Chrome has no built-in block list for a normal profile, so to block a website on Chrome you add a site-blocking extension from the Chrome Web Store. For a child, use Google Family Link, which lets a parent block specific sites in Chrome and turns off Incognito. On a work device, IT can block sites centrally.
Whether you want to stop a child reaching certain sites, or stop yourself losing an afternoon to a news site or social feed, Chrome can do it, just not from a single setting. The right method depends on who you're blocking. Here are the three that work, and the limits of each, so you don't set up a block that's easy to step around.
Pick the right method
| Who you're blocking | Best method | Hard to bypass? |
|---|---|---|
| Yourself, for focus | A site-blocking extension | No, by design |
| A child | Google Family Link | Yes, controlled from the parent's account |
| Staff on work devices | Chrome management by IT | Yes |
Block a website for yourself with an extension
- Open the Chrome Web Store and search for a website blocker.
- Check the reviews, the number of users and what data it asks to access before you add it.
- Click Add to Chrome and approve the permissions.
- Open the extension from the puzzle-piece icon and add the sites you want blocked.
- Many blockers let you set schedules, such as weekdays from nine to five.
Extensions are the only way to block sites in a normal Chrome profile. Many have a basic version at no charge, with extras like schedules or passwords in higher tiers. Because website blockers can read the pages you visit, stick to well-known ones and avoid any that ask for far more access than they need.
Block websites for a child with Family Link
If the person using Chrome is a child with a Google Account managed by Family Link, you get controls that a child can't simply switch off. Google says Family Link works in Chrome on Android, Chromebooks, iPhone and iPad, and Windows, Mac and Linux computers. A parent can:
- Choose a content filter, including Try to block explicit sites.
- Block specific sites, or allow only the sites you list.
- Approve or deny your child's requests to visit a blocked site.
- Block sites from asking for the camera, microphone or location.
Google also turns off Incognito for a Family Link account, which closes the most obvious way around the rules. Set it up from the Family Link app on your phone: choose your child, then Controls, Content restrictions, Google Chrome, and add sites under Manage sites.
Block sites on Chrome for Android
Chrome on an Android phone doesn't support extensions, so for your own phone the options are Digital Wellbeing's app timers, which limit Chrome as a whole, or a blocker app from the Play Store. For a child's phone, Family Link is the tool, and its site blocks apply in Chrome and some other Android apps.
Block sites across a whole network
If you want a block that covers every browser and every device at home, set it on your router or use a family-filtering DNS service. Many home routers have a parental controls page where you can list blocked domains. It's more fiddly, but it means switching to another browser doesn't get round it.
The limits of any block
- An extension only works in that Chrome profile. Another browser, another profile or Guest mode skips it.
- Anyone with access to Chrome's extension page can remove or switch off an extension.
- A child can try another browser or device that isn't covered, so check every device they use.
- Blocking a site's main address may not block its app or a different version of the address.
Work and school computers
On a managed Chrome browser or Chromebook, administrators can block lists of sites for everyone through Chrome's management tools. If you run a small business and want this, it's done from the Google Admin console rather than on each computer, and staff can't change it. On a personal device, an extension is far simpler.
Unblocking a site later
With an extension, open its settings and delete the site from the list, or switch the extension off. In Family Link, go back to Manage sites and remove the site from the blocked list, or approve your child's request when it arrives. Router blocks are removed from the same parental controls page you used to add them, and the change can take a few minutes to reach every device.
If you're tightening up browser privacy at the same time, my review of whether NordVPN is safe explains what a VPN can and can't block, which is often less than people expect.
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My verdict
For your own focus, a reputable blocker extension is quick and does the job, as long as you accept you can switch it off. For a child, use Family Link rather than an extension, because it's controlled from your account, it works across their devices and it turns off Incognito. And for a block nobody can sidestep by changing browser, set it on your router. For safer browsing in general, see my take on Brave.
Frequently asked questions
Can you block a website on Chrome without an extension?
Not in a normal profile. For children, Family Link blocks sites without an extension.
How do I block a website on Chrome for my child?
Use Google Family Link and add the site under Manage sites for Chrome.
Can I block websites on Chrome on Android?
Chrome on Android has no extensions, so use Family Link or a blocker app.
Does Family Link block Incognito?
Yes. Incognito mode is turned off for a child signed in with a Family Link account.
Can a blocked site be reached in another browser?
Yes, unless you block it on your router or with parental controls for the whole device.
How do I unblock a site in Chrome?
Remove it from your blocker extension's list, or from Manage sites in Family Link.
