Intelligent web page content blocking

A processing device adapted to render a web page, comprising:

• a user interface;
• a memory area, said memory area storing a manifest associated with a web page, the manifest generated based on exclusion rules defining a resource to be blocked based on at least one of a size of the resource, placement of the resource in a layout on the web page and the resource coming from a server remote from the server serving the resource;
• and
• a processor programmed to:
• receive a request to render the web page available from a network source, the web page including plurality of elements, each of the plurality of elements retrievable in response to a request for the element;
• retrieve the manifest for the web page, the manifest specifying one or more of the plurality of elements of the web page which will not be returned in response to the request for the element;
• block, in response to the manifest, at least one request for one or more of the plurality of elements in the web page;
• and
• render the web page with one or more of unblocked elements of the plurality of elements on the user interface.

A computer implemented method, comprising:

• receiving on a client device a request for a web page from a network source, the web page having a root definition specifying a plurality of resources, each of the plurality of resources retrievable in response to a request to the network source;
• requesting, by the client device, download of a data file from a remote server upon receipt of the request for a web page, the data file specifying blocked and allowed ones of the plurality resources, the data file including at least one block rule for at least one resource specified in the root definition, and at least one inclusion rule specifying a resource which should be included for download in case of a conflict between the at least one block rule and at least one inclusion rule;
• analyzing the data file to identify blocked resources from the web page;
• receiving a request for a first resource of the plurality of resources;
• determining whether to block the request based on the analyzing and if so, blocking the request;
• and
• rendering the web page including unblocked resources.

A method, comprising;

• receiving a request for a web page manifest, the manifest for a web page having a plurality of resources specified in the web page by reference to network addresses;
• creating the web page manifest based on an analysis of the web page, the manifest specifying one or more blocked resources of the web page which will not be returned upon a request for web page resources, and one or more unblocked resources which will be returned upon a request for web page resources, classification of a resource as blocked or unblocked being based at least in part on a received specification of an aggressiveness factor, the aggressiveness factor indicating how aggressively resources should be blocked;
• generating the page manifest responsive to said analyzing;
• and
• outputting the page manifest in response to the request.