP

Including the Global Shields Settings:

–

Let’s say for the following steps, that the website is https://www.somewebsite.com

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With Brave Browser running, in a New Window, go to brave://settings/clearBrowserData

Examine all the settings for all three tabs: Basic / Advanced / On exit

Be certain that those settings are what they should be, for your usage. In time, you will have tested those arrangments, and figured out what you need, there.

Be certain for two of the tabs – Advanced / On exit – to Disable:

• Passwords and other sign-in data (IF you are using Brave Password Mgr.)

• Site and Shields Settings (unless, before the following steps, you decide that you initially do need to clear “Site and Shields Settings”)

–

Recommended at: brave://settings/cookies

• Disable: “Clear cookies and site data when you close all windows”

• Do not use: “Sites that clear cookies when you close them” (better to clear those cookie sources, manually: brave://settings/clearBrowserData)

–

Quit Brave Browser. Wait a moment. Start Brave Browser.

–

IF you want to allow cookies for the website . . .

In a New Window, go to brave://settings/cookies

Scroll down that settings page, to Sites that can always use cookies

Click the Add button

Enter https://[*.]somewebsite.com:443 as the site . . . but do not Enable

• Current Private session only
• Including third-party cookies on this site

Click the Add button

–

Allow javascript for the website . . .

Next, go to brave://settings/content/javascript

Scroll down that javascript settings page to Allowed to use javascript

Click the Add button

Enter https://[*.]somewebsite.com:443 as the site . . . but do not Enable

• Current Private session only

Click the Add button

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In order to make further adjustments to Site [specific] settings

Go to: https://www.somewebsite.com

Right-click on the padlock icon at the left end of the URL address field.

In the pop-down menu, notice the setting for javascript - it should already be Enabled, because of the steps mentioned herein.

In the pop-down menu, scroll to the bottom and select ‘Site settings’

A Brave Browser > New Window will open to

brave://settings/content/siteDetails?site=https%3A%2F%2Fsomewebsite.com

where you will again see that javascript is Enabled.

And, you may adjust several other Site settings, such as Ads.

–

[bravoguy]

Thank you for your detailed and helpful reply. I didn’t realize the lion icon set page specific settings. This is very good news

Your other recommendations were also helpful, however you suggested to disable “clear cookies and site data” on browser close. I always have that on so I don’t collect hundreds of junk and tracker cookies and also don’t want dom saved from random sites also. I don’t understand why you would suggest turning that off and clearing them manually as that would be really tiring all the time.

Second, you suggest adding sites that can always use cookies but with a “current private session only” and that I should not “enable.” I don’t have those options. I have only the option to not save third party cookies which I mostly use and an “add” button. I don’t see an “enable” button.

And last, I added a site that could save cookies, but forgot to disable 3rd party cookies, so I clicked the trash can to delete it, but cannot delete it. It is greyed out and does not respond to anything. How can I delete this entry?

Thanks

[289wk]

@bravoguy ,

I recommended at: brave://settings/cookies

• Disable: “Clear cookies and site data when you close all windows”

That, for the benefit of users who want to maintain a Signed-In status at websites. But also to maintain the ‘Site settings’ - if indeed, there is an association between the ‘Clear cookies and site . . .’ settings and (the right-click on the padlock - pop-down menu selection:) ‘Site settings’.

• Do not use: “Sites that clear cookies when you close them” (better to clear those cookie sources, manually: brave://settings/clearBrowserData)

That, again, to try and preserve a Signed-In status, for the benefit of some users.

Neither of the recommended cookie settings are in stone.

I routinely clear, manually. Quite often, I also Exit/Quit Brave Browser . . . wait a moment . . . and start Brave Browser, after changing a setting / clearing data etc.

–

Last - re the trash can option - yes “it greyed out” because you “forgot to disable 3rd party cookies”.

Visit the cookie-troubled website and set the site-specific Shields (Lion icon) panel setting to UP and the settings to Aggressive/Strict . . . and Cross-site cookies blocked . . . and then open a New Window to brave://settings/cookies and try the Trash can. PS, there is an issue at GitHub:

https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues/12375

[Thrive]

Love my lion. That’s the easy way to achieve what you are looking for.

[bravoguy]

Your solution to fix the greyed out cookies worked! I had forgot shields down for that site.

Regarding clearing “cookies and site data” when closing Brave, there is another option in “Exit” that is “Site and shields settings.” Obviously the second one includes shields settings, but do you know the difference between “site data” in the first option and “site setting” in the second? Are “site settings” my settings in the browser regarding this site, and “site data” refers to Local Storage or DOM settings the site stores in cookies on my computer? I really don’t want to store anything from any sites that I have not specifically whitelisted myself. I would also like to store my browser settings for various sites so I don’t have to keep doing it each time.

Thanks

[289wk]

@bravoguy ,

Probably best for you, to Enable all the selections among the 3 tabs: Basic / Advanced / On exit . . . EXCEPT the following:

Site and shields settings

Be sure to make backups of your BraveSoftware folder:

/home/[username]/.config/BraveSoftware/

Make manual backups of your Bookmarks - using the Brave Browser > Bookmarks Manager

As a backup method for Passwords, try

• 1Password
• BitWarden
• KeePASS
• LastPass

[bravoguy]

Ok, I marked this solved. Thanks.

One last question, do you know of any plan to allow more granular filtering in shields? For example, either all trackers and ads are blocked or all are not. We don’t have the ability to only select the offending one as in ublock.