How to Disable or Uninstall Userscripts Temporarily?

Managing custom userscripts in modern browser extensions like Tampermonkey, Violentmonkey, or Greasemonkey allows you to troubleshoot website issues, prevent script conflicts, or temporarily pause custom functionality. This guide walks you through the exact steps to quickly toggle userscripts off and on across different extensions, manage site-specific execution, and completely uninstall scripts when they are no longer needed.

Why Temporarily Disable Userscripts?

Userscripts alter how web pages function by injecting custom JavaScript. While they add powerful features, temporarily disabling them can be helpful when:

• Troubleshooting broken websites: Determining if a script is interfering with page loading, buttons, or dynamic content.
• Preventing script conflicts: Running multiple scripts that alter the same web elements can cause performance issues or bugs.
• Testing original site features: Comparing a web app’s default experience against your customized setup.

How to Disable Userscripts in Popular Extensions

Most userscript managers provide quick toggles via their browser toolbar icons, as well as a centralized dashboard for full control.

1. Tampermonkey

Quick Toggle (Toolbar Menu)

• Click the Tampermonkey icon in your browser toolbar while viewing the target website.
• Locate the active script in the menu popup.
• Click the toggle switch next to the script name to turn it Off.
• Refresh the webpage for changes to take effect.

Master Toggle

• Click the Tampermonkey icon and toggle the Enabled switch at the top to turn off all userscripts globally without disabling the extension itself.

Dashboard Management

• Click the Tampermonkey icon and select Dashboard.
• Go to the Installed Scripts tab.
• Click the green switch under the Enabled column next to any script to disable it indefinitely.

2. Violentmonkey

Quick Toggle

• Click the Violentmonkey icon in your browser toolbar.
• In the popup list, click the check mark or toggle button beside the specific script you want to pause.
• Reload the page to confirm the script is inactive.

Dashboard Management

• Click the Violentmonkey icon and select the Gear/Settings icon to open the Dashboard.
• Locate your script in the list and click the toggle switch on the left side to turn it off.

3. Greasemonkey (Firefox)

Quick Toggle

• Click the Greasemonkey icon in the Firefox toolbar.
• Uncheck the script listed under the active scripts section in the dropdown menu.

Dashboard Management

• Click the Greasemonkey icon and choose Manage Scripts.
• Click the Disable button next to the relevant script entry.

How to Temporarily Blacklist Specific Domains

If you only want a script to stop running on a specific domain without disabling it everywhere else, you can adjust its match rules directly:

1. Open your extension’s Dashboard.
2. Click Edit (or the pencil icon) next to the target userscript.
3. Locate the metadata block at the top of the file (between // ==UserScript== and // ==/UserScript==).
4. Add an @exclude rule targeting the domain you want to block:

// @exclude      https://example.com/*

5. Save the changes. The script will automatically skip execution on that specific domain while continuing to run everywhere else.

How to Uninstall Userscripts Permanently

If a userscript is outdated or no longer required, uninstalling it removes all associated files and settings from your browser extension.

1. Open your extension’s Dashboard (Tampermonkey, Violentmonkey, or Greasemonkey).
2. Locate the script you want to delete.
3. Click the Trash Can / Delete icon (or select Remove from the options menu).
4. Confirm the deletion when prompted.