How to Block Websites on Chrome

Web browsers allow all the websites unless there is a restriction from the government. It is an important access to all websites.

 However, often the vice versa is required too. Sometimes users need to block websites for specific reasons such as malware attacks, explicit content, etc.

In this article, readers will learn the top methods in Google Chrome to block websites. The three methods include using a proxy server, browser extension, and by using their router.

DNS service including home service and device setting is the most effective option.

Installing a Chrome extension is the quickest option.

A little difficult but fairly helpful option is to manually build a website blocklist using a network router.

Block Sites using Chrome Extension

Several ways are there to block particular websites such as editing the host file, installing web filters, etc. The problem is these methods work from the devices and block websites on all installed browsers including Chrome. The alternate and better solution are to install “BlockSite”- a powerful Chrome extension. It lets users configure chosen sites to prevent them from accessing.

Steps to Use the Extension

1. Click on “three dots menu” on Google Chrome and find “extensions” under the “more tools” menu. Tap the “three lines menu” and users will find “open Chrome web store option“. Write BlockSite in the search box and install it. After installing users will find a webpage where it will ask for permission to access more browsing information. Click on “I Accept”.

There are both free and paid versions available. Paid plans offer better security features and the authority to block more than six websites. One can select the “Skip” button to avoid this.

2. Now users will be redirected to the “BlockSite” configuration page. Here one will find a box. Type full website address in the box users want to block. There is a green and white plus (+) icon to add up to six websites. 

3. If a person wants specific schedules to block sites then one has to select the “schedule” button at top of the page. Enter the date and time to enable blocking as desired. Click on “Set Schedule” when once the person is confirmed.

Every schedule is set for a particular period. It is important to limit breaks and be consistent on track. In this scenario, users can select “Work Mode” from the menu to make this happen. It does not let users visit blocked sites forever.

4. Often some words on websites cause a disturbance. There is an option to block websites using keywords. This is helpful if anyone wants to avoid shopping websites and adult sites. Select “Block by Words” from the left menu. Type the words in the box and click on the “green and white plus” button to add more fields.

We often indulge in wasting time by visiting websites that steal our precious time. BlockSite helps to limit time by preventing access to certain websites. It is also helpful in parental control. Moreover, users can set a password to increase security.

However, one cannot prevent someone from accessing those ‘blocked’ sites on different browsers or different devices. If one does not want to block sites entirely rather prefers a time limit, “StayFocused” plugin is a better alternate choice.

Filter sites using OpenDNS

A quirky way to refrain any person from using computer and block sites lies in the network setting. The free “OpenDNS Home” service lets users block chosen websites from the network. The fascinating feature is it stops accessing certain sites on all browsers.

Here are the methods to use it.

1. First, users have to create an account, and it’s free. Go to OpenDNS and sign up filling up the necessary fields. After clicking on “Get a Free Account” users will get a confirmation email.

2. Go to the mailbox and click on the provided link. It will redirect users to the OpenDNS page. Here select “Add a network” to process further.

3. This site automatically detects the IP address of the currently using computer. One can add one IP address or select multiple IP addresses from the drop-down list. Click on “Add This Network” to continue.

4. Set a suitable name to OpenDNS that will be easy to remember. But before that confirm whether it’s a static IP address or a dynamic one. Click on “Done”.

5. Now install “OpenDNS updater” for Mac or Windows. It will update the computer’s DNS setting. Moreover, it will keep updating even dynamic IP addresses continuously changing. Users have to launch it and log in with the same account details used for signing up previously.

6. Move to the “OpenDNS dashboard“. Here one can select common filtering levels to filter out all social networking sites, explicit content sites, and more. Users need to select it from the “Web Content Filtering Menu“. One can customize and personalize the list using “Manage individual domains“. Type the domain name in the box and select “Add Domain” to add more.

Once the user has finalized everything, close and open Chrome again to ensure the new DNS setting is working properly on the internet connection.

Block Sites using a Router

The home router maintains all ingoing and outgoing internet traffic. One can filter websites using domain or specific keywords.

To use this, follow the mentioned steps.

1. First of all, log in to the router page as an administrator to configure the router.

2. Here the user will find the “parental control menu” or security menu. Seek a menu that blocks sites or equivalent to it. A form should appear where one can enter domain names or keywords. Use either of them to block desired websites.

3. Once the setting is complete, close the tab and visit those blocked websites. Users will notice the sites are not loading, instead shows an error message.

Block Websites for an Organization

Corporations use Chrome Enterprise of Google to control what websites employees can access. Google assists IT companies in helping to enable the “URL blacklist”. However, the feature is available only for IT firms and not for home users.