Forum Signature Hider

WHAT IT DOES Forum Signature Hider automatically detects and hides signature blocks on any forum or discussion site. Signatures often contain large images, lengthy text, promotional links, or animated banners that clutter the page and distract from the actual post content. This tool identifies signature containers using a comprehensive set of selectors and structural patterns, then hides them completely or collapses them into a compact expandable bar. The extension works across thousands of forum platforms and comment sections, cleaning up the page for a more focused reading experience. WHERE IT RUNS This extension works on any website that contains forum-style signatures — including traditional forums like vBulletin, phpBB, XenForo, and Discourse, as well as custom-built community platforms, blog comment sections, and message boards. The tool does not require site-specific configuration; it uses universal detection patterns that identify signatures regardless of the underlying platform. It runs across all domains and automatically adapts to each site's unique HTML structure. HOW TO USE Install the extension and navigate to any forum or discussion site. The tool automatically detects and hides signatures on the current page. Use the overlay panel to control signature visibility: toggle "Hide signatures on this site" to enable or disable hiding for the current domain. Enable "Hide images in signatures" to remove only images while keeping signature text visible. Enable "Collapse instead of hide" to shrink signatures into a small expandable bar with a click-to-expand hint, preserving access to signature content without taking up full space. Click "Refresh hiding" to reapply the hiding rules if signatures appear after dynamic page updates. TECHNICAL SECTION — MULTI-STRATEGY SIGNATURE DETECTION The extension uses a layered signature detection engine that combines CSS selectors with structural pattern recognition. It first queries over a dozen common signature-related class names and attribute selectors, including .signature, .sig, .post-signature, and pattern-based matches like [class*="signature"]. For sites that use non-standard naming, the tool falls back to structural analysis — it scans for horizontal rule () elements followed by div containers, and examines post elements (identified by common class names like .post, .comment, .message) followed by sibling divs. These sibling divs are analyzed for characteristic signature content: short text length (5-500 characters), presence of signature markers like dashes or separators, and common phrases like "sent from" or "via". This dual-layer approach ensures reliable detection across the diverse and often non-standard HTML used by different forum platforms. THE PANEL — DRAG / PER-SITE POSITION / SNAP / COLLAPSE / RESIZE / ESCAPE The overlay panel is fully interactive and designed for seamless multitasking. Drag it anywhere on the screen using the handle at the top of the panel; the position is saved per site so it stays where you left it across sessions. The panel includes a snap-to-edge feature that gently anchors the overlay to the nearest screen edge when released. Click the collapse button to minimize the panel to a compact pill showing the current signature status; expand it again with a single click. Resize the panel vertically by dragging the bottom-right corner to view more controls. Press the Escape key at any time to instantly close the overlay; it reappears on the next page navigation or refresh. PLEASE NOTE This extension requires the free BotGentz companion extension to function, as it provides the underlying content script injection and cross-origin communication framework. No personal data, browsing history, or forum content is stored, transmitted, or shared. Settings are stored locally in your browser using GM_setValue and are never sent to any external server. The extension does not access or store login credentials, financial data, or personally identifiable information. Forum sites may update their page structures; the extension includes multiple fallback detection strategies to maintain compatibility. The tool only modifies the visibility of signature elements and does not interact with forum functionality, post content, or user authentication. Signatures that are essential to forum layout or are used for site navigation may be affected; the per-domain toggle allows you to disable the extension on sites where it causes issues.