How to see Blocked Content on Websites.
From time to time, we all come across member-only websites. Some popular examples might be Quora , Financial Times, etc. They offer some content for free, but if you browse more you get a popup asking you to create a free account or pay to read more content … And of course there is no way to close this popup. (see screenshot below)
Now there are no problems with refunds to the publisher by paying or creating an account. But let’s say I need quick information and I don’t plan to revisit the site in the future, then there is no point in becoming a professional member. Right! So, here are some quick workarounds for browsing content without registering.
On the subject: How to access blocked sites
See blocked content on websites
1. Remove the popup with Inspect Elements.
This works great for most websites that enforce registration and hide content. For example, take Quora- a popular Q&A site that only offers content to its members. If you visit this site from Google and try to read more than one page, a pop-up window will appear asking you to register. Now, to get around this, follow these steps:
Step 1
Go to the page with the pop-up window. For Chrome users: Right-click the page Check Items. (If you are using a different browser, do a Google search for how to get the validation item)
Step 2
In the check item dialog, move the cursor over the line of code until the popup (covering the content) is highlighted. Then remove that line of code.
Sometimes there is another transparent layer in the body of the page, due to which the links do not respond. Delete that too.
Step 3
And it’s all. Now you can read content without registering. If you accidentally deleted another item, such as a picture or something else, refresh the page to start over.
Check out this gif for how to use the Inspect element.
2. Use proxy
What if I use a smartphone ? There is no element validation option in the mobile browser (at least not yet), so the above workaround won’t work. To fix this problem, a proxy service such as Google Translate can be used. It’s not as good as checking an element, but it’s still worth a try.
Copy and paste the URL of the “website in question” into Google Translate. Select a language from English to English and click on translate. Since we are not translating anything, this will give you an error. Don’t panic, there is a “Show original” link at the bottom of the page. Click on it and the page will load without the registration window.
If you don’t like using Google Translate, you can use proxy sites. Google the keyword “proxy sites” select the first link copy and paste the URL and you’re done.
3. Visit the site again from Google.
There are restrictions on the above workarounds. If the webmaster is smart, it won’t work. But Digital Inspiration offers an alternative method.
A news website like the Financial Times (even quora </span allows Google visitors to view the page for free, which would otherwise require registration. They do this to make sure the website gets traffic from Google and also makes money from returning visitors.
Copy and paste URL in google search click the first link you will be taken to the same page, but without the popup. You can repeat this as many times as you like. The website will assume that you came from Google and thus show you the content.
Note: Websites are getting smarter. Sometimes even copying and pasting the URL doesn’t work (as is the case with the Financial Times) because the URL contains an authentication code that prevents Google from recognizing the page. In this case, copy and paste the post title with the website name and click the first link. This is it. You can now read the article.
Output
So, we’ve seen some loopholes that allow us to see blocked content on websites. I’ve been using them for a long time, and they work most of the time. Usually when the website is new or when they are not serious about people viewing their content.
However, if you’re dealing with reputable websites that really don’t want you to see their content, none of the above methods will work. An easy way to find out is to look at the page. If the content on the page has a popup above it, then it’s worth a try.
Also Read ; 6 Simple Hacks To Access Blocked Websites