On your desktop, here’s how to block a website in Chrome.
There are numerous reasons why knowing how to block a website in Chrome is beneficial.
Perhaps you’re constantly distracted from work by social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, or you’re trying to avoid making a purchase on Amazon or Best Buy. You might even come across a site that you don’t like because of offensive or low-quality content and want to avoid visiting in the future.
Similarly, if you share your computer with family, you may wish to restrict access to certain websites, either because they are inappropriate or simply to annoy them!
Although Chrome lacks a built-in option for blocking websites, there are a number of browser extensions that can help. BlockSite is our favorite, and it’s also available for Firefox and Edge, as well as an Android and iOS app.
BlockSite recently switched to a “freemium” business model, which means that some of its premium features are now chargeable. The free version, on the other hand, allows you to block any website you want, as well as sites with specific words in their URLs.
We’ll show you how to block websites in Chrome using BlockSite, whether temporarily or permanently, in the guide below.
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How to block a website in Chrome using BlockSite
1. Go to the Chrome Web Store and install the BlockSite: Block Websites & Stay Focused extension by clicking “Add to Chrome” in the top-right corner of the extension’s listing page.
The extension needs permission to “read and change all your data on the sites you visit,” which may seem concerning, but is required for it to effectively block websites.
To finish the installation, click “Add extension.”
2. BlockSite will now request your permission to collect data in order to “provide you with insights into your web browsing habits as well as detect and block pages with adult and other content.”
Click the link to read the extension’s “Privacy Policy,” and then click “I Accept” if you agree with the terms.
If you’re not, acceptance isn’t required for BlockSite to function, so you can skip this step and simply click “Maybe Later.”
3. On the next page, which lists all of BlockSite’s features, click Continue. To get even more features, you’ll be asked to choose a BlockSite subscription plan, which starts at $3.99 per month if paid annually.
To avoid paying for a plan, click “Skip” in the top-right corner to use the extension’s main blocking tools for free.
4. Now that you’ve taken care of that, you can begin blocking websites in Chrome. Type or copy and paste the web address of a site you want to block on the “Block Sites” page, then click the green plus-sign button.
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BlockSite’s free version allows you to block up to six websites. You’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan if you need more blocks.
5. Alternatively, click the BlockSite icon in Chrome’s extensions area while visiting a website you want to block. If you don’t see this icon, click the jigsaw piece and select “Pin” next to BlockSite from the drop-down menu.
6. If you’re prompted to upgrade to a paid BlockSite plan, click “Maybe Later,” then “Block this site.”
“This site is currently blocked,” you’ll see a confirmation message now.
7. If you try to visit the site again after refreshing the page, BlockSite will show you a block page that says “Nice try” or “Forget about it,” and informs you that you probably blocked it for a reason.
Either click “Edit your list” in the top-right corner of the block page, or right-click BlockSite’s toolbar icon and choose Options to review and edit your list of blocked sites.
8. Return to the Block Sites page and click the red minus-sign button next to the sites you want to unblock.
When you try to access a blocked site, BlockSite can redirect you to another site instead of showing you a block page.
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Click the Redirect button, then enter the web address of the site to which you want to be redirected.
9. You can also choose to only block websites at specific times and on specific days. Click the Schedule button, enter the time interval for blocking sites, and then click “Add interval.”
You can disable blocking on specific days, such as weekends, in the section below.
To confirm your selections, click “Set Schedule.”
10. BlockSite’s free version also allows you to block websites with specific words in their URLs, names, or descriptions. In the left-hand menu, select “Block by Words” and enter the words you want to block.
You can choose to redirect URLs containing blocked words to another site, just as you can with blocked websites. BlockSite, on the other hand, has no limit on the number of words you can block for free.
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