How To Block Websites On Chrome

Are you a concerned parent or office manager looking to block access to websites on Google Chrome?

As a parent, you may want to protect your kids from sites that contain explicit content or dangerous websites with malware.

For managers, the motivation may be to block websites that can distract employees and hinder productivity.

Whatever your goals may be, there is a solution out there that is perfect for your needs.

In this article, I will show you how to block websites on Chrome on all the major devices and operating systems on the market.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the questions people are asking on Google regarding parental controls and managerial oversight:

What Is Needed To Block Websites On Chrome

Here are the tools you will need to start blocking access to unwanted websites on the devices used by your kids or employees:

• Site Blocker Extension — the BlockSite extension has over one million active users and I highly recommend it. It’s free and it works perfectly on Mac, iOS, Windows, and Andriod devices.
• A Router — parents can use a router for the home network and businesses use it to provide internet connection to the multiple devices used by company staff. You will need the IP address of the device to access the settings and block unwanted websites.

Method 1: Use A Chrome Extension

I will use the BlockSite extension to explain this method and show you how to use the tool on mobile devices and on your desktop.

Mobile Devices

If you are installing BlockSite on an Android phone or tablet, you must download the app from the Play Store and grant app access after the installation process.

Once accessibility access is granted, you will be able to use the extension to block any sites you want.

To block a specific website, access the app and Enable it, then click on the plus icon at the bottom of your screen.

This will take you to another screen where you will see an input field.

There you will type in the URL of the website you want to block or a relevant keyword.

When you see a green checkmark at the top-right side of your screen, click on it to activate the site block.

For IOS devices, you can still use the BlockSite app or opt for a more apple-centric app like Site Blocker.

Alternatively, I will recommend leveraging the parental control tools provided by Apple.

Here is how to do that:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time Link.
2. On the next screen, find and click on the “Content & Privacy Restrictions” link.
3. Next, scroll down to the “Web Content” tab and click on it.
4. Choose from Unrestricted Access, Limit Adult Websites, or Allowed Websites.
5. Then input the URL of the websites you want to block.

Desktop Devices 

On your Chromebook, Windows, or MacBook, you must download BlockSite as an extension.

Once it’s installed on your device, the extension’s shield icon will be added to your toolbar.

To block a specific URL, visit the home page of that website and click on the shield icon.

A prompt will appear asking you to grant app access.

Once that’s done, click on the icon again and tap the Block this site button to activate the site blocker.

You are limited to three blocks in the free version and you must subscribe if you want to block more sites.

You can block multiple sites at once on the app’s dashboard.

Click on the shield and tap on the settings icon at the top-right corner of the drop-down.

This will take you to the app’s user dashboard.

On that page, you can add the URL of the sites you want to block permanently or temporarily by schedule.

Complete the process by tapping the Add item button.

There is a password protection feature available to premium subscribers that lets you gate the blocked sites to prevent your kids and other users from unblocking the sites.

The BlockSite extension also lets you block sites in incognito mode.

Click on settings from the sidebar on the extension’s dashboard, then tap the Enable in Incognito Mode button.

Method 2: Use A Router

You can get the IP address for your router on your MacBook or Windows laptop.

For Windows users, type “CMD” into your search bar and select the Command Prompt app from the search results.

Next, type “ipconfig” into the app and press enter.

On the next screen, you will find the IP address for your router under “Default Getaway.”

Mac users will open System Preferences and scroll down to the Network icon.

 Click on it and then select Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

You will find the IP address for your router on the next screen under the status.

Now, copy and paste the information you got from your Windows or Mac device into your web browser to access the login page for your router.

The login details are usually written on the back of the box of your router.

Log in, and when you access the dashboard, click on the Security button.

You should see the Block Sites page on the next screen.

Choose whether to block a site Always or Per Schedule.

Then enter the domain name of the website you want to block.

Click the Add Keyword button to complete the process.

Method 3: Edit The HOSTS File

This method is perfect for business owners and organizations that want to block access to distracting websites on a large number of devices in the workplace.

I will explain how this works on Windows and macOS.

Windows

Log into your desktop using your administrator account and navigate to C:Windowssystem32driversetc to access the HOSTS file.

Right-click on the file, then open it by selecting Notepad from the pop-up menu of options.

Scroll through the page and add the URL of the website you want to block after the last line on the file.

The code you will add will be 0.0.0.0  domain URL.

For example, to block Facebook, you will add, 0.0.0.0  www.facebook.com

There must be space between your new line of code and the pre-existing last line of code.

Once you are done, click CTRL + S to save the changes.

If you try to access the website again on your Google Chrome browser, you will get the Error Page response.

macOS

You will also log in with your administrator account, and on your main applications folder navigate to /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.

Click on the Terminal icon and type in the Sudo nano /etc/hosts command.

Click Enter.

Input your admin login details when prompted to access the HOSTS file in a text editor.

Here, after the last line of code, you will type in 127.0.0.1 domain URL.

For example, 127.0.0.1 www.apple.com.

Once you are done, press CTRL + O to save your changes and then CTRL + X to exit the screen.

Enter the sudo dscacheutil -flushcache command to remove the old caches and implement the changes, then click Enter to complete the process.

Similar Tutorial Types To Check Out

• How to Block a Website on a Computer: this article will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to block unwanted websites on each of the major web browsers.
• How to Unblock and Download YouTube Content: discover the tools you can use to bypass restrictions that make some YouTube videos unavailable in your region.
• How to Stop Spam Comments in WordPress: this article will show you the danger of spam comments and how to stop them using WordPress settings and plugins.

Wrapping Up

Implementing any of the methods covered above will only take you a few minutes.

If you are using a Google Chrome extension or a router, you have the flexibility to block a website permanently or temporarily per schedule.

You have less flexibility if you are using the HOSTS file,  you must also carefully follow the steps I described in the section to avoid making mistakes that could create technical problems on your device.