How to block websites on Chrome

By ScrollSentry · Published August 29, 2026 · 6 minute read

Chrome does not include a general purpose website block list for a standard personal profile. The right method depends on who controls the rule and where it must apply. Personal browsing rules, supervised accounts, home networks, and managed organizations each require a different level of control.

Method 1: Use a Chrome website blocker

A browser extension is usually the best fit for a personal Chrome setup. It can block individual domains without changing the connection for everyone else on the network. Extensions can also add a delay, scroll interruption, or deliberate bypass that router and operating system filters do not usually provide.

1. Choose where the rule should appear. Use a direct block to control entry, a bypass delay to postpone an override, or a scroll checkpoint to present a choice after extended page movement.
2. Add the domain carefully. Adding reddit.com, for example, may cover the main site while a service on another domain remains available. Check how the extension treats www, subdomains, and regional variants rather than assuming every URL is equivalent.
3. Choose how strict the rule should be. Easy Mode provides a bypass button after the configured delay. Hard Mode keeps the block active without a bypass button on the page.
4. Test the rule and the override. Open the site in a new tab, confirm that the blocking page appears, and verify that the bypass behaves exactly as expected.

Method 2: Use device or family controls

Family and operating system controls are a better choice when one person should not be able to change the rule alone. Google Family Link can allow all sites except selected blocks, attempt to filter explicit sites, or allow only approved sites for a supervised child. Google also notes that a specific hostname and an entire domain can behave differently, so test the exact sites you intend to control. See Google’s instructions for Chrome and a child’s Google Account.

This approach is designed for supervision rather than personal focus. It may cover more of the device, but it offers less flexibility for a useful site that sometimes becomes distracting.

Method 3: Block a domain on your router

Some routers provide website filters or custom DNS settings. A router rule can cover phones, computers, and smart devices on the same network. This works well when the boundary should apply to a household instead of one browser profile.

Router rules have clear limits. They do not usually follow a device onto mobile data or another wireless network. Encrypted traffic and traffic from apps may not behave as expected. Router blocking is also a poor fit when one person still needs the domain for work.

Method 4: Use managed Chrome policies

Schools and workplaces can use Chrome Enterprise policies to allow or block URL patterns on managed browsers and ChromeOS devices. Administrators can block selected URLs while leaving the rest of the web available, or permit only approved destinations. Google recommends a stronger content filtering proxy or extension when basic URL lists are not sufficient. See the official Chrome Enterprise URL blocking guidance.

This requires administrator control and is not intended as the everyday solution for a personal Chrome profile.

Which blocking method should you choose?

• Personal focus in Chrome: use a Chrome extension.
• A supervised child account: use family controls.
• Several devices on one home network: consider router or DNS filtering.
• Company or school devices: use managed Chrome policies.
• A site that is sometimes useful: choose a blocker with a deliberate bypass instead of a permanent block.

How to make a website block harder to bypass

A block can include additional steps before it is changed or bypassed. Choose the control based on the required behavior:

• Delay the override: configure a wait before the bypass button becomes available.
• Protect settings: require a password before important settings can be changed.
• Preserve the block list entry: use a temporary exception for one domain instead of removing it.
• Add a checkpoint within the page: offer a choice between closing the tab and continuing after extended scrolling, or display the continued page in grayscale.

A settings password adds an extra step, but it cannot make a browser extension impossible to remove. Use supervised account controls or administrator policies when another person must control the restriction. ScrollSentry provides browser rules set by the user. It is not a parental control or enterprise enforcement product.

If the main problem is an endless feed rather than opening the domain, continue with the practical plan to stop doomscrolling. If social media remains useful for work or relationships, use the narrower system in how to limit social media time without quitting.

Sources and editorial note

This guide distinguishes personal Chrome extensions from supervised and managed controls. Product interfaces and administrator options can change, so verify policies used across an organization against Google’s current documentation before deployment. This page provides general information about browser configuration and ScrollSentry features. It does not provide medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. ScrollSentry is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent any medical or mental health condition. No health outcome is promised.

• Google for Families, Chrome and your child’s Google Account.
• Google Chrome Enterprise, Allow or block access to websites.