uBlock Origin vs Search Cleaner: Complementary Not Competing

An ad blocker and Search Cleaner sound similar, but they do different jobs. A content blocker like uBlock Origin Lite stops ads and trackers on every website. Search Cleaner hides parts of Google's results page that aren't ads, such as AI Overviews and People Also Ask. Disclosure: Search Cleaner is made by Bushe.co.

A note on uBlock Origin in Chrome

The original uBlock Origin was built on Chrome's older extension system, Manifest V2, which Chrome has now switched off. In current Chrome, the version to use is uBlock Origin Lite, built for Manifest V3. The original still works in Firefox. See what Manifest V3 changed.

What uBlock Origin Lite does

• Blocks ads, trackers and many annoyances on all sites, using filter lists.
• Speeds up many pages by stopping heavy ad scripts.
• Is open source, and its developer states it doesn't collect your browsing data.

What Search Cleaner does

• Works only on Google search results.
• Has a toggle for each section you can hide: AI Overview, the AI Mode tab, People Also Ask, Discussions and forums, search refinements, "Things to know", shopping carousels, related products and sponsored results.
• Leaves the regular results alone, so you keep using Google, just with less clutter.

Why a blocker doesn't do this

AI Overviews and People Also Ask aren't ads, so ad-blocking filter lists don't target them. You could write your own hiding rules in a full blocker, but Google changes its page often, and hand-made rules break. Named toggles for each section are easier to manage.

Where they overlap

Both can hide sponsored results on Google. If you use both, it doesn't matter which one does it. Everything else is separate: the blocker handles the rest of the web, and Search Cleaner handles Google's own sections.

Using them together

1. Install one content blocker. Don't stack several, which causes broken pages.
2. Add Search Cleaner and turn on only the sections you want gone. Many people start with AI Overview and People Also Ask.
3. If a Google feature you want disappears, check Search Cleaner's toggles first.

Without any extension

Google's Web filter (under the search box, More → Web) shows plain links without AI Overviews. It's a good option when you can't install extensions. See how to search Google without AI answers.

For a complete setup, see extensions that make Google useful again.