To block all of YouTube except one channel in Chrome, add a whole site rule for youtube.com in Redirect, the Chrome extension, and add that channel under Allowed channels, either by pasting its link (like youtube.com/@name) or searching for it by name. Videos and Shorts from allowed channels still play, the rest of YouTube redirects to your goals page, and your allowed channels appear as clickable chips on that page. YouTube itself has no channel whitelist for regular accounts. Redirect works in Chrome and Chromium browsers only, not the YouTube app, keeps data local and is free for one site.
On this page
You open YouTube for a lecture from your course channel. The sidebar suggests something else. Forty minutes later, the lecture is still paused at 3:12.
The obvious fix is to block YouTube. But then you lose the one channel you actually need. What you want is a whitelist: this channel, and nothing else. YouTube does not offer that for regular accounts, so this guide shows how to set it up in Chrome with an extension, and how to handle the tricky parts: Shorts, single videos and search.
Why blocking YouTube with one exception is hard#
Most site blockers work on web addresses. A channel page has a clear address, like youtube.com/@mitocw, so allowing it is easy. The problem is videos. A video address looks like youtube.com/watch?v=abc123, and nothing in it says which channel posted it. A blocker that only reads addresses can allow the channel page and still block every video on it, which is useless.
Redirect solves this with an Allowed channels list on YouTube rules. When you open a video, Redirect asks YouTube's public oEmbed endpoint which channel the video belongs to. If it is on your list, the video plays. If not, you are sent to your goals. The lookup goes to YouTube, not to Redirect's servers; Redirect has no account and stores your rules locally.
This matters because most watching on YouTube is not planned. YouTube's chief product officer said in 2018 that more than 70% of watch time comes from recommendations (CBS News / CNET). A channel whitelist keeps what you chose and removes what YouTube chose for you.
How to block YouTube except one channel: 5 steps#
1. Install Redirect and add a YouTube rule
Add Redirect from the Chrome Web Store. It runs in Chrome and other Chromium browsers (Arc, Brave, Edge, Opera, Vivaldi), not Firefox or Safari. Open the dashboard (Alt+Shift+F) and add YouTube from the recommended sites, or type youtube.com as a whole site rule. A whole site rule covers m.youtube.com and other subdomains too.
2. Add your channel under Allowed channels
In the rule's Exceptions section, YouTube rules have an Allowed channels field. You can:
- Paste the channel link, for example
youtube.com/@mitocw, or just the handle@mitocw. Links to a channel tab like/videoswork too; the whole channel is allowed. - Search by name. Type the channel name and pick it from the results, which show the avatar so you get the right one.
Older link formats like youtube.com/channel/..., /c/... and /user/... are recognized too. Add as many channels as you like. The field's own note sums it up: videos and Shorts from these channels still play, and the rest of YouTube is redirected.
3. Open your channel from the Focus page
When you open youtube.com now, you land on your Focus dashboard with your goals. Under them, your allowed channels show as clickable chips labeled "Still open to you". Click one and you are on that channel's page. Its videos, Shorts and tabs work normally. One catch: a standalone playlist page (youtube.com/playlist?list=...) is not part of the channel's address, so it redirects. Start a playlist by clicking its thumbnail on the channel's Playlists tab instead, which opens its first video, and the videos from that channel play.
This is the part that makes a whitelist livable. You do not have to remember a URL or keep a bookmark. The way in is right there, and it only leads to what you chose.
4. Allow single videos with an exception
Sometimes you need one video from a channel you do not follow, like a tutorial someone sent you. Use the "Always allow these pages" field under the same rule and paste the video address, for example youtube.com/watch?v=abc123. That one video plays; the rest of that channel stays redirected.
5. Choose what a pause costs
YouTube search and the home page are redirected along with everything else not on your list. If you need to search YouTube, take a pause. Choose a length (1 to 60 minutes) and a task you complete first: type a paragraph exactly, write a reason, solve arithmetic in your head, do a 4-7-8 breathing cycle, or sit through a 60 second wait. A daily pause limit caps how many you get, for example two 10 minute pauses a day.
When a pause ends, Redirect sends you back to your goals right away, even mid video. A floating timer on the page shows how much time is left.
What gets blocked and what still works#
| You open | With a youtube.com rule and one allowed channel |
|---|---|
| youtube.com home page | Redirected to your goals |
| A video from your allowed channel | Plays |
| A Short from your allowed channel | Plays |
| The allowed channel's page and tabs | Works |
| A video from any other channel | Redirected |
| YouTube search results | Redirected |
| A video you added under "Always allow these pages" | Plays |
| Anything, during a pause | Works until the pause ends |
Shorts: allow the channel, block its Shorts#
Allowed channels keep both videos and Shorts from that channel. If Shorts are your weak spot even from channels you like, add a second rule: a path rule for youtube.com/shorts with no allowed channels. Path rules match only that part of the site, so the channel's regular videos keep playing through your first rule while every Short, from any channel, goes to your goals.
If you only want to lose Shorts and keep the rest of YouTube open, skip the whole site rule and use just the path rule. Block YouTube Shorts walks through it, and how to stop watching YouTube Shorts covers the habit side.
Allow more YouTube at set times#
A strict whitelist is easier to keep if it is not permanent. Each rule can have a schedule with its own weekdays and hours, and overnight windows work. A common setup:
- Weekdays, 9:00 to 18:00: YouTube rule on, only your course or work channels allowed.
- Evenings and weekends: rule off by schedule, YouTube as usual.
- Shorts path rule: always on.
Outside the schedule, YouTube behaves normally. See how to block websites during work hours for more schedule ideas.
Good channels to whitelist#
The best whitelist is short. Pick channels you would be glad you watched:
- For studying: your course's official channel, a lecture series like MIT OpenCourseWare, or one subject tutor. This video shows the study setup.
- For work: the documentation or tutorial channel for the tool you use every day.
- For health: one workout or yoga channel you actually follow.
Resist adding a channel "just in case". Every channel you add is more to watch, and a channel with daily uploads can become its own feed. Two or three is plenty.
Other ways to whitelist YouTube channels#
| Option | Who it is for | How it works | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redirect, Allowed channels | Adults on desktop Chrome and Chromium browsers | Whole site rule plus a channel list; other videos redirect | Not the YouTube app; no password lock |
| YouTube Kids approved content | Parents | Parents pick what a child's profile can watch | Only for children's profiles, not your own account |
| Hiding extensions (Unhook and similar) | People who want a quieter YouTube | Hide the home feed, sidebar and suggestions | Every channel is still reachable |
| Turn off watch history | Anyone | Removes recommended videos from the home page | Search and every channel stay open |
Hiding recommendations is a lighter approach that suits many people; blocking the YouTube homepage compares it with redirecting. If your goal is less YouTube overall rather than one channel, how to stop the YouTube rabbit hole and limiting YouTube time on Chrome cover other setups.
Honest limits#
- Desktop only. Redirect is a Chrome extension. It does not affect the YouTube app on your phone or TV.
- Incognito. Like any extension, Redirect only runs in Incognito windows if you turn on "Allow in Incognito" in chrome://extensions.
- Self-control, not parental control. There is no password lock. Loosening or disabling an active rule costs that rule's pause task, which adds friction, but whoever uses the browser can change it.
- Channel search needs YouTube. Searching for a channel by name reads YouTube's results. If it cannot reach YouTube, paste the channel link instead.
Redirect is free for one site, with Pro and Lifetime plans for unlimited sites (see pricing). For the full YouTube setup in one place, see how to block YouTube or watch how to quit YouTube without deleting it.
Sources
- Redirect, Chrome Web Store (checked September 2026)
- CBS News / CNET: YouTube's AI is the puppet master over most of what you watch (checked September 2026)
Close the tab. Open your goals.
Redirect sends distracting sites to the goals you wrote down, and makes every pause a choice.
Questions, answered
Can I block all YouTube channels except one?
Yes, in Chrome. In Redirect, add a whole site rule for youtube.com and add the channel under Allowed channels by pasting its link or searching by name. Videos and Shorts from that channel play; everything else on YouTube redirects to your goals.
Does YouTube have a built-in channel whitelist?
Not for regular accounts. YouTube Kids lets parents approve content for a child's profile, but there is no setting to limit your own account to certain channels.
If I allow a channel, are its videos allowed or just the channel page?
Both. A video address does not include the channel, so Redirect checks with YouTube which channel each video belongs to and lets videos from your allowed channels play. The channel page and its tabs work too.
Can I allow one channel but still block its Shorts?
Yes. Keep the channel in your youtube.com rule, then add a separate path rule for youtube.com/shorts with no allowed channels. Regular videos from the channel keep playing and every Short is redirected.
How do I allow one specific YouTube video?
Paste the video address, like youtube.com/watch?v=abc123, into the rule's "Always allow these pages" field. That video plays while the rest of the channel stays redirected.
Does this work on the YouTube app?
No. Redirect runs in desktop Chrome and Chromium browsers such as Arc, Brave, Edge, Opera and Vivaldi. It does not affect the YouTube app on phones or TVs.