Documentation

Getting Started

PureWord is a free Chrome extension that filters profanity and vulgar language on every website you visit. It works automatically the moment you install it. There is no setup required.

1. Install PureWord from the Chrome Web Store.
2. Open any webpage. Filtered words are replaced with clean alternatives or masked with asterisks as the page loads.
3. The toolbar icon shows a badge with the number of words filtered on the current page.
4. Click any replaced or masked word to reveal the original. Click it again to re-filter it.

You can toggle PureWord on or off for the current page from the popup. These keyboard shortcuts cover the most common actions:

The keyboard toggle applies to the current tab only. To keep a specific page permanently off, use the toggle in the popup instead.

Filtering Modes

PureWord can handle a filtered word in two ways: replace it with a clean alternative or mask it so the profanity is hidden.

In the options sidebar, uncheck Mask with Asterisks to replace vulgar words with clean alternatives (for example flip for fuck, darn for damn, heck for hell). Leave it checked to mask words instead.

PureWord detects common obfuscations such as leetspeak (f*ck, f**k) and word forms (shitting, bitches) automatically and preserves capitalisation. A built-in whitelist protects legitimate words like password, class, scrolling and welcome from false positives.

Customising PureWord

You control which words are filtered and how from the options page. Open it from the popup or with Ctrl + Shift + O.

• Custom Replacements: add your own word pairs, one word, replacement per line. Your words take priority over the built-in list.
• Block words from any page: select a word on any website, right-click and choose Block "<word>". The word is masked with asterisks everywhere.
• URL Filtering: choose between Excluded URLs (filter everywhere except your list) and Included URLs (filter only on your list). Enter one domain per line.
• Highlight Filtered Words: optionally add a yellow highlight so you can see what was filtered.

Use the Backup and Restore section in options to export or import all of your settings as a JSON file.

Parental Lock

Parental Lock protects your filter settings from being changed or bypassed. When it is enabled, the options page is locked, the popup toggle is disabled and filtered words can no longer be clicked to reveal the original.

1. In options, click Enable Parental Lock and set a strong password.
2. Save the one-time recovery code you are shown. It is the only way to reset the lock if you forget your password.
3. Confirm that you have saved the code to activate the lock.

To unlock temporarily, enter your password for a five-minute unlock window. After five failed attempts, PureWord applies escalating lockouts (30 seconds up to 10 minutes). To remove the lock entirely, use Settings Locked - Click to Unlock and verify your password.

Settings Reference

Word List Updates

PureWord ships with a bundled dictionary of word pairs and keeps it current automatically. The extension checks for updates every three days and fetches the latest list from its public GitHub repository. You can also trigger a manual refresh from the Word Replacements tab in options.

Updates happen locally and send no personal or browsing data.

The word list is open source. You can suggest new words or report gaps by opening an issue or a pull request at github.com/getflookup/pureword.

Privacy

Everything PureWord does happens locally in your browser. The extension never collects, stores, transmits or sells your data and it does not require an account. See the Privacy Policy for the full details.

Support

Questions or feedback can be sent on X at @andrewapell. The PureWord blog also contains guides on blocking swear words and keeping browsing clean.