How to delete a script in an HTML Page

Question

So I am making a userscript for a website, which deletes ads. The website added a script which detects, if the ads have been taken out of the HTML. So to fix this again I want to delete the whole script, but it has no identifiers, so I have no clue how to go about it. Say I have this code:

<html>

<body>
    <script>
        if(hasAds) {
            document.write("blah blah blah"); // Act as if this re-ads the ad onto the page
        }
    </script>
    <div id="adsBottom">IMAGINE AD CODE HERE</div>
</body>
     </html>

How could I access the script section and delete it?

@StephenThomas How? I don't own the website I am simple editing it, via a userscript. — grahamcracker1234
– grahamcracker1234, Commented Nov 23, 2016 at 21:33
If you know the index to which the <script> is appended (i.e. if it's always added first or last in <head>) you can use its index to remove it from the DOM. — BenM
– BenM, Commented Nov 23, 2016 at 21:33
@BenM it is the 1st script in a div given the id of "overlay". Do you mind creating the code? I am still learning — grahamcracker1234
– grahamcracker1234, Commented Nov 23, 2016 at 21:36
document.getElementsByTagName("script") gives you an Array of scripts. Just iterate through it and locate the script using any heuristic. However, mind that deleting a script does not remove the code, functions, etc.. from the Javascript VM if it has already been loaded. — rupps
– rupps, Commented Nov 23, 2016 at 21:36

BenM · Accepted Answer · 2016-11-23 21:55:34Z

1

Well, since you can presuppose its location in the DOM (and index within #overlay), it's relatively straightforward to remove it using getElementById(), removeChild() and childNodes:

var target = document.getElementById('overlay');
target.removeChild( target.childNodes[0] );

Given the following markup:

<div id="overlay">
    <script>/* AD PREVENTION SCRIPT */</script>
    <p>Blah</p>
</div>

The above will work (although does rely on the <script> being the first child of #overlay).

edited Nov 23, 2016 at 21:55

answered Nov 23, 2016 at 21:40

BenM

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3 Comments

grahamcracker1234 Over a year ago

I have tried implimenting this into my code, but it doesn't work. I also relised that I wrote the <script> outside of the body by accident. I fixed this in the question. Could that have something to do with why it doesn't work?

BenM Over a year ago

@grahamcracker1234 No, the code works correctly (i.e. it answers your question about removing the <script> tag from the DOM... You can see it working here: jsfiddle.net/yfbyy1ym/1 The <script> tag is correctly removed from the DOM (inspect the element), but the script has already been sent to the JS engine.

grahamcracker1234 Over a year ago

is there a way to direct access it without the index within #overlay ? Some other method?

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