Last updated: August 2026
There are four practical ways to block a website on Chrome. Here's each one, how long it takes, and which one to use depending on whether you want a permanent block or a temporary one.
🛡️ Add to Chrome — Free| Method | Setup Time | Auto-Unblock | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome extension (e.g. FocusGuard) | ~10 seconds | ✓ Timer-based | Temporary blocks during work/study sessions |
| Hosts file edit | 5-10 minutes | ✗ Manual revert | System-wide, permanent blocking |
| Chrome Family Link | 10-15 minutes | ✗ Manual removal | Parents managing a child's account |
| Router-level blocking | 15-30 minutes | ✗ Manual removal | Blocking a site for every device on a network |
Visit the Chrome Web Store and click "Add to Chrome." Free plan includes full website blocking — no credit card required.
Click the FocusGuard icon in your toolbar, then "Add Site."
Type the domain (e.g. reddit.com) and confirm.
Set your timer anywhere from 5 minutes to 8 hours. Click "Start Session." The site is now inaccessible until your session ends.
When your session ends, the site becomes accessible again with no manual steps — no hosts file to revert, no settings to undo.
Editing your device's hosts file to redirect a domain to
127.0.0.1 blocks it system-wide, across every browser.
It's free but requires admin access, manual editing, and a manual
revert to unblock — there's no built-in timer or auto-unblock.
Google's Family Link lets a parent account restrict sites on a child's Chrome profile. It's built for parental control rather than self-imposed focus sessions, and changes require the parent account to make them.
Blocking a domain at the router level (via DNS or firewall rules) blocks it for every device on that network. Useful for shared households, but overkill for blocking a site just for yourself during work hours, and it affects everyone on the network.
A free Chrome extension like FocusGuard is the easiest method — install it, add the site to your block list, and start a focus session. No system settings or file editing required.
Yes, by editing your hosts file or using Chrome's Family Link parental controls. Both require more setup and don't support timer-based auto-unblocking.
No. A Chrome extension only blocks sites within that Chrome browser installation. You'd need a separate mobile blocking app for phone-level blocking.
Yes. FocusGuard uses timer-based sessions — set a duration from 5 minutes to 8 hours, and the site automatically unblocks when the timer ends.
Free Chrome extension, timer-based sessions, automatic unblocking.
🛡️ Install FocusGuard Free