A website blocker with a typing challenge makes you type a set paragraph exactly, punctuation included and with no pasting, before a distracting site opens, so you only get in when you really mean it. Redirect, the Chrome extension, offers this as one of six pause types you choose per site: typing challenge, reason prompt (your past reasons are shown back to you), math challenge, breathing pause, 60 second wait, or no task. To set it up, open the dashboard, add or edit a rule, pick the pause task, then set the pause length from 1 to 60 minutes and an optional daily pause limit. Save the typing challenge for your worst site, since it can feel punishing as a default, and use a lighter pause for sites you drift to now and then. Redirect works in Chrome and Chromium browsers only, keeps data local and is free for one site.
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Last updated September 2026.
Most website blockers give you two options: blocked, or not blocked. Real life needs a third one. Sometimes you genuinely need the site, and sometimes you only think you do. A pause that costs a little effort sorts those two apart. If you would type a whole paragraph to get in, you probably need it. If you would not, the urge was just an urge.
This page explains how effort-based pauses work, defines the six pause types in Redirect, and shows how to choose one for each site.
What is a website blocker with a typing challenge?#
It is a blocker that puts a task between you and a blocked site instead of a permanent wall. In a typing challenge you copy a passage of text exactly before you get temporary access. It is slow on purpose, and that slowness is the point: it gives the impulse time to fade, and it makes every visit a choice rather than a reflex.
Why this works is well studied. A 2023 field study in PNAS by Grüning, Riedel and Lorenz-Spreen followed 280 people using one sec, an app that adds a short pause before chosen apps open. In 36% of attempts, people closed the app after the pause instead of continuing, and after six weeks they tried to open those apps 37% less often. Friction does not have to be strict to work. It has to be there every time.
The same idea shows up under other names: a "mindful browsing extension," an "extension that makes you wait before opening a website," or a "website blocker with redirect."
How Redirect works, step by step#
Redirect is a Chrome extension that sends distracting sites to your goals instead of a blocked page. Here is what happens when you open one:
1. You open a site that has a rule
The rule can cover a whole site (youtube.com), a path rule (youtube.com/shorts) or a wildcard pattern.
2. Redirect sends you to your Focus dashboard
Instead of a "blocked" wall, you land on your Focus dashboard with up to three goals and your stats, or on a custom URL you chose, like your task list.
3. If you still want in, you ask for a pause
A pause is temporary access. You choose the pause length for each rule: 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45 or 60 minutes.
4. You complete that rule's pause task
This is where the six pause types come in. Each rule has its own.
5. You get in, with a timer
A small floating timer shows how much pause time is left. You can drag it, resize it, or hide it (it comes back on your next pause).
6. When the pause ends, you are sent back
Redirect checks open tabs when the pause expires, when you switch tabs, and every 30 seconds, so it redirects you right away, even mid scroll.
The six pause types, defined#
1. Typing challenge
Type a paragraph exactly, punctuation included. Pasting does not work. This is the highest-effort option and the best fit for your single worst site, the one you open without thinking.
2. Reason prompt
Write why you want in, with a minimum number of characters (80 by default, and you can change it). Your previous reasons are shown back to you, and recent pauses with reasons appear on your Focus dashboard. It is less about effort and more about noticing: seeing "bored" five times in a row tells you something.
3. Math challenge
Solve arithmetic problems in your head: things like adding or subtracting three-digit numbers, or multiplying a two-digit number by a single digit. The default is five problems, and you can set how many. It is a quick mental reset that breaks autopilot.
4. Breathing pause
Follow slow 4-7-8 breathing: in for 4 seconds, hold for 7, out for 8. The tab has to stay focused. This suits urges that come from stress or restlessness rather than boredom.
5. 60 second wait
Sit through a 60 second countdown. If you leave the tab, it restarts. No skill needed, which makes it a good everyday default for sites you sometimes need for work.
6. No task
The pause starts right away. Use it for sites you trust, where you mostly want the redirect as a gentle reminder and the floating timer to keep breaks honest.
Comparison: which pause type should you use?#
| Pause type | Effort | Best for | How long it takes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typing challenge | High | Your single worst, most automatic site | Depends on the paragraph and your typing speed |
| Reason prompt | Medium | Spotting patterns in why you visit | As long as it takes to write the minimum (80 characters by default) |
| Math challenge | Medium | Breaking autopilot with a quick reset | A few problems, five by default |
| Breathing pause | Low | Stress-driven urges | About 19 seconds per 4-7-8 cycle |
| 60 second wait | Low | Everyday sites you sometimes need | 60 seconds, restarts if you leave the tab |
| No task | None | Sites you trust | Instant |
A simple rule of thumb: the more automatic the visit, the more effort the pause should take. Save the typing challenge for the worst offender, so it stays meaningful instead of becoming a chore you resent.
How to set a pause type for each rule#
1. Open the dashboard
Click the Redirect icon or press Alt+Shift+F.
2. Add or edit a rule
Pick a whole site, a path rule or a pattern. The recommended sites list adds YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, X, TikTok, Facebook, Netflix or Twitch in one click. For path rules like Shorts, see block YouTube Shorts.
3. Choose what you have to do before pausing
Pick one of the six pause types. For the reason prompt you can set the minimum characters, and for the math challenge the number of problems.
4. Set the pause length and daily pause limit
Choose how long each pause lasts, then set how many pauses are allowed per day (0 means no limit). Together they give you a daily cap. For example, 10 minute pauses with a limit of 3 per day means at most 30 minutes on that site. Redirect has no separate usage timer; the cap comes from pause length plus the daily pause limit.
5. Add a schedule or exceptions if you need them
Schedules let a rule run only on the days and hours you pick. Exceptions keep useful parts of a site open, like one YouTube channel. For more, see how to block websites on Chrome.
Making the off switch cost effort too#
A pause task is only useful if the settings page is not an easy side door. In Redirect, turning off all redirects means typing a long fixed paragraph, and disabling, deleting or loosening an active rule requires that rule's pause task. Turning redirects back on is instant, so the effort always sits on the side of giving up, not starting over. Redirect has no password lock and no uninstall prevention, so it is built on effort rather than locks. If you want a password instead, see website blocker with password.
Other tools that add friction#
Redirect is not the only tool built on this idea. A few others, checked on their official pages:
- one sec offers a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge that gives you "a mindful pause" before distracting websites open (one sec). It is the app from the PNAS study above.
- LeechBlock NG can show a delaying page with a countdown you set in seconds, and optionally limit how many minutes you get after it. It can also require a password or random access code for its options page (LeechBlock documentation). It is free and open source.
- Cold Turkey Blocker has breaks that can require typing random or custom text, or waiting out a delay, and lock types that include random text, delay and password (Cold Turkey features). Locks and breaks are part of the Pro version (pricing), and it is a desktop app for Windows and macOS rather than just an extension.
Where they are stronger: LeechBlock is fully free with deep scheduling, one sec works on phones as well as browsers, and Cold Turkey can block apps outside the browser. Where Redirect differs: six pause types chosen per rule, a redirect to your goals instead of a block page, and your reasons shown back to you. For a side by side, read Redirect vs LeechBlock or our list of the best website blockers for Chrome.
The bottom line#
A typing challenge is not about punishment. It turns an automatic click into a small decision. Pick the heaviest pause for your worst site, a light one for sites you need, keep pauses short with a daily pause limit, and let the floating timer and the redirect do the rest.
Sources
- Grüning, Riedel and Lorenz-Spreen (2023), Directing smartphone use through the self-nudge app one sec, PNAS (checked September 2026)
- one sec, browser extension (checked September 2026)
- LeechBlock documentation (checked September 2026)
- Cold Turkey features (checked September 2026)
- Cold Turkey pricing (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
Is there a Chrome extension that makes you type before opening a site?
Yes. Redirect has a typing challenge where you copy a paragraph exactly, with no pasting, before you get a temporary pause on a blocked site. Cold Turkey Blocker can also require typing random or custom text for breaks in its Pro version.
Is there an extension that makes you wait before opening a website?
Yes. Redirect has a 60 second wait that restarts if you leave the tab, LeechBlock NG has a delaying page with a countdown you set, and one sec adds a mindful pause before distracting sites.
Which pause type works best?
Match effort to how automatic the visit is. Use the typing challenge for your worst site, the reason prompt to spot patterns, and the 60 second wait or breathing pause for sites you sometimes need.
Can I use a different pause type for each site?
Yes. In Redirect the pause type, pause length and daily pause limit are all set per rule, so YouTube Shorts can need a typing challenge while a news site only needs a 60 second wait.
Can I just turn the extension off instead?
In Redirect, turning off all redirects requires typing a long fixed paragraph, and loosening an active rule requires that rule's pause task. Redirect has no password lock or uninstall prevention, so it relies on effort rather than locks.