How to Block Websites on Chrome
Learn how to block websites on Chrome using a free extension. Set up site blocking in minutes and take back control of your browsing time.
Research from the University of California found that the average screen attention span has dropped to just 47 seconds. If you have ever opened a new tab to check one quick thing and lost 30 minutes to scrolling, you already know how quickly a small distraction turns into a big one.
Chrome is the most popular browser in the world, but it does not come with a built-in website blocker. A free extension fixes that in about two minutes. You pick the sites you want off-limits, and Chrome will stop you from visiting them.
This guide walks through the fastest way to block distracting websites on Chrome. We will also cover how to close the Incognito loophole so the blocks actually stick.
Open the Chrome Web Store
Launch Chrome and go to the Chrome Web Store. Type BlockSite into the search bar at the top and press Enter. BlockSite is one of the more widely used website blockers, and it is free for basic blocking. You will see several results. Look for the one with the orange shield icon.
Install the extension
Click on BlockSite in the search results to open its listing page. Click the blue Add to Chrome button in the top right corner. A pop-up will ask you to confirm the permissions the extension needs. Click Add extension. Chrome will download and install it automatically. You will see a small notification in the top right confirming the extension has been added.
Good to know: BlockSite is not the only option. StayFocusd and LeechBlock are solid alternatives. StayFocusd is great for setting daily time limits on sites rather than blocking them entirely.
Pin the extension to your toolbar
Click the puzzle piece icon in the top right corner of Chrome. This opens the extensions menu. Find BlockSite in the list and click the pin icon next to it. The BlockSite icon will now appear permanently in your toolbar, making it easy to access whenever you want to block a new site.
Add websites to your block list
There are two ways to block a site. The quickest way is to visit the website you want to block, click the BlockSite icon in your toolbar, and click Block this site. The page will immediately redirect to a block screen. The other way is to click the BlockSite icon, select Edit block list, type or paste the URL of the site you want to block, and click the plus button to add it. You can add multiple sites this way.
Good to know: Block the root domain (like reddit.com) rather than specific pages. This way Chrome blocks every page on that site, not just the one you entered.
Enable the extension in Incognito mode
Without this, everything above it comes undone. By default, Chrome extensions do not run in Incognito mode. That means you can open an Incognito window and visit every site on your block list without any restrictions. To close this gap, type chrome://extensions in the address bar and press Enter. Find BlockSite in the list and click Details. Scroll down and toggle on Allow in Incognito. Now the extension will enforce your block list in Incognito windows too.
Heads up: If you skip this step, anyone (including you during a moment of weakness) can bypass every block by opening an Incognito window. This single toggle makes the difference between a blocker that works and one that does not.
Once you have added your problem sites to the block list and enabled the extension in Incognito mode, Chrome will keep you away from them every time you try to visit. Taking the option to "just quickly check" off the table is what does the work, not willpower. If you want a more permanent solution that works across all browsers on your computer, consider editing your hosts file. It is a system-level approach that does not rely on any extension and cannot be bypassed with Incognito mode. The downside is that it requires administrator access and is slightly more involved to undo. For parents looking to restrict browsing for children, Google Family Link offers purpose-built parental controls that work on Android and Chromebook. It automatically disables Incognito mode for the child's account, which removes the biggest loophole in extension-based blocking.
Questions we get asked about this
Answers from experience, not a textbook.
No. Chrome does not include a native website blocker for individual users. The site settings in Chrome manage permissions like camera access, location sharing, and notifications. They do not let you block yourself from visiting specific sites. The only built-in blocking is available through Chrome Enterprise policies, which IT administrators use to restrict access across managed devices. For personal use, you need an extension or a system-level workaround like editing the hosts file.
Yes, by default. Chrome extensions do not run in Incognito mode unless you explicitly enable them. That means opening an Incognito window bypasses your entire block list. To fix this, go to chrome://extensions, find your blocking extension, click Details, and toggle Allow in Incognito. System-level blocks like the hosts file or router settings are not affected by Incognito mode and will block sites regardless.
Chrome on Android and iOS does not support browser extensions. On Android, you can use Google Family Link to block specific websites for a child's account, or download a standalone app like BlockSite from the Google Play Store. On iPhone, the most reliable method is to use Screen Time in your iOS Settings. Go to Settings, then Screen Time, then Content and Privacy Restrictions, then Web Content, then Limit Adult Websites. From there you can add specific sites to the Never Allow list.
Yes. The hosts file is a system-level file that maps domain names to IP addresses. When you add a line like 127.0.0.1 followed by a domain name, your computer redirects all traffic for that domain to your own machine instead. This works in every browser on your computer and cannot be bypassed with Incognito mode or private browsing. On Windows, the file is at C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. On Mac, it is at /etc/hosts. You will need administrator access to edit it.
Yes, if you use an extension that supports scheduling. BlockSite includes a schedule feature that lets you set time ranges when sites are blocked. StayFocusd takes a different approach and gives you a daily time allowance for specific sites. Once you use up your allowed time, those sites are blocked for the rest of the day. LeechBlock is another option that offers detailed scheduling with separate block sets for different times and days of the week.