Frequently asked questions
Everything people ask before installing Knockoff: what it does, what it collects (nothing), and where its judgment ends. If your question isn’t here, open an issue.
The basics
What is Knockoff?
A free browser extension that filters trademark-squat pseudo-brands out of Amazon search results. On every search page it checks each listing’s brand against a register of 5,500+ established brands (refreshed daily), scores unknown names against the linguistic signature of pseudo-brands, and hides, dims, or labels the junk. Your call which. What’s left is brands with a reputation to lose.
Is Knockoff free? What’s the catch?
Yes, free: no accounts, no premium tier, no trial clock. There’s also no catch of the usual kind, because the extension collects nothing, so there’s nothing to sell. The code is fair-source (FSL-1.1-MIT; each release becomes MIT after two years) and public on GitHub.
Is it safe?
Is the Knockoff extension safe and legit?
It’s about as checkable as an extension gets. It requests a single permission (storage, to remember your settings), runs only on Amazon domains, and the code is plain JavaScript with no build step — readable on GitHub in an afternoon. Over 50,000 people run it across Chrome and Firefox, and it’s been covered by CNET, Gizmodo, 404 Media, and Lifehacker. Don’t take our word for any of this. Read the source.
Does Knockoff track what I shop for?
No. The appraisal runs locally; your searches, clicks, and purchases never leave your browser. The extension makes two kinds of network calls, both boring: a roughly once-a-day download of updated brand lists, and, only if you click “report” on a verdict, the report itself (brand name, verdict, ASIN, marketplace, extension version; nothing that identifies you). The privacy policy spells out both.
How it works
How does Knockoff decide what’s a knockoff?
Three signals, in order. A register of 5,500+ established brands: names on it are left alone. A linguistic score for unknown names, tuned to the signature of trademark-squat pseudo-brands (ALL-CAPS strings, vanishing vowels, improbable consonant runs). And a community list built from user reports, which reaches every install within a day. Verdicts are heuristics plus lists, not ground truth. That’s why every one is one click from being overridden.
What happens when it flags a brand I trust?
You override it. Mark the brand as trusted and it’s never touched again; your personal lists beat every other signal. If you think the verdict is wrong for everyone, the one-click report sends it in for review, and accepted fixes reach all installs within a day, no extension update needed.
Are Chinese brands automatically flagged?
No. Established companies that happen to be Chinese, like Anker or DJI, are on the known-brands register and treated like any other real brand. The line Knockoff draws is disposability, not geography: a company with a website, a support line, and a reputation to lose passes; a registered-yesterday trademark on generic goods doesn’t.
Does it slow Amazon down?
The check is a lookup against a local list plus a string score, done in your browser as results render. Nothing on the shopping path waits on a server, because nothing on the shopping path makes a network call.
What it won’t do
Does Knockoff detect fake reviews?
No, and it doesn’t try to. Knockoff never reads reviews; it judges the brand behind the listing, in search results, before you click. For per-product review grading, pair it with a review checker — our Fakespot alternatives guide covers the options honestly, including tools that aren’t us.
Can it tell me if a product is counterfeit?
No. Counterfeits and pseudo-brands are different problems. A counterfeit fakes someone else’s trademark (a “Nike” that isn’t Nike); a pseudo-brand is a legally registered trademark on generic goods. Knockoff filters the second kind. Nothing in a search results page can authenticate the first.
Does it track prices or find deals?
No. No price history, no alerts, no coupons. One job.
Install and compatibility
Which browsers does it work in?
Chrome from the Chrome Web Store and Firefox (desktop and Android) from Firefox Add-ons. Other Chromium browsers such as Edge, Brave, and Vivaldi install from the Chrome listing. Safari is possible but manual for now: the repo ships an Xcode project you build yourself.
Does it work outside amazon.com?
Yes. It runs on 23 Amazon marketplaces, from amazon.co.uk and amazon.de to amazon.co.jp and amazon.com.au.
Does it hide sponsored listings too?
Yes, as a separate toggle. Sponsored placements disappear from your results along with the pseudo-brands. There’s a short guide if you only want that part.
Something’s broken. Where do I get help?
Open an issue on GitHub; issues are read and answered. For a wrong verdict, skip the issue: the report button on the badge is faster.
Try it on your next search
Knockoff filters the trademark-squat pseudo-brands out of Amazon search, so what’s left is brands with a reputation to lose.