The Nixxer Options page is your control center for configuring tracking detection, managing blocked domains, and integrating with network-level blockers like Pi-hole and NextDNS. This comprehensive interface gives you granular control over how Nixxer protects your privacy while browsing.
Access the Options page by:
- Right-clicking the Nixxer extension icon → “Options”
- Going to
about:addons→ Nixxer → “Preferences” - Using the gear icon in the Nixxer popup
Interface Overview
The Options page is organized into logical sections, each focusing on specific aspects of Nixxer’s functionality:
Header Section
- Extension icon and title with current version number
- Real-time status indicator showing if Nixxer is active
- Success/error message area for configuration feedback
Main Configuration Sections
- Detection Settings - How Nixxer identifies trackers
- Network Blocklist Management - Storage and export controls
- Export Settings - Output format preferences
- Statistics - Real-time performance metrics
- Detected Domains - Comprehensive tracker inventory
- Data Management - Backup, restore, and reset options
Detection Settings
Configure how aggressively Nixxer detects and blocks tracking attempts.
Detection Sensitivity
Purpose: Controls how many tracking patterns Nixxer looks for and how strict the matching criteria are.
Low Sensitivity
Conservative detection focusing on obvious trackers
Minimal false positives
Best for: Users who want basic protection without any risk of website breakage
Medium Sensitivity
Balanced approach detecting most common trackers
Occasional false positives possible
Best for: Most users seeking good protection with minimal issues
High Sensitivity (Recommended)
Aggressive detection catching advanced tracking techniques
Higher chance of false positives
Best for: Privacy-focused users wanting maximum protection
Recommendation: Start with High sensitivity. If you experience website functionality issues, step down to Medium.
Block Self-Hosted Google Analytics
Purpose: Determines whether Nixxer blocks Google Analytics when it’s hosted on the same domain as the website you’re visiting.
When Enabled:
- Blocks analytics even when hosted at
yoursite.com/analytics.js - Provides maximum privacy protection
- May occasionally break website functionality that depends on analytics
When Disabled:
- Only blocks third-party analytics domains (like
google-analytics.com) - Safer for website compatibility
- Still provides substantial privacy protection
Important: Self-hosted analytics are never included in network blocklist exports, preventing website breakage when using Pi-hole or NextDNS.
Enable Debug Logging
Purpose: Outputs detailed information about Nixxer’s detection process to the browser console.
When to Enable:
- Troubleshooting detection issues
- Reporting bugs to developers
- Understanding why specific trackers were or weren’t detected
- Contributing to Nixxer development
Performance Impact: Minimal - only affects console output, not actual blocking performance.
Accessing Debug Logs:
- Enable this setting
- Press F12 to open Developer Tools
- Go to Console tab
- Look for “Nixxer” prefixed messages
Network Blocklist Management
Control how many tracking domains Nixxer stores and when to export them to network-level blockers.
Maximum Stored Domains
Purpose: Limits how many tracking domains Nixxer keeps in local storage.
Range: 100 - 5,000 domains Default: 500 domains Recommended: 500-1,000 for most users
Why Limits Matter:
- Storage efficiency: Prevents unlimited memory usage
- Performance: Faster lookup and processing
- Export quality: Focuses on most relevant trackers
Automatic Cleanup: When the limit is reached, Nixxer removes the oldest detected domains using an LRU (Least Recently Used) algorithm.
Auto-Export Threshold
Purpose: Suggests creating blocklist exports when approaching your storage limit.
Range: 50 domains below maximum up to 50 less than maximum Example: If maximum is 500, threshold can be 50-450
How It Works:
- Nixxer monitors detected domain count
- When threshold is reached, suggests exporting data
- Helps maintain optimal storage usage
- Ensures you don’t lose valuable tracking domain data
Automatic Cleanup
Purpose: Automatically removes old domain entries when storage limit is reached.
When Enabled:
- Seamless operation without manual intervention
- Oldest domains automatically removed
- Most active trackers retained
When Disabled:
- Manual management required when limit reached
- More control over which domains to keep
- Risk of hitting storage limits
Recommendation: Keep enabled unless you need manual control over domain retention.
Export Settings
Configure default format for creating network-level blocklists from detected tracking domains.
Export Formats
Nixxer supports four major network blocking platforms:
Pi-hole Format
Statistics Dashboard
Real-time metrics showing Nixxer’s effectiveness and activity.
Metrics Explained
Total Blocked
- Count: Total tracking requests blocked across all websites
- Timeframe: Since extension installation or last data reset
- Includes: All blocked tracker requests, not unique domains
Cookies Deleted
- Count: Tracking cookies and zombie cookies removed
- Includes: Third-party tracking cookies, persistent identifier cookies
- Importance: Shows protection against cookie-based tracking
Domains Detected
- Count: Unique tracking domains discovered
- Includes: Both third-party and self-hosted tracking domains
- Growth: Increases as you visit different websites
Exportable Domains
- Count: Third-party tracking domains available for network export
- Subset: Only domains safe for network-level blocking
- Export Ready: These domains can be safely imported into Pi-hole/NextDNS
Understanding the Numbers
- High Domain Detection (500+): Indicates extensive browsing across many sites with tracking
- Low Exportable Ratio: Suggests many sites use self-hosted analytics
- High Blocking Count: Shows active protection across your browsing sessions
Detected Domains Table
Comprehensive view of all tracking domains Nixxer has discovered during your browsing. Table Columns
Data Management
Table Columns
- Domain: Full domain name of detected tracker. Click to see full domain if truncated. Hover for complete domain tooltip.
- First Seen: Date when domain was first detected.
- Last Seen: Most recent detection date.
- Frequency: Number of times this domain was detected. Higher numbers indicate more prevalent trackers. Helps prioritize blocking efforts.
- Types: Classification of tracking methods detected. Multiple types possible per domain.
Table Features
- Sorted by recency: Most recently seen domains appear first.
- Limited display: Shows 50 most recent domains for performance.
- Full data available: Complete list included in exports.
- Real-time updates: Refreshes as new trackers are detected.
Data Management
Tools for backing up, restoring, and managing your Nixxer configuration and detected domains.
Save Settings
Immediately saves all current configuration changes to browser storage. Use after changing any detection or export settings, before exporting data or clearing storage or when troubleshooting configuration issues.
What’s Saved:
- Detection sensitivity level
- All checkbox preferences
- Storage limits and thresholds
- Export format preference
Export Backup
Creates a complete backup file containing all Nixxer data.
Backup Contents:
- All configuration settings
- Complete detected domains list
- Usage statistics and metrics
- Export metadata and timestamps
- Critical error logs (for troubleshooting)
File Format: JSON file named nixxer-export-[timestamp].json
Import Backup
Restores Nixxer data from a previously exported backup file.
Import Process:
- Click “Import Backup” to open file picker
- Select a .json backup file created by Nixxer
- Confirm overwrite of current data
- Wait for import completion and success message
Safety Features:
- Data validation: Ensures backup file integrity before import
- Confirmation prompts: Prevents accidental data loss
- Error handling: Graceful failure with detailed error messages
- Rollback protection: Current data validation before overwrite
What’s Restored:
- All settings and preferences
- Complete detected domains database
- Historical statistics (when available)
- Previous export configurations
Clear All Data
Permanently removes all Nixxer data and resets to factory defaults.
DANGER: This action cannot be undone and permanently deletes:
- All detected tracking domains
- Usage statistics and history
- Custom configuration settings
- Export preferences and data
Safety Measures:
- Double confirmation: Two separate confirmation dialogs
- Clear warnings: Explicit statements about data loss
- Export suggestion: Recommendation to backup before clearing
Advanced Configuration Tips Optimal Settings for Different Use Cases Maximum Privacy Configuration
Detection Sensitivity: High Block Self-Hosted: Enabled Maximum Domains: 1,000+ Auto-Export Threshold: 80% of maximum Export Format: Based on your network blocker
Compatibility-Focused Configuration
Detection Sensitivity: Medium Block Self-Hosted: Disabled Maximum Domains: 500 Auto-Export Threshold: 90% of maximum Debug Logging: Enabled (for troubleshooting)
Network Administrator Configuration
Detection Sensitivity: High Maximum Domains: 2,000+ Auto-Export Threshold: 70% of maximum Automatic Cleanup: Enabled Regular exports: Weekly/monthly to update network blockers
Performance Optimization For Slower Devices
Lower maximum domain limits (300-500) Disable debug logging Use Medium sensitivity Enable automatic cleanup
For Privacy Enthusiasts
Maximum domain limits (1,000+) High sensitivity detection Enable all blocking options Regular backup exports
Troubleshooting Configuration Issues Website Functionality Problems
Temporarily disable “Block Self-Hosted” Reduce detection sensitivity to Medium Check debug logs for specific blocking events Report false positives to developers
Poor Detection Performance
Increase detection sensitivity to High Enable debug logging to verify detection Check if domains are being detected but not blocked Verify extension permissions are granted
Storage or Performance Issues
Reduce maximum domain limits Enable automatic cleanup Export and clear old data regularly Check browser storage quotas
Error Handling & Recovery The Nixxer Options page includes comprehensive error handling to ensure reliable operation even when problems occur. Automatic Error Recovery
Retry mechanisms: Failed operations automatically retry with exponential backoff Timeout protection: Prevents hanging operations from freezing the interface Graceful degradation: Options page remains functional even if some features fail Error logging: Detailed error information for troubleshooting
Common Error Scenarios “Failed to Initialize Options Page” Cause: Extension permissions or storage access issues Solution:
Reload the options page Check extension permissions in browser settings Try disabling/re-enabling the extension Clear browser cache and storage
“Settings Save Failed” Cause: Browser storage quota exceeded or permissions issue Solution:
Try saving again (automatic retry) Reduce maximum domain storage limit Clear old data to free storage space Check browser storage settings
“Import Data Failed” Cause: Corrupted backup file or invalid format Solution:
Verify backup file is valid JSON Try importing a different backup file Check file wasn’t corrupted during transfer Create new backup from working installation
Emergency Recovery Mode If the Options page fails to load completely, Nixxer provides an emergency interface with:
Basic error information display Options to reload or reset extension data Links to support resources Manual storage clearing functionality
Integration with Network Blockers Pi-hole Integration Workflow
Configure Nixxer with desired detection settings Browse normally for several days to build domain list Export data using Pi-hole format when threshold reached Import to Pi-hole via admin interface or command line Update regularly as new trackers are detected
NextDNS Integration Process
Set export format to NextDNS in Options Build domain database through normal browsing Export JSON file when ready to update blocklist Import to NextDNS via dashboard or API Monitor effectiveness and update as needed
AdGuard DNS Setup
Configure AdGuard format in export settings Generate blocklist from detected domains Add custom filter in AdGuard DNS Set update schedule for regular domain list refresh Monitor blocking and adjust sensitivity as needed
Privacy and Security Notes Data Storage and Privacy
Local storage only: All data stored locally in browser, never transmitted No external connections: Nixxer never communicates with external servers User-controlled exports: You decide when and what to share Transparent operation: All detection methods are documented and open
Security Considerations
Minimal permissions: Nixxer requests only necessary browser permissions Safe operation: Robust error handling prevents crashes or data corruption Isolated execution: Extension runs in sandboxed environment Open source: All code available for security review
Data Retention
User-controlled: You set storage limits and retention policies Automatic cleanup: Old data removed when limits reached Export backups: Complete data portability at any time Clear deletion: Data removal is permanent and thorough
Support and Troubleshooting Getting Help
Debug logging: Enable for detailed troubleshooting information Error messages: Pay attention to specific error details in the interface Browser console: Check for additional error information (F12 → Console) Backup data: Export current configuration before making major changes
Reporting Issues When reporting problems, include:
Browser version and operating system Nixxer version (shown in Options page header) Specific error messages or unexpected behavior Debug logs if available Steps to reproduce the issue
Best Practices
Regular backups: Export data periodically to prevent loss Gradual configuration: Start with default settings and adjust slowly Monitor statistics: Use metrics to verify Nixxer is working effectively Update network blockers: Refresh Pi-hole/NextDNS lists regularly with new detections