Key Takeaways
- Amazon does not offer a built-in setting to disable Rufus, but several free browser-based solutions can hide it completely.
- Dedicated browser extensions like Rufus Remover are the easiest option and work on Chrome, Firefox, and Brave.
- If you already use uBlock Origin, adding a few custom filters can remove Rufus without installing anything new.
What Is Amazon Rufus?
Rufus is Amazon's AI-powered shopping assistant. It appears as a chat panel on the left side of Amazon product and search pages. It can answer questions about products, suggest comparisons, and surface information from reviews and Q&A sections.
While some shoppers find it useful, others prefer a cleaner layout with more screen space dedicated to product listings, images, and reviews. If you fall into the second category, this guide covers every method available to hide or remove Rufus from your Amazon browsing experience.
Method 1: Install a Dedicated Browser Extension (Easiest)
The simplest approach is a browser extension built specifically to remove Rufus. These require no configuration, just install and go.
Rufus Remover
Rufus Remover hides the Rufus chat panel, navigation elements, and dynamically loaded Rufus content. It also includes layout protection to prevent the page from shifting after Rufus elements are removed, which solves the common issue of the page feeling narrower even after hiding the chat text.
It runs locally with no tracking or data collection and includes a one-click toggle to turn it on or off.
- Chrome / Brave: ⭐ 4.6 stars — Install from Chrome Web Store
- Firefox: ⭐ 4.8 stars — Install from Firefox Add-ons
Goodbye Rufus
Goodbye Rufus is a lightweight Chrome extension that automatically hides the Rufus panel and related UI elements on Amazon product pages. There are no settings to configure and no data is collected.
- Chrome / Brave: Not yet rated — Install from Chrome Web Store
- Firefox: Not currently available
Method 2: Add Custom Filters in uBlock Origin
If you already have uBlock Origin installed, you can block Rufus without adding another extension. This method works in any browser where uBlock Origin is available, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Brave.
To add the filters:
- Click the uBlock Origin icon in your browser toolbar and select the gear icon to open the dashboard.
- Go to the My Filters tab.
- Paste the following lines at the bottom of the list:
www.amazon.com##.rufus-container www.amazon.com##.rufus-panel-container www.amazon.com##.rufus-view-filler www.amazon.com##.rufus-conversation-container www.amazon.com##.rufus-conversation-container-inner www.amazon.com##.rufus-container-peek-view www.amazon.com##.rufus-panel-header-container www.amazon.com##.rufus-panel-closed-to-peek.rufus-panel-container www.amazon.com##.nav-rufus-disco www.amazon.com##.nav-rufus-content www.amazon.com###nav-flyout-rufus
Click Apply changes, then reload any open Amazon pages.
The .rufus-view-filler filter is especially important — this is the invisible spacer element that pushes page content to the right even after the visible chat panel is hidden. Without it, the page layout can still appear narrower than expected.
Note: Amazon occasionally updates its page structure and class names. If Rufus reappears after a site update, you may need to revisit your filters and update them. The dedicated extensions listed above tend to stay on top of these changes more quickly.
Method 3: Use a Userscript (Advanced)
If you prefer userscripts over extensions, there are Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey scripts available that remove Rufus and reclaim the lost screen space. These work on both Chrome and Firefox.
One well-maintained option is the Amazon: Kill Rufus + Reclaim Left Space script on GitHub. It uses layout heuristics rather than relying on specific CSS class names, making it more resilient to Amazon's frequent page structure changes.
A simpler alternative is the Amazon Rufus Remover script on Greasyfork.
To use either script, you'll need a userscript manager installed first:
- Violentmonkey (recommended, available for Chrome and Firefox)
- Tampermonkey (available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari)
What About the Amazon Mobile App?
Unfortunately, there is no reliable way to disable Rufus in the Amazon Shopping app on iOS or Android. Rufus is built into the app itself and cannot be blocked with extensions or filters. You can close the Rufus chat window by tapping the X or swiping it down, but it may reappear on subsequent pages.
If you prefer to shop on mobile without Rufus, one workaround is to use Amazon's website in a mobile browser (such as Firefox for Android) with uBlock Origin installed and the custom filters listed above. This gives you the same filtering capability you have on desktop.
FAQ
Can I permanently turn off Amazon Rufus in my account settings?
No. Amazon does not currently offer a setting to disable Rufus. It is integrated into the shopping experience on both the website and mobile app. The methods in this guide use browser-based tools to hide Rufus on desktop.
Will hiding Rufus break anything else on Amazon?
No. The extensions and filters listed above specifically target Rufus elements and leave the rest of Amazon's functionality intact, including search, product pages, reviews, checkout, and account management.
Why does Amazon still look narrower after I hide Rufus with an ad blocker?
Amazon uses an invisible spacer element that reserves screen space for the Rufus panel. Basic ad blocker rules may hide the visible chat window but miss this spacer. Adding a filter for the .rufus-view-filler class or using a dedicated extension like Rufus Remover solves this.
Do these methods work on all Amazon country sites?
The Rufus Remover extension supports multiple Amazon domains including .com, .co.uk, .ca, .de, .fr, .it, .es, .co.jp, .in, .com.au, .com.br, and .com.mx. The uBlock Origin filters listed above target amazon.com specifically but can be duplicated for other country domains by replacing www.amazon.com with the appropriate URL.
