bypass-paywalls-firefox-clean/README.md
2023-04-21 16:14:56 +02:00

44 KiB

Bypass Paywalls Clean for Firefox

Add-on allows you to read articles from (supported) sites that implement a paywall.
You can also add a domain as custom site and try to bypass the paywall.
Weekly updates are released for fixes and new sites.

Installation

You can install the add-on from GitLab releases
Download the xpi-file (from latest release), go to downloads and install the add-on.
Or go to Tools > Add-ons (about:addons) > Extensions > Settings/Cogwheel - Install Add-on from File
Custom xpi-file has host permissions for all sites.
Minumum browser requirement: Firefox 86+.

If you want to permanently install the latest master ZIP-file from GitLab (with post-release fixes) use a Firefox browser which allows using unsigned add-ons like Firefox Developer Portable (go to about:config and set xpinstall.signatures.required to false) or LibreWolf (for both no automatic updates of add-on).
Or load a temporary add-on in regular Firefox (go to about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox & load manifest.json from unpacked (master-zip) folder.

By default BPC has limited host permissions, but you can opt-in to enable custom sites (and also clear cookies/block general paywall-scripts for unlisted sites). You can also just request permissions for the custom sites you added yourself (or click clear cookies (BPC-icon) to ask for permission for current site).
You can also install the custom add-on version (with host permissions for all sites).

Update

Add-on will automatically update or you can do a manual check for updates (in about:addons).
Either way you have to allow host permissions for newly supported sites (else no update will be installed).
You can also check for update of site rules at startup (opt-in); only available until about 10 days after fix-release.
For new sites you also have to opt-in to custom sites/request permissions for new domains (or wait for new release).

Android

Add-on was removed by Mozilla from add-on store.
Current installations (by custom collection in Firefox Beta/Nightly or Firefox-clone) will stay active, but with no more updates.

There is still an elaborate workaround for regular Firefox (or Beta/Clone) though:

  • install an old version of Firefox (like v68.11.0 from archive.mozilla.org or apkmirror.com); first you have to remove your current Firefox app
    for the add-on you can also use Firefox Beta or a Firefox clone like Fennec F-Droid where you can set a custom add-on collection; again first install an old version of Firefox Beta v68.7 or Fennec F-droid v68.11.0
  • download add-on's xpi-file (custom version if you want to use custom sites) from releases and install/open in Firefox
  • now you can update Firefox to the latest version
  • add-on will stay active & automatically updates to the latest version
  • in add-ons it will be labeled as not yet available and also has no more option to enable the add-on in private browsing

The experimental Mozac/GeckoView-based browser SmartCookieWeb-Preview can also install/sideload a xpi-file by url (Settings > Advanced settings > Sideload XPI).
No option to enable the add-on in private browsing though.

Or switch to Kiwi browser (Chromium) or use the adblocker filter/userscripts

Chrome/Chromium

Visit the Chrome repository of Bypass Paywall Clean.

iOS/iPadOS

Use adblocker with custom (content)filter & userscript (manager): https://gitlab.com/magnolia1234/bypass-paywalls-clean-filters

Troubleshooting

  • If a site doesn't work, first try to turn off your adblocker (or other extension) and refresh page.
  • Make sure the (new) site is checked under Options.
  • Clear cookies by add-on's icon and grant permission for site (or opt-in to custom sites)
  • You will be logged out for most of the sites you have enabled.
  • Make sure you're running the latest version of Bypass Paywalls Clean.
  • Some sites need to redirect to an amp-page (add an exception in your Redirect AMP to HTML or DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials add-on).
  • If none of these work, you can submit an issue.
  • This add-on works best alongside the adblocker uBlock Origin.
  • If you live in the EU, also consider adding these filters to your adblocker (in order to remove cookie warnings): Easylist Cookies | I don't care about cookies custom filter. Some sites need to set a consent-cookie for (social) media.

List of supported websites

* free articles only.

International news

Foreign Affairs - Foreign Policy - Inkl - Newsweek - Reuters - Stratfor - The New York Times - The Washington Post - Time Magazine

Business

Adweek* - American Affairs - American Banker - Barron's - Bloomberg - Business Insider - CNBC - Digiday - Forbes - Fortune - Harvard Business Review - Inc.com - Law.com* - MarketWatch - MIT Sloan Management Review - Quartz - S&P Global - Seeking Alpha - Stock News - The Business Journals* - The Business of Fashion - The Wall Street Journal - Vogue Business - ZeroHedge

Grouped in options:
California Business Journals sites like
Los Angeles Business Journal - Orange County Business Journal - San Diego Business Journal - San Fernando Valley Business Journal

Crain Communications sites like
Ad Age - Automotive News - Crain's Chicago Business - Crain's Cleveland Business - Crain's Detroit Business - Crain's New York Business - Modern Healthcare

PEI Media sites (opt-in to custom sites)

Tech/Science

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists - Chemical & Engineering News - Discover Magazine - Inside Higher Ed - Medscape - MIT Technology Review - National Geographic USA - Nautilus - New Scientist - Popular Science - Science* - Scientific American - Times Higher Education - VentureBeat

Grouped in options:
GenomeWeb sites like
360Dx - GenomeWeb - Precision Oncology News
The Chronicle sites like
The Chronicle of Higher Education - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Encyclopedia/Book library/Knowledge base

BBC History Extra - Encyclopedia Britannica - eNotes - Glassdoor - Loeb Classical Library - Philosophy Now - Quora - SlideShare - Statista - StuDocu

Sports

ESPN USA - RugbyPass - Sports Illustrated - The Athletic

Magazines/Blogs

Medium
Substack (link to Google Search Tool; opt-in to custom sites for custom domains)
Grouped in options:
Medium custom domains like (opt-in to custom sites for unlisted)
Better Programming - Towards Data Science

Apollo Magazine - Artforum - Artnet - Atavist Magazine - Axios - Commentary Magazine - Defector - Field & Stream - First Things - Harper's Magazine - National Review - Outdoor Life - Project Syndicate (link to archive.is) - Puck.news - Slate - SofRep - The American Interest - The Art Newspaper - The Atlantic - The Christian Science Monitor - The Intercept - The Daily Beast - The Daily Wire - The Juggernaut - The Nation - The New Atlantis - The New Republic - The New York Review of Books - The Point Magazine - The Spectator World - The Wrap

Grouped in options:
Condé Nast magazines sites like
Architectural Digest - Bon Appétit - Epicurious - GC - The New Yorker - Vanity Fair - Vogue USA - Wired
Hearst Communications magazines sites like
Bicycling - Cosmopolitan - Country Living - Elle USA - Esquire - Good Housekeeping - House Beautiful - Men's Health - Popular Mechanics - Prevention - Road & Track - Runner's World - The Hollywood Reporter - Town & Country - Women's Health

Madavor Media sites (opt-in to custom sites)
Outside magazines sites like
Backpacker - Beta - Better Nutrition - Clean Eating - Climbing - Cycling Tips - Gym Climber - Outside - Oxygen - Peloton - Podium Runner - Rock and Ice - SKI - Trail Runner - Triathlete - Vegetarian Times - Velo News - Women's Running - Yoga Journal
Penske Media Corporation sites like
Billboard - Rolling Stone - Sportico - Variety - WWD

Local USA news

Albuquerque Journal - Honolulu Star-Advertiser - Los Angeles Times - Mountain View Voice - New York Magazine (+ Curbed, Grub Street, The Cut & Vulture) - Newsday - Palo Alto Online - Pittsburgh Post Gazette - San Diego Union Tribune - Star Tribune - Tampa Bay Times - The Advocate - The Boston Globe - The Dallas Morning News - The Hill - The New Orleans Advocate/The Times-Picayune - The New York Post - The New York Sun - The Seattle Times - The Philadelphia Inquirer

USA Today
Grouped in options:
Advance Local sites like
AL/Alabama - MLive/Michigan - NJ/New Jersey - Staten Island Advance - The Express-Times - The Oregonian - The Patriot-News - The Plain Dealer - The Post-Standard - The Republican
Gannett Group (local USA Today) sites like (opt-in to custom sites for unlisted)
Austin American-Statesman - Democrat and Chronicle - Detroit Free Press - Knoxville News Sentinel - Memphis Commercial Appeal - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - The Arizona Republic - The Cincinnati Enquirer - The Courier-Journal - The Detroit News - The Indianapolis Star - The News-Press - The Oklahoman - The Record (North Jersey) - The Tennessean
Hearst Communications (newspapers) sites like (opt-in to custom sites for unlisted)
Houston Chronicle - San Antonio Express-News - San Francisco Chronicle
Lee Enterprises Group sites like (opt-in to custom sites for unlisted)
Arizona Daily Star - Omaha World-Herald - Richmond Times-Dispatch - The Buffalo News - Tulsa World - Winston-Salem Journal
McClatchy Group sites like (opt-in to custom sites for unlisted)
Belleville News-Democrat - Fort Worth Star-Telegram - Lexington Herald-Leader - McClatchy DC - Miami Herald - The Charlotte Observer - The Fresno Bee - The Kansas City Star - The News & Observer - The Sacramento Bee - The State - The Wichita Eagle - Tri-City Herald
MediaNews Group sites like (opt-in to custom sites for unlisted/local sites)
East Bay Times - Orange County Register - St. Paul Pioneer Press - The Denver Post - The Mercury News - The Press-Enterprise
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution + Cox First Media (opt-in to custom sites)
TownNews sites (Blox CMS) sites (opt-in to custom sites)
Tribune Publishing Company sites like
Baltimore Sun - Capital Gazette - Chicago Tribune - Daily Press - Hartford Courant - New York Daily News - Orlando Sentinel - SunSentinel - The Morning Call - The Virginian-Pilot

Canada

iPolitics - Le Devoir - Saltwire Network - The Globe and Mail - The Hill Times - The Lawyer's Daily - Winnipeg Free Press

Grouped in options:
Groupe Capitales Médias sites like (opt-in to custom sites for unlisted)
Le Soleil
Postmedia Network sites like (opt-in to custom sites for unlisted)
Calgary Herald - Financial Post - National Post - The Province - Toronto Sun - Vancouver Sun
TorStar sites like
The Toronto Star and regional sites Niagara Falls Review - Peterborough Examiner - St. Catharines Standard - The Hamilton Spectator - Waterloo Region Record - Welland Tribune

Europe

Bloomberg Adria - EUobserver

United Kingdom/Ireland

Belfast Telegraph - Business Post - Citywire - Euromoney - Evening Standard - Financial News - Financial Times - iNews - Investors' Chronicle - Irish Independent - London Review of Books - New Left Review - Private Equity News - Prospect Magazine - Tes Magazine - The Banker - The Critic - The Economist - The Independent - The Irish Times - The New European - The New Statesman - The Spectator - The Telegraph - The Times (link to archive.is) - The Times Literary Supplement - UnHerd

Grouped in options:
National World Publishing sites like (opt-in to custom sites for unlisted)
The Scotsman - Yorkshire Post

Denmark

Berlingske

Finland

Suomen Sotilas

France/Wallonia

60 Millions de consommateurs - Alternatives Economiques - Atlantico - Auto Plus - Causeur - Challenges - Charlie Hebdo - Connaissance des Arts - Elle - Esprit - Franc-Tireur - L'Écho - L'Express - L'Humanité - L'Informé - L'Obs - L'Oeil de la Photographie (fr/en) - L'Usine Nouvelle - La Croix - La Nouvelle République du Centre-Ouest - La Tribune - Le Courrier des Stratèges - Le Figaro (link to archive.is) - Le Grand Continent - Le Journal du Dimanche - Le Journal du Net - Le Nouvel Economiste - Le Parisien - Le Point - Le Télégramme - Les Échos - Les Inrockuptibles - Marianne - Paris Match - Philosophie Magazine - Public - Revue Conflits - Science & Vie - Sciences et Avenir - Télérama - Valeurs Actuelles

Grouped in options:
Groupe Centre France sites like (opt-in to custom sites for unlisted)
La Montagne
Groupe EBRA sites like
Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace - L'Alsace - L'Est Républicain - Le Bien Public - Le Dauphiné Libéré - Le Journal de Saône-et-Loire - Le Progrès - Le Républicain Lorrain - Vosges Matin
Groupe IPM sites like
DH Les Sports+ - L'Avenir - La Libre
Groupe La Dépêche sites like
Centre Presse - L'Indépendant - La Dépêche du Midi - La Nouvelle République des Pyrénées - Le Petit Bleu d'Agen - Midi Libre - Midi Olympique
Groupe Nice-Matin sites like
Monaco-Matin - Nice-Matin - Var-Matin
Groupe Rossel sites like
L'Aisne nouvelle - L'Ardennais - L'Est-Éclair - L'Union - La Voix du Nord - Le Courrier picard - Le Soir - Libération Champagne - Nord Littoral - Paris Normandie - SudInfo
Groupe Sud Ouest sites like
Charente libre - La République des Pyrénées - Sud Ouest
Roularta Media Group sites like
Femmes d'Aujourd'hui - Flair.be - Le Vif

Germany/Austria

Allgäuer Zeitung - Ärzte Zeitung - Augsburger Allgemeine - Automobilwoche - Badische Neueste Nachrichten - Berliner Zeitung - Cicero - Der Spiegel (link to archive.is) - Der Tagesspiegel (link to archive.is) - Deutsches Ärzteblatt - Die Zeit - Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - Freie Presse - Jacobin Magazin - Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger - Kölnische Rundschau - Krautreporter - Kurier.at - Mitteldeutsche Zeitung - Neue Westfälische - Philosophie Magazin - Piqd - Rhein-Zeitung - Schwäbische Zeitung - Süddeutsche Zeitung (link to archive.is) - Volksstimme - Weltkunst - Westdeutsche Zeitung

Grouped in options:
Deutscher Fachverlag Mediengruppe (opt-in to custom sites)

Funke Mediengruppe sites like (opt-in to custom sites for unlisted)
Berliner Morgenpost - Braunschweiger Zeitung - Hamburger Abendblatt - Neue Ruhr Zeitung - Ostthüringer Zeitung - Thüringer Allgemeine - Thüringische Landeszeitung - Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung - Westfalenpost - Westfälische Rundschau
Haas Mediengruppe sites (opt-in to custom sites)
Landwirtschaftsverlag sites like
Profi.de - Top Agrar.at - Top Agrar.com - Wochenblatt für Landwirtschaft & Landleben
Madsack Mediengruppe sites like (opt-in to custom sites for unlisted)
Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung - Kieler Nachrichten - Leipziger Volkszeitung - Lübecker Nachrichten - Märkische Allgemeine - Neue Presse (Hannover) - Ostsee-Zeitung - RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland
Medienhaus Aachen sites like
Aachener Nachrichten - Aachener Zeitung
NOZ/MHN Mediengruppe sites like
Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung - Schleswig-Holsteinischer Zeitungsverlag - Schweriner Volkszeitung
Verlagsgruppe Rhein Main sites like (opt-in to custom sites for unlisted)
Allgemeine Zeitung (Mainz) - Darmstädter Echo - Wiesbadener Kurier
Westfälische Mediengruppe sites like
Münstersche Zeitung - Westfalen-Blatt - Westfälische Nachrichten

Italy

Corriere della Sera - Corriere dello Sport - Domani - Eastwest - Il Fatto Quotidiano - Il Foglio - Il Manifesto - Il Tirreno - Internazionale - Italia Oggi - La Gazzetta dello Sport - La Nuova Sardegna

Grouped in options:
Gruppo GEDI.it sites like
Italian.tech - L'Espresso - Le Scienze

Il Messaggero and regional sites like Corriere Adriatico - Il Gazzettino - Il Mattino - Quotidiano di Puglia

Quotidiano Nazionale and regional sites like Il Giorno - Il Resto del Carlino - Il Telegrafo Livorno - La Nazione

Netherlands/Flanders

De Limburger - De Tijd - Financieele Dagblad - Follow the Money - Groene Amsterdammer - NRC Handelsblad - Telegraaf - Vrij Nederland

Grouped in options:
Algemeen Dagblad (+ regional; link to archive.is) sites like
Algemeen Dagblad - BN DeStem - Brabants Dagblad - Eindhovens Dagblad - Gelderlander - PZC - Stentor - Tubantia
DPG Media (not ADR) sites like
De Morgen - De Volkskrant - Flair.nl - Humo - Libelle.nl - Margriet - Parool - Trouw
Mediahuis Nederland Regional sites like
Noordhollands Dagblad - Haarlems Dagblad - Leidsch Dagblad - IJmuider Courant - De Gooi- en Eemlander
Mediahuis Noord sites like (opt-in to custom sites for unlisted)
Dagblad van het Noorden - Leeuwarder Courant
ProMedia Group sites (opt-in to custom sites)
Roularta Media Group sites like
Artsenkrant - Flair.be - Knack - Krant van West-Vlaanderen - Libelle.be

Norway

DN
Grouped in options:
NHST Media Group sites like
Europower - Fiskeribladet - Intrafish - Intrafish.no - Recharge - TradeWinds - Upstream

Portugal

Correio da Manhã - Observador - Record

Russia

Wonderzine

Spain

El Confidencial - El Diario.es - El Español - El País - El Periódico de Catalunya - La Vanguardia - Mundo Deportivo - Política Exterior

Grouped in options:
ARA sites like
Ara.cat - Ara Balears
Grupo Prensa Ibérica sites like (opt-in to custom sites for unlisted)
Diario de Mallorca - El Día - El Periódico de España - Faro de Vigo - Información - La Nueva España - La Provincia - Levante-EMV - Mallorca Zeitung
Grupo Unidad Editorial sites like
El Mundo - Expansión - Marca
Grupo Vocento sites like
ABC - Diario Vasco - El Comercio - El Correo - El Diario Montañés - El Norte de Castilla - Hoy - Ideal - La Rioja - La Verdad - La Voz de Cádiz - Las Provincias - Sur

Sport Life Ibérica sites (opt-in to custom sites)

Sweden

Aftonbladet - Dagens ETC - Dagens Industri - NyTeknik

Switzerland

ArcInfo - Beobachter - Handelszeitung - Neue Zürcher Zeitung (+ regional/CH Media; opt-in to custom sites) - Tages-Anzeiger (link to archive.is) - The Market

Australia/New Zealand

Eureka Report - Intelligent Investor - New Zealand Herald - Quillette (link to archive.is) - The Saturday Paper - The Spectator Australia - The West Australian (+ regional/opt-in to custom sites)

Grouped in options:
Australia News Corp sites like
Code Sports - Gold Coast Bulletin - Herald Sun - Northern Territory News - The Advertiser/AdelaideNow - The Australian - The Chronicle - The Courier-Mail - The Daily Telegraph - The Mercury Tasmania - The Weekly Times
Australia Nine Entertainment sites like
Brisbane Times - The Age - The Australian Financial Review - The Sydney Morning Herald - WAtoday
Australian Community Media (daily) sites like (opt-in to custom sites for unlisted)
Bendigo Advertiser - Central Western Daily - Daily Liberal - Illawarra Mercury - Newcastle Herald - The Advocate - The Border Mail - The Canberra Times - The Courier - The Daily Advertiser - The Examiner - The Northern Daily Leader - The Standard - Western Advocate

East Asia

CommonWealth Magazine Taiwan* - Harvard Business Review China - Initium Media - Mainichi Shimbun - Nikkei Asian Review - NK News - South China Morning Post - Southern Weekly - Tech in Asia - The Diplomat - The Japan Times - The Star Malaysia

India

BQ Prime - Hindustan Times - Inc42 - India Today - Live Law - LiveMint - Mid-Day - Outlook - Outlook Business - The Economic Times (ET Prime) - The Financial Express - The Hindu - The Hindu BusinessLine - The Indian Express - The Quint - Times of India

Israel

Globes - Haaretz.co.il - Haaretz.com - The Jerusalem Post - The Marker

Latin America

Argentina

Ámbito - La Nación*

Grouped in options:
Grupo Clarín sites like
Clarín - La Voz del Interior - Los Andes

Brazil

Estado de Minas - Exame - Grupo Abril - O Estado de S. Paulo - O Globo - Valor Econômico

Grouped in options:
UOL sites like
Crusoé - Folha de S. Paulo - UOL

Chile

Diario Financiero - El Mercurio (+ regional/opt-in to custom sites) - La Segunda - La Tercera

Colombia

El Espectador - El Tiempo

Mexico

Mexico News Daily

Peru

Grupo El Comercio sites like Diario Correo - El Comercio - Gestión

Uruguay

El Observador - El País - La Diaria

* free articles only.

Sites with limited number of free articles

The free article limit can normally be bypassed by removing cookies for the site.
Click on the BPC-icon and then 'clear cookies'-button in the popup (for unsupported sites grant permission for domain).
If removing the cookies works you can also add the site as a custom site.

New site requests

You can submit a request for a new website.
Please use the issue template (check READ FIRST issue), read the following instructions and share your results for a quicker process.
Remember to check the previous requests before asking for a new website.

  1. Open incognito window and search for article in Google search (or webcache).
  2. Clear cookies for the site (by this add-on: opt-in to custom sites or grant permission for the site; also enables blocking of general paywall scripts).
  3. Disable Javascript on the site (by browser, uBlock Origin or other add-on).
  4. Add the domain as custom site for more bypass options.
  5. Open page in reader view (by browser or add-on).
  6. Try one of the archive sites (for Google Search Tool copy html (tab) code to https://html.onlineviewer.net).

Add custom site

Add your own custom site (also for testing).
Check 'Options'-link in popup-menu and go to custom sites. * by default BPC has limited permissions, but you can opt-in to enable custom sites (and also clear cookies/block general paywall-scripts for unlisted sites). You can also just request permissions for the custom sites you added yourself (or clear cookies (BPC-icon) to ask for permission for current site).

By default sites' cookies/local storage are blocked/removed (for example to bypass article limit when metered paywall).

Additional custom options:

  • allow/remove cookies (no options selected: cookies are blocked)
  • set useragent to Googlebot, Bingbot or Facebookbot
  • set referer (to Facebook, Google or Twitter; ignored when Googlebot is set)
  • set random ip-address
  • disable Javascript for (sub)domain(s), external domains (when host permission) and/or inline scripts
  • block regular expression (to block specific script and/or xhr)
  • unhide text amp-page
  • redirect to amp-page when paywall(selector)
  • load text from json when paywall|article(selector)
  • load text from Google webcache when paywall|article(selector)
  • add external link to archive-site when paywall|article(selector)
  • remove/unhide elements in dom (optional for dev; check examples)

Example list of custom sites or download list (json)

Add excluded site

Add excluded sites/domains (for your subscriptions).
You can also exclude a specific domain which is grouped in options.

Changelog-releases

License

Disclaimer

  • This software is provided for educational purposes only and is provided "AS IS", without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and noninfringement. In no event shall the authors or copyright holders be liable for any claim, damages or other liability, whether in an action of contract, tort or otherwise, arising from, out of or in connection with the software or the use or other dealings in the software.