Blocking Websites on Chrome
Take back your time. Block distracting websites, stay focused, and build better digital habits.
📖 Introduction
Blocking Websites on Chrome is a powerful website blocker that helps you eliminate online distractions and improve productivity. Whether you need to focus on work, study for exams, or simply reduce screen time, this extension gives you full control over which websites you can access — and when.
Key highlights:
- Quick Block — one-click start/stop with optional countdown timer
- Blacklist & Whitelist — block specific sites or block everything except allowed sites
- Scheduled Blocking — automatic blocking by day and time range
- Strict Mode — lock your settings to prevent impulsive changes
- Category Blocking — one-click block entire categories (social, video, gaming, etc.)
- Right-Click Blocking — block any site directly from the context menu
- Keyword Blocking — block sites by domain, URL, or page content keywords
- Statistics Dashboard — track how many sites have been blocked
- Side Panel UI — persistent panel stays visible while you browse
🚀 Getting Started
- Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store
- Click the extension icon in your browser toolbar — the side panel will open on the right side of your browser
- Navigate between tabs: Quick Block, Schedules, Strict Mode, and Statistics
- In the Quick Block tab, add a website (e.g.
facebook.com) and click Start Blocking - Visit the blocked website — you will see a clean blocked page instead
⚡ Quick Block
Quick Block is the fastest way to start blocking websites. Add sites to your list, choose a timer (optional), and click Start Blocking. Everything is one click away.
⏱️ Countdown Timer
By default, blocking runs indefinitely until you manually stop it. You can also set a countdown timer so blocking stops automatically:
| Timer Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Unlimited | Blocking continues until you click Stop |
| 25 minutes | Perfect for a Pomodoro focus session |
| 1 hour | Great for a focused work block |
| 24 hours | Block for a full day |
| Custom | Set any number of hours and minutes |
When a timer is running, the remaining time is displayed in the panel. The countdown works even if you close the side panel.
💾 Saved Presets
If you frequently use a specific duration, you can save it as a quick-access preset:
- Select Custom timer and enter your desired hours and minutes
- Click the Save Preset button (💾 icon) next to the custom input
- Your custom duration now appears as a one-click button in the timer row
🔀 Blacklist & Whitelist Modes
Choose how blocking works based on your needs:
| Mode | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Blacklist Default | Only the websites you add to the list will be blocked. Everything else is accessible. |
| Whitelist Focus | All websites are blocked except the ones on your list. Ideal for deep focus sessions where you only need a few specific sites. |
📦 Category Blocking
Don't want to add sites one by one? Use Category Blocking to add an entire group of popular distracting websites with a single click.
| Category | Includes |
|---|---|
| 👥 Social Media | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok, Reddit, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Pinterest, Tumblr |
| 🎬 Video | YouTube, Netflix, Twitch, Disney+, Hulu, Bilibili, Vimeo, Dailymotion |
| 🎮 Gaming | Steam, Epic Games, Riot Games, Blizzard, Xbox, PlayStation, Roblox, Minecraft |
| 🛒 Shopping | Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, Walmart, Target, Etsy, SHEIN, Temu |
| 📰 News | CNN, BBC, NYT, Washington Post, The Guardian, Reuters, Fox News, HuffPost |
How to use: In the Quick Block tab, you will see the category grid. Click a category to add all its sites. If a category is already added, it shows a ✓ mark — click again to remove all sites from that category.
📅 Scheduled Blocking
Create schedules to automatically block websites on specific days and times. No need to remember to start blocking — it happens on its own.
How to create a schedule:
- Go to the Schedules tab
- Click "Create Schedule"
- Enter a name for your schedule (e.g. "Work Focus")
- Choose an icon to identify it easily
- Select the days of the week (e.g. Mon–Fri)
- Choose a time mode:
- All day — blocking is active for the entire day
- Custom intervals — specify start and end times (e.g. 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM). You can add multiple time ranges.
- Add the websites to block (same as Quick Block)
- Click Save — the schedule is now active
📋 Plan Templates
Not sure where to start? Use a built-in template to create a schedule in seconds:
| Template | Typical Setup |
|---|---|
| Focus Mode | Block social media and video sites during work hours |
| Study Time | Block distractions during study sessions |
| Digital Detox | Block all distracting sites for the whole day |
| Morning Routine | Block sites in the early morning to start your day intentionally |
| Personal Time | Block work-related sites during evenings and weekends |
⏸️ Pause & Resume
Need a temporary break from a schedule? You can disable it entirely by toggling the switch off on the schedule card. Toggle it back on when you're ready to resume.
To create a similar schedule with different settings, open the existing schedule for editing and adjust the days, times, or websites as needed.
🔒 Strict Mode
Strict Mode locks your blocking configuration so you cannot change it impulsively. Perfect for when you need extra self-discipline.
⏱️ Timer Lock
Set a countdown timer. Once activated, you cannot:
- Stop blocking
- Remove websites from the block list
- Modify any settings
The lock automatically releases when the countdown ends. Available durations: 30 min, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, or custom (up to several days).
While the timer is running, you can click the "Extend Time" button to add an extra 30 minutes to the remaining countdown. This is useful if you need a bit more focus time but can't change the original lock settings.
🔑 PIN Lock
Set a 4-digit PIN code that must be entered to unlock the settings. This is ideal when you want someone else (a friend, partner, or parent) to hold you accountable.
- Go to the Strict Mode tab
- Select PIN Lock
- Enter a 4-digit PIN and confirm it
- Click Activate
- To unlock later, enter the correct PIN
🔑 Keyword Blocking
Instead of adding specific domains, you can block websites based on keywords. This is useful when you want to block a broad category of content without listing every single website. The extension supports three matching modes:
Matching Modes
| Mode | How It Works | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 🌐 Domain Match | Checks if the website's domain name contains the keyword. This covers all pages on that domain. |
Keyword game will block:✅ game.com✅ www.freegames.net✅ miniclip.com (contains no "game") — not blocked
|
| 🔗 URL Match | Checks if the full URL (including path) contains the keyword. Only pages with matching URLs are blocked, other pages on the same site are still accessible. |
Keyword /games/ will block:✅ example.com/games/puzzle✅ pogo.com/games/scrabble❌ example.com/play — not blocked
|
| 📄 Content Match | Scans the visible text content of a page. If the keyword appears in the page text, the page will be blocked. The extension reads up to 50,000 characters of page content. |
Keyword gambling will block:✅ Any page containing the word "gambling" in its text ✅ Works even if the URL doesn't contain the keyword Note: Content matching may take a moment after the page loads. |
How to Add a Keyword
- Go to the Quick Block tab
- Scroll down to the 🔑 Keyword List section
- Select a matching mode from the dropdown (Domain Match / URL Match / Content Match)
- Type your keyword in the input field (e.g.
shopping) - Click Add Keyword
- The keyword will appear in the list with its matching mode label
Managing Keywords
- Toggle on/off — Click the switch next to a keyword to temporarily disable it without deleting
- Delete — Click the ✕ button to permanently remove a keyword
- Keywords remain in the list when you switch between Blacklist and Whitelist modes
facebook.com as a website entry and also add the keyword social with Content Match to catch social media sites you haven't thought of.
📊 Statistics Dashboard
Track your blocking activity to understand your habits. Go to the Statistics tab to see:
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Today | Number of sites blocked today |
| This Week | Number of sites blocked in the past 7 days |
| Total | All-time total number of blocks |
| Top 5 Sites | Bar chart showing your most frequently blocked sites |
| Recent Activity | List of the last 30 block events with timestamps |
You can clear all statistics at any time by clicking the "Clear Statistics" button at the bottom of the panel.
🛡️ Blocked Page
When you try to visit a blocked website, instead of the site loading, you will see a blocked page that shows:
- The blocked URL you tried to visit
- The blocking source (which rule, keyword, or schedule triggered the block)
- A motivational message to help you stay on track
Use your browser's back button to return to your previous page.
❓ FAQ & Troubleshooting
facebook.com) and click Add.
2) Right-click on any webpage and select "Block this site".
3) Use Category Blocking to add an entire group at once.
blocking-websites-on-chrome.pages.dev) is protected and can never be blocked, even in Whitelist mode. You can always access the help documentation.
facebook.com — only that exact site is blocked).
Keyword blocking is broader — it matches any site whose domain, URL, or page content contains your keyword. For example, the keyword game with Domain Match will block game.com, freegames.net, pokigame.com, and any other domain containing "game".
Game or GAME will produce the same result as game.
- Domain Match — Use when you want to block an entire website whose name contains a certain word. Example:
shoppingblocksshopping.com,onlineshopping.net, etc. - URL Match — Use when you want to block specific pages but allow the rest of the site. Example:
/games/only blocks pages with "/games/" in the URL path, not the entire website. - Content Match — Use when you want to block pages that discuss a certain topic, regardless of their URL. Example:
gamblingblocks any page whose text content mentions gambling.
⚠️ Extension Not Working on a Website?
If the extension does not block a website as expected, please help us fix it:
- Copy the full URL of the website where blocking is not working
- Describe the situation — what did you expect to happen, and what actually happened?
- Email this information to our developer: thetoolsdev@gmail.com
We appreciate your feedback and will work to fix the issue as quickly as possible.
📬 Contact Us
Have questions, suggestions, or issues? We'd love to hear from you.
| Purpose | |
|---|---|
| Developer Support | thetoolsdev@gmail.com |