How to Block Websites on Chrome (5 Easy Ways)

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Google Chrome is one of the most popular web browsers, with more than 90% of web traffic flowing through it. But is it safe to use? Google does have a few methods to put filters on or allow more privacy for its users. One of those features is blocking websites.

There are several reasons why you may wish to block websites on your browser. You may want to avoid being distracted or restrict children from accessing unsuitable websites. However, there is no native way to block a website in Chrome.

Most users will need to use separate software or an add-on to block websites on Chrome. This article will discuss how to block a website on Chrome on different devices, including PC, Android, and iOS.

Read on to learn all there is to know about blocking sites on Google Chrome.

In Short: How to Ban a Website on Chrome

To block a page on Chrome for desktops, the simplest way is to download a blocker extension and enter the website(s) you want to block into the settings for the app.

Why Block a Website on Chrome?

There are a number of reasons why it may be a good idea to block a number on Chrome. They include:

  • To protect your device from viruses and malicious content. There are websites that are known to launch viruses and malware on your device when you access them or download files from them, so blocking them helps keep your device safe.
  • To restrict access to inappropriate websites for other Chrome users. This is especially useful for children and workplaces to limit adult websites that they can access.
  • There are also legal reasons for blocking a website since some places have banned certain websites, so blocking them may be necessary.
  • To block ads. Some websites are heavy with ads which might affect how your browser works, so you can block them.

How to Block Websites on Chrome for Desktop

There are essentially two ways to block websites by default on Chrome. The first method for site blocking Chrome uses Google Chrome extensions and is relatively simple to set up. The second method doesn’t require an extension but takes a bit more effort.

Here is how they work:

Block a Website on Chrome With Extensions

As there are no built-in options for blocking a website on Google Chrome, using an extension is one of the best solutions. There are many extension options, including BlockSite and StayFocused.

We chose the BlockSite extension for this demonstration but feel free to look for a different add-on that fulfills the same purpose. Some apps can work across platforms or even on Safari and Chrome.

Here are the steps to block a URL in Chrome using BlockSite:

A screenshot showing how to install find blocksite in the Google Chrome store

Step 1: Search for BlockSite on the Chrome Web Store or follow this link to the add-ons page. On the page, click on Add to Chrome, and the add-on should start downloading.

A screenshot showing where new add-on appear in Google Chrome

Step 2: You should restart the browser once the installation is completed. Then, In your browser window, click on the Puzzle piece icon at the top-right corner of the screen. From there, click on the extension to initiate it.

A screenshot showing the blocksite basic menu and how to open it

Step 3: The extension will show an agreement on the first startup. Click on Agree and then click on the Gear icon in the top right corner of the extension window. This will open a page to set up the sites you wish to block.

A screenshot of the blocksites workspace in Google Chrome

Step 4: Input the URL of the website or webpage you wish to block in the first text box, and then simply click on the + Add Item button. The website you want to block will be added to the list underneath. Note that you can only add up to 6 websites in the free version of this tool.

If you try to open any website you added to the blocked list of the extension, you will see a message letting you know that the website is blocked. The free version is a great way to block a few URLs in Chrome and see if you’d like to upgrade to the full version later.

Block Websites in Incognito Mode

Enable During Incognito Mode

By default, all extensions are turned off when you turn Chrome into Incognito mode. But you can get BlockSite to block URL in Chrome during private browsing sessions by allowing it through the extension settings. Block site extension also works in most other browsers other than Chrome.

Related: How to Export Chrome Bookmarks

How to Block a Website on Chrome Without Extensions

There isn’t an explicit feature that allows you to blacklist a website in Chrome. However, you can use a few methods to block websites on Chrome. These include using a Google Admin account or the internal settings of your router to access the blocked site settings. Here’s how to block websites on Chrome without extension:

Step 1: Sign in to your Google Admin account and head to the Homepage. From there, click on Devices and then click on Chrome.

Step 2: Click on Settings and head over to Users & Browsers. Here, you can choose the Top organizational unit that allows you to block a website for all users or choose a Child organizational unit that will restrict the website access for child accounts only.

Step 3: Whichever option you choose, scroll down to find the URL Blocking setting. There, enter the URLs of the websites you wish to block in Chrome. You can add up to 1000 websites at a time.

Step 4: Once you input the website URLs, simply click on Save

One thing to note is that you must have a Google admin account. This is an account that manages Google services or devices for a company, school, or group.

How to Block Websites in Google Chrome on MacOS

If you working on a Mac, there are two ways to block websites in Chrome. The first method is by downloading the block site extension:

  1. In your Chrome browser, install the BlockSite extension and click on Add to Chrome.
  2. Go to the website you want to block.
  3. Click on the Extension icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
  4. Choose the Block this site option.

The second method for how to block URLs on Chrome works without an extension. It works best when you want to prevent certain users from accessing certain websites.

  1. Click on the apple icon at the top left corner of your menu.
  2. Click on System Preferences.
  3. Go to Parental Control.
  4. Click on the User’s account on the left side of the menu
  5. Choose the Enable Parental Controls option.
  6. Select Content.
  7. In the Web Content option, choose Allowed Websites Only.
  8.  Add the sites you want the user to have access to.

Any site that is not added here will be automatically blocked for the user.

How to Block Websites on Chrome Mobile

As with the desktop version of Chrome, the Chrome mobile version does not have an option that allows you to block a website. However, there are multiple applications on Android that will enable you to do this. iOS has the feature built-in.

How to Restrict Websites on Chrome for Android

Similar to how to block a website on laptop Chrome version using the extension, we can use applications from the Play Store to achieve similar results on Android. In this case, we are using the free version Stay Focused. Here’s  how to block pages on Chrome for Android:

A screenshot demonstrating the black sites location in the Stay Focused Android app

Step 1: Tap on the app’s icon to launch it. The app will ask you to allow some permissions to work correctly at the first launch. After granting these options scroll down and click on the Block Sites option under Quick Actions.

A screenshot showing where to type wbsites you want to block on Chrome for Android

Step 2: You can select some famous websites in the list or type a specific website you wish to block. To do so, simply type the website’s address in the textbox.

A screenshot demonstrating the lock icon in the Stay Focused app for android

Step 3: Click on the Lock icon to block the website. The app works system-wide, so the website will be blocked across all the browsers installed on the Android device.

Now when you open the blocked website on your device, a message will show up letting you know the website has been blocked on the browser.

Block a Website on Chrome on iOS With Screen Time

Newer iOS versions can block websites from the privacy settings of the iPhone without the need for a specific application. Here are the steps you need to follow to block a page on Chrome for iOS:

A screenshot showing how to navigate to the menu that blocks sites on Apple devices

Step 1: Open the Settings on your iPhone and click on Screen Time. From this menu screen, click on Content & Privacy Restrictions.

A screenshot that shows where to limit and restrict websites in google Chrome

Step 2: In the Content & Privacy Restrictions menu, click on Content Restrictions. This will open another menu and select Web Content, allowing you to choose the website you wish to block.

A screenshot showing how to add a website to the restriced list in Apple devices

Step 3: In this menu, click on Add Website under Never Allow and type in the URL of the website you wish to block. This works well as it works system-wide and blocks the website in all browsers.

How to Unblock Websites on Google Chrome

Now you know how to permanently block a website on Chrome, but sometimes you may need to unblock a website on Chrome just because you changed your mind about it, or maybe you want to block another website in its place.

No matter the reason, you can unblock a website on Chrome using the following steps:

Desktop

A screenshot showing how to access the settings menu in the block sites Google Chrome add-on

Step 1: Click on the Puzzle piece icon in the top right of the browser window, click on the extension’s name, and click on the Gear icon to open the extension’s settings page.

A screenshot showing how to remove a site from the blocked list

Step 2: In the extension’s settings page, navigate the Blocked Sites list and look for the website you wish to unblock. Simply click on the Trash icon towards the right side of the list to remove the website from the list. In this case, we are freeing up facebook.com.

iOS

To remove a website from the blocked list, follow the steps mentioned above to block the website. However, instead of blocking the website, simply delete the website from the list, and you should be able to access it normally again.

Android

To remove a website from the block list. Head into the app you’re using to block the website and navigate to the blocklist. From there, simply remove the website you wish to unblock from the list, and you should be able to access it like you usually would.

Block Adult Websites With SafeSearch

Turn on Explicit results filter

If you want to block Adult sites and not any one in particular, you can turn on SafeSearch instead. Here’s how:

  1. Head to https://www.Google.com/safesearch
  2. Turn on the Explicit results filter

Using Terminal on MacOS and Editing the Hosts File on Windows

Although it’s much easier using extensions to block a certain website on Chrome, you can also do so by editing the host files in Windows and Mac.

Here’s how to block a website on Google in Windows by editing the host file:

  1. Open your File explorer and go to Local disk C: drive on This PC.
Open your File explorer and go to Local disk C: drive on This PC.
  1. Double-click on the Windows folder.
Double click on the Windows folder.
  1. Open the System32 folder.
Open the System32 folder.
  1. Go to Drivers > etc.
Go to Drivers > etc.
  1. Double-click the hosts file and choose open with Notepad.
Double click the hosts file and choose open with Notepad.
  1. Paste the URL of the website you want to block in front of the domain
  2. Save the file by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + S or going to File > Save.

Here’s how to blacklist websites on Chrome for Mac users using Terminal:

  1. Go to Applications > Utility
  2. Open Terminal.
  3. Enter the following “sudo nano /etc/hosts” then click Enter.
  4. Go to the last line of the file and paste the URL of the websites you wish to block. This is how it should appear 127.0.0.1 website URL.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Best Website Blocker?

The best tool to use to block sites in Chrome is the Blocksite extension. It’s free and simple to use. All you need to do is install it, go to the website you want to restrict access to, open the extension, and choose block this site.

How Do I Password-Protect a Specific Website in Chrome?

The block site extension for Chrome also has a password protection feature, but you need to pay for the subscription, which costs $10.99 per month. Most sites require you to log in with an email address and password, but if you want to block access to the website from other users, then the best way is to block the website itself.

Can I Block a Website in Chrome?

Although Google Chrome doesn’t offer a native option that allows you to block a website, there are several methods you can use to block a website either by using a browser add-on or a Google Admin account. You can also block web pages by going to your router settings and putting in the website’s address in the blocked sites page of your router’s settings.

How Do You Block a Website on Chrome for Free?

The easiest way to block a website is to use a freemium add-on from the Chrome Web Store. Freemium add-ons do most of the functions for free. However, you may need to pay a one-time fee or subscribe to a monthly or yearly subscription to get the most out of it.

How to Block Roblox on Chrome?

To block Roblox on Google Chrome, you need to follow one of the above methods of blocking urls. Usually, it’s best to use an extension that can be set up easily without too much hassle, and you only need to input the URL of the website to block it.

You can also set a schedule in most URL-blocking add-ons to set a specific time when the website can be accessed. This is perfect so your child can still play, but not when they should be studying.

How Does Blocking Websites on Chrome Work?

Blocking a site essentially prevents the page from loading in Chrome. Instead of the page showing up when you search, you will get an error message.

Block Websites, Not Your Learning

Now that you’ve learned how to block websites on Google Chrome, you can save yourself from getting off task and increase your productivity. We have plenty of guides available on Productivity Spot if you’d like to learn more ways to improve your productivity for example, our guide on how to group tabs in Chrome.

Let us know in the comments if you have any questions or have any content you’d like us to cover in our future articles.

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