# Pihole not blocking wildcard domains

**URL:** https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pihole-not-blocking-wildcard-domains/87736
**Category:** Help
**Created:** [September 25, 2026, 11:07am UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pihole-not-blocking-wildcard-domains/87736 "2026-09-25T11:07:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Spaceboy](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Spaceboy](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/Spaceboy)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2026, 11:07am UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pihole-not-blocking-wildcard-domains/87736/1 "2026-09-25T11:07:36Z")

</div>

## Expected Behaviour:

I'm trying to block ads using pihole... I've added (\.|^)amazon-adsystem\.com$ to block ads coming from all sub-domains of amazon-adsystem.com

 ![image](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/uploads/default/original/3X/7/6/76f137d20067386f7983d815c3529a3b6d501d86.png)

I've flushed pihole cache and even restarted the service :

```auto
# pihole reloaddns
  [✓] Flushing DNS cache
# systemctl restart pihole-FTL.service

```

However, queries to subdomains are still forwarded and replied to.

 ![image](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/uploads/default/original/3X/8/a/8a5ad9a13d82e0ee3389ef9afbcbd3941fc9f552.png)

I'm running on a Raspberry Pi 4, all clients get IP via DHCP on pihole, and dns server is set to the pihole.

pihole -d uploaded = [https://tricorder.pi-hole.net/VVSUG3qd/](https://tricorder.pi-hole.net/VVSUG3qd/)

I have 25+ years of DDI experience, and I'm lost... pihole simply isn't blocking 😕

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![rdwebdesign](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/rdwebdesign/32/51363_2.png) [@rdwebdesign](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/rdwebdesign)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2026, 4:23pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pihole-not-blocking-wildcard-domains/87736/2 "2026-09-25T16:23:33Z")

</div>

The debug log shows your settings are correct, **but you disabled the Default group** :

```auto

*** [DIAGNOSING]: Groups
    id enabled name date_added date_modified description
   ---- ------- -------------------------------------------------- ------------------- ------------------- --------------------------------------------------
      0 no Default 2026-06-01 16:32:30 2026-09-16 11:42:33 The default group

```

When a group is disabled, all lists, domains and regex rules assigned to this group are also disabled.

**Solution:**  
Enable the Default group.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Spaceboy](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Spaceboy](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/Spaceboy)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2026, 9:40am UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pihole-not-blocking-wildcard-domains/87736/3 "2026-09-26T09:40:08Z")

</div>

Absolutely spot on, thanks so much!!

Weird as this was a new install (I've done a few now) and I hadn't changed that setting.

Anyway, all sorted now, much appreciated 🙂