How to Block Any Website on Your Computer

Preventing access to certain websites on your computer can be crucial, especially if you’re trying to shield your kids or yourself from distracting or harmful content. While browser extensions may seem like a quick fix, they only block sites for specific browsers. To ensure comprehensive protection across all browsers, follow this guide to block websites on your Chromebook, Mac, or Windows 10/11 computer effectively.

4 Easy Ways to Block Any Website on Your Computer

By following these detailed methods, you can effectively block any website on your computer across different browsers.

Method 1: Blocking Websites on Windows

Step 1: Access Notepad as an Administrator

1. Open Start Menu: Click the Windows logo located at the bottom-left corner of your screen.
   • This method is compatible with both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
2. Search for Notepad: Type notepad in the search bar. This action will locate the Notepad app on your computer.
3. Open Notepad in Administrator Mode:
   • Right-click on the Notepad application at the top of the search results.
   • Select Run as administrator from the drop-down menu.
   • Click Yes when prompted to confirm. The Notepad window will open in administrator mode.

Step 2: Open the Hosts File

4. Open File Menu: Click on File located at the top-left corner of the Notepad window. This will open a drop-down menu.
5. Click Open: Select the Open... option near the top of the File drop-down menu to open a File Explorer window.
6. Navigate to the etc Folder:
   • Click This PC on the left side of the File Explorer.
   • Scroll down and double-click your hard drive (typically labeled OS (C:)).
   • Double-click the Windows folder, followed by System32, then drivers, and finally the etc folder.
7. Change File Type:
   • Click the Text Documents (*.txt) box on the lower-right side of the window.
   • Select All Files from the drop-down menu to display all files in the etc folder.

Step 3: Modify the Hosts File

8. Remove Security from Hosts File:
   • Right-click the hosts file.
   • Select Properties from the drop-down menu.
   • Navigate to the Security tab and click Edit.
   • Check the Full Control box, click OK, then confirm by clicking Yes.
9. Open the Hosts File:
   • Select the hosts file and click Open. The file will now open in Notepad.
10. Add Websites to Block List:
    • Scroll to the bottom of the document and click to place the cursor at the end of the last line.
    • Press Enter to create a new line.
    • Type 127.0.0.1 and press Tab. Then, type the website’s address without the “www” prefix (e.g., facebook.com).
    • Press Enter and repeat for any additional websites you wish to block.
11. Block Google Chrome Sites:
    • For Chrome, after adding the site without “www,” also include the “www” version (e.g., 127.0.0.1 facebook.com www.facebook.com).
    • Adding the full URL (e.g., 127.0.0.1 facebook.com https://www.facebook.com) can enhance blocking effectiveness.
12. Block Alternative Versions:
    • Block the site’s IP address and mobile version by including their specific formats (e.g., m.facebook.com).

Step 4: Save Changes and Apply

13. Save the Hosts File:
    • Click File and select Save As....
    • Change Save as type to All Files.
    • Select the hosts file and save it, confirming overwrite if prompted.
14. Flush DNS Cache:
    • Open Command Prompt by typing cmd in the Start Menu search bar.
    • Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
    • Type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.
15. Restart Browsers: Close and reopen any browser windows. If the websites remain accessible, restart your computer to finalize changes.

Method 2: Blocking Websites on Mac

Step 1: Access Terminal

1. Open Spotlight Search: Click the magnifying glass icon in the upper-right corner of your screen.
2. Search for Terminal: Type terminal in the search box.
3. Open Terminal: Double-click Terminal in the search results to open it.

Step 2: Open the Hosts File

4. Open Hosts File with Nano Editor:
   • Type sudo nano /etc/hosts and press Return.
   • Enter your Mac’s password when prompted. Note: Terminal will not display your password characters as you type.
5. Navigate to the Bottom of the Hosts File:
   • Use the down arrow key to move the blinking cursor to the end of the text.
   • Press Return to create a new line.

Step 3: Add Websites to Block List

6. Block Websites:
   • Type 127.0.0.1 followed by a tab space and the website’s address without “www” (e.g., facebook.com).
   • Press Return and repeat for additional websites.
7. Block Google Chrome Sites:
   • Include the “www” version (e.g., 127.0.0.1 facebook.com www.facebook.com).
   • Add the full URL for increased effectiveness (e.g., 127.0.0.1 facebook.com https://www.facebook.com).
8. Block Alternative Versions:
   • Block the IP address and mobile versions by including specific formats (e.g., m.facebook.com).

Step 4: Save Changes and Apply

9. Save and Exit Nano Editor:
   • Press Control + O to save the changes, then press Return.
   • Press Control + X to exit the editor.
10. Flush DNS Cache:
    • Type sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder and press Return.
11. Restart Browsers: Close and reopen any browser windows. If necessary, restart your computer to ensure the changes take effect.

Method 3: Using Chromebook & Google Chrome

Blocking websites on a Chromebook or through Google Chrome can be effectively managed with the use of the Block Site extension. This method allows you to restrict access to specific sites or entire domains and set a password to ensure that other users cannot change the block settings.

Step 1: Install Block Site Extension

1. Open the Block Site Page: Start by navigating to the Block Site extension page on the Chrome Web Store. This is where you will download and install the extension.
   • Block Site is a versatile tool that lets you block individual web pages or entire websites and set a password to prevent unauthorized changes.
2. Add to Chrome: Click the blue ADD TO CHROME button located on the upper-right side of the Block Site page.
3. Confirm Installation: When prompted, click Add extension. This will trigger the installation of Block Site on your Chrome browser.

Step 2: Configure Block Site

4. Access Block Site Settings:
   • After installation, click the Block Site icon, which appears as a shield-shaped icon in the upper-right side of the Chrome browser. A drop-down menu will appear.
   • From the drop-down menu, click Edit block sites list to open the Block Site configuration page.
   • Alternatively, you can click the gear-shaped icon at the top-right corner of the drop-down menu to open the Block Site settings.
5. Add Websites to Block:
   • In the Block Site settings, locate the Enter a web address text box near the top of the page.
   • Type the URL of the website you want to block. For blocking a specific page, visit the page and copy the address from the address bar using Ctrl+C (Windows) or ⌘ Command+C (Mac).
   • Click the ＋ button next to the text field to add the website to your block list.
   • You can remove any blocked site at any time by clicking the red circle icon next to the URL in the blocked sites list.

Step 3: Secure Block Site with a Password

6. Enable Password Protection:
   • On the left side of the Block Site page, click the Password Protection tab.
   • Check the box next to Require a password to access Block Site menu. This will activate a password text box at the bottom of the page.
   • You may also check the Enable password access to blocked pages box if you want to allow temporary access to blocked sites with your password.
7. Set Your Password:
   • Scroll down to the password text box and enter a strong password with at least 5 characters.
   • Click the Set Password button to apply your password settings.
   • In the future, you will need to enter your password to make changes to the Block Site settings or to unblock sites.
   • If you forget your password, you can remove the Block Site extension by right-clicking the Block Site icon and selecting Remove from Chrome.

Step 4: Enable Block Site in Incognito Mode

8. Allow Block Site in Incognito Mode:
   • Click the ⋮ menu (three vertical dots) in the upper-right corner of Chrome.
   • Select More tools and then Extensions.
   • Find the Block Site extension and click DETAILS.
   • Toggle the Allow in incognito switch to ensure Block Site functions even in incognito mode, preventing users from bypassing the block.

Method 4: Using Firefox

Firefox users can also benefit from the Block Site extension to restrict access to unwanted websites. Here’s how to set it up:

Step 1: Install Block Site Extension

1. Open Firefox: Launch the Firefox browser on your computer.
2. Navigate to Block Site Webpage: Go to the Block Site extension page for Firefox. This is where you’ll download and install the extension.
3. Add to Firefox: Click the + Add to Firefox button in the middle of the page. You may need to scroll down to locate it.
4. Confirm Installation: When prompted, click Add. This will install Block Site in your Firefox browser.

Step 2: Configure Block Site

5. Access Block Site Settings:
   • Click the Block Site app icon, which is an orange, shield-shaped icon in the upper-right side of the Firefox window. A drop-down menu will appear.
   • If needed, click Got it to proceed.
6. Edit Block Sites List:
   • In the drop-down menu, click Edit block sites list to open the Block Site configuration page.
   • Alternatively, click the gear-shaped icon at the top-right corner of the drop-down menu to access the settings.
7. Add Websites to Block:
   • Enter the URL of the website you wish to block in the Enter a web address text box near the top of the page.
   • For blocking specific pages, visit the page and copy the address using Ctrl+C (Windows) or ⌘ Command+C (Mac).
   • Click the ＋ button to add the website to your block list.
   • To remove a site from the blacklist, click the red circle icon next to the URL in the blocked sites list.

Step 3: Secure Block Site with a Password

8. Enable Password Protection:
   • Navigate to the Password Protection tab on the left side of the Block Site settings page.
   • Ensure the Require a password to access Block Site menu box is checked. This will reveal a password text box at the bottom of the page.
   • If you want to allow temporary access to blocked sites with your password, check the Enable password access to blocked pages box.
9. Set Your Password:
   • Scroll to the password text box and enter a secure password with at least 5 characters.
   • Click the Set Password button to apply your password settings.
   • You will need to enter this password to add or remove sites in the future.
   • If you forget your password, you can remove the Block Site extension by clicking ☰ (three horizontal lines), selecting Add-ons, and clicking Remove next to Block Site on the Extensions page.

By following these detailed steps, you can effectively block unwanted websites on your Chromebook or through Google Chrome and Firefox browsers. Setting up password protection ensures that only you can modify the block settings, providing robust control over web access.