How to Block Websites on Chrome: Every Method, Compared

Last updated September 2026.

You open a new tab to check one thing, and twenty minutes later you are deep in YouTube or Reddit. So you go looking for the setting that blocks a site in Chrome, and it is not there. That is not you missing something. Chrome simply does not have a site blocker for everyday users. This guide walks through every method that does work, what each one is good for, and how to pick the one that fits you.

Does Chrome have a built-in website blocker?#

No. As of September 2026, there is no toggle in Chrome settings that lets a regular user block a website for themselves. You can block things like pop-ups, notifications or camera access per site, but not the site itself.

Chrome does have two blocking systems built in, but they are meant for someone else to control your browser:

• Google Family Link, for parents supervising a child's Google Account.
• Chrome policies (the URLBlocklist policy), for IT admins managing company or school browsers.

You can use the policy route on your own computer, and we cover how below. Everything else, from the hosts file to your router to extensions, works outside Chrome's settings.

Every way to block a website on Chrome, compared#

The short version: if you want to block sites for yourself so you can focus, an extension is the most practical choice. The other methods are built for control over someone else's browsing, or for a hard wall with no flexibility.

Method 1: Google Family Link (for parents)#

If you are a parent and your child has a Google Account supervised through Family Link, you can block or allow specific sites in Chrome from the Family Link app. Google's help page says this works on Android, Chromebooks, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and iPad.

1. Open Family Link and pick your child

In the Family Link app, select your child's profile.

2. Go to the Chrome controls

Open Controls, then Google Chrome and Web. From there you can choose a content filter or manage specific sites.

3. Add sites to block or allow

Add a site or a whole domain to the blocked list. Your child can ask for permission to visit a blocked site, and you can approve or deny it.

One honest limitation: Google notes that on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and iPad, a child can sign out of Chrome and the restrictions no longer apply to that browser profile. Family Link is strongest on Android and Chromebooks.

Method 2: Chrome policies with URLBlocklist (for managed browsers)#

Companies and schools block sites with a Chrome policy called URLBlocklist. It stops listed URLs from loading at all. According to Google's Chrome Enterprise help, admins can set it in the Google Admin console, through Group Policy on Windows, in a policy .plist file on Mac, or with a JSON file in /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed on Linux. The list can hold up to 1,000 URLs.

You can technically set this policy on your own machine. It is a real, hard block, and Chrome will show an error page instead of the site. But it is meant for admins, so there are tradeoffs:

• There are no schedules. The site is blocked all the time until you edit the policy again.
• There is no pause or exception flow. If you need the site for five minutes, you have to undo the policy.
• Chrome will show that your browser is managed by an organization, which some people find confusing on a personal laptop.

If you are on a work or school device, check with your IT team before trying anything here. They may already manage your browser.

Method 3: The hosts file (Mac and Windows)#

Every computer has a small text file called the hosts file. It tells your computer where to find a domain before it asks the internet. If you point a site at 0.0.0.0, it simply will not load, in Chrome or any other browser.

1. Open the hosts file as an administrator

On a Mac, open Terminal and run:

sudo nano /etc/hosts

On Windows, open Notepad as administrator, then open this file:

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

2. Add a line for each site

Add one line per domain. List the www version too, because it counts as a separate name:

0.0.0.0 reddit.com
0.0.0.0 www.reddit.com

3. Save and restart Chrome

Save the file. Chrome and your operating system cache lookups, so fully quit and reopen Chrome, and on a Mac you may need to flush the DNS cache. Then test the site in a new window.

The hosts file is free and works across browsers, but it is blunt. You cannot block YouTube Shorts and keep the rest of YouTube, you cannot set work hours, and undoing it takes about thirty seconds whenever you feel like it. It also only covers exact domain names, so every subdomain needs its own line.

Method 4: Router or DNS filtering#

Many home routers have a parental controls or website filter section, and DNS services with filtering let you block domains for your whole network. This is useful for a family or a shared home setup, since it covers phones, tablets and computers at once.

For personal focus, it is a heavy tool. It blocks the site for everyone on the Wi-Fi, it does nothing when you are on a different network, and changing it means logging into your router. Chrome also has a Secure DNS setting that can send lookups to a different provider, which can route around network filtering.

Method 5: A website blocker extension#

For most people who want to block sites for themselves, a Chrome extension is the right tool. It lives in the browser where the distraction happens, it can understand full URLs and not just domains, and good ones add schedules, exceptions and a way to handle the moments when you really do need the site.

The catch with many blockers is what happens when you hit the wall. A plain "blocked" page is easy to resent, and the off switch is usually two clicks away. We wrote about this in why website blockers don't work. The short version is that a blocker works best when it sends you somewhere useful and makes getting around it take a little effort.

That is the idea behind Redirect.

How to block websites on Chrome with Redirect#

Redirect is a Chrome extension that sends distracting sites to your goals instead of a blocked page, and makes a pause cost a little effort. It works in Chrome and other Chromium browsers like Arc, Brave, Edge, Opera and Vivaldi. It is free for one site, with Pro and Lifetime plans for unlimited sites (see pricing).

1. Install the extension

Add Redirect to Chrome from the home page. There is no account to create. Your rules, goals, stats and reasons are stored locally in your browser.

2. Add a rule for the site

Open the dashboard (Alt+Shift+F) and add a rule. You have three options:

• Whole site, like youtube.com. This covers subdomains such as m.youtube.com.
• A specific path, like youtube.com/shorts, if you only want to block one part.
• A wildcard pattern, like *://*.reddit.com/r/*, for more precise matching.

For the usual suspects, recommended sites let you add YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, X, TikTok, Facebook, Netflix or Twitch in one click.

3. Choose where it sends you

When you open a blocked site, Redirect sends you to your Focus dashboard, which shows up to three goals and your stats. You can also send yourself to a custom URL, like your task list, a course or a document you are working on.

4. Pick a pause task

Sometimes you really do need the site. Each rule lets you choose what a pause costs:

• Type a paragraph exactly, no pasting.
• Write a reason. Your previous reasons are shown back to you.
• Solve a few arithmetic problems in your head.
• Breathe through a 4-7-8 breathing cycle.
• Wait out a 60 second countdown.
• No task, for sites you mostly trust.

You also pick how long pauses last, from 1 to 60 minutes, and you can set a daily pause limit. When the pause ends, Redirect sends you back to your goals, even if you are mid scroll.

5. Add a schedule and exceptions

Schedules let a rule run only on the days and hours you pick, like weekdays 9 to 5, and overnight windows work too. See how to block websites during work hours for setups that work.

Exceptions let you keep the useful parts of a site. For example, you can block YouTube but allow a single channel of lectures.

6. Make it hard to undo on impulse

Turning off all redirects requires typing a long paragraph, and disabling, deleting or loosening an active rule requires that rule's pause task. Turning things back on is instant. That small bit of effort is often enough to get you past the urge.

Block a specific site#

If you are trying to block one site in particular, these pages cover the setup and the details for each:

• Block YouTube, or just block YouTube Shorts and keep the rest
• Block Reddit
• Block Instagram
• Block TikTok
• Block X (Twitter)
• Block Facebook
• Block Netflix
• Block Twitch
• Block LinkedIn
• Block Amazon
• Block news sites

You can see them all on the block page.

Which method should you use?#

Pick based on who the block is for:

• For your child: Family Link, ideally on an Android phone or Chromebook.
• For a company or school fleet: Chrome policies through the Admin console or Group Policy.
• For everyone on your home Wi-Fi: router or DNS filtering.
• For you, so you can focus: an extension, because you need schedules, exceptions and a way to handle real exceptions without tearing the whole thing down.

If you are choosing between extensions, our comparison of the best website blockers for Chrome looks at the main options and where each one is strongest.

Tips that make any block stick#

Whatever method you choose, a few habits make the difference between a block that lasts a week and one that lasts:

• Block the specific trap, not the whole internet. If Shorts is the problem, block Shorts. A narrow rule is one you will keep.
• Decide what you will do instead. A plan like "when I open Reddit, I will open my draft" works far better than a vague intention to focus. Research on implementation intentions backs this up.
• Make exceptions cost a little. A short task or wait before access gives the urge time to fade. See why website blockers don't work for the research on this.
• Watch for the scroll, not just the site. If feeds are the real issue, read how to stop doomscrolling.

Blocking websites for yourself, not a child#

Search for how to block a website on Chrome and most results are written for parents or IT admins. Family Link and the URLBlocklist policy both assume one person sets the rules and a different person lives with them. A child does not manage their own Family Link settings, and an employee does not edit the policy on a managed browser. That separation is what makes those blocks hold.

When you block sites for yourself, you are both people. You set the rule and you can always undo it, so a lock alone does not solve the problem. What self-blockers need instead:

The difference matters because a hard wall you control tends to come down the first time it feels unfair. We cover the research on this in why website blockers don't work. A block designed for self-control is one you are willing to keep running.

The bottom line#

Chrome does not have a built-in way for you to block a site for yourself. Family Link and Chrome policies exist, but they are built for parents and admins. The hosts file and router filtering work, but they are blunt and easy to undo. For personal focus, a Chrome extension is the practical answer, and one that sends you back to your goals and makes pauses take a little effort is the kind you will actually keep using.

Close the tab. Open your goals.

Redirect sends distracting sites to the goals you wrote down, and makes every pause a choice.

Add to Chrome, free to start