Key Takeaways
- Chrome has no built-in site-blocking. Every method here uses either an extension, Google’s tools, or a platform-level control. There’s no toggle to flip in Chrome Settings.
- For desktop, a free extension is the standard fix. BlockSite or StayFocusd from the Chrome Web Store installs in under a minute and adds sites to a block list in seconds.
- Chrome mobile doesn’t support extensions. On Android, use the BlockSite app, Google Family Link, or DNS filtering. On iPhone, the block has to come from iOS Screen Time.
- Anyone with browser access can disable an extension. For a child or another user, pair the extension with Family Link, DNS, or Screen Time so the block can’t be turned off in two clicks.
You want to block YouTube during work hours, Facebook on your kid’s Chromebook, or a list of specific sites on the family laptop. You open Chrome’s settings looking for the block-this-site toggle and find nothing. There isn’t one.
This article covers how to block websites on Chrome in five practical ways. Chrome itself has no native site-blocking feature; every method here uses either an extension, a Google tool, or a platform-level control. The five methods: a free extension on desktop, Google’s SafeSearch for adult content, the mobile paths on Android and iPhone, and Google Family Link for parents managing a child’s account. The first works for most readers. The other four cover specific situations. Setting up iPhone parental controls is the iOS equivalent. This article is the Chrome equivalent.
Why Block Websites on Chrome?
Blocking websites on Chrome serves three main purposes: protecting kids from adult or harmful content, helping adults stay focused during work, and reducing accidental visits to phishing or malware sites. Chrome doesn’t ship with these controls. The methods below add them.
Protecting kids on a Chromebook or family laptop. Many households have a shared computer that kids also use. Methods 1 and 5 below address this directly, depending on whether you want a quick block or a managed child account.
Productivity for adults. The Reddit thread that ranks position 4 for this keyword on r/chrome is full of adults asking how to block social media or YouTube during focused work. The same extensions work for both kid-blocking and self-blocking.
Safety from malicious sites. Chrome’s Safe Browsing catches the obvious threats, but a manual block list adds a layer for sites that haven’t been flagged yet, or that you’ve personally identified as bad.
5 Ways to Block Websites on Chrome
Five ways to block websites on Chrome, depending on your device and what you’re trying to block. Method 1 covers most desktop users. The next four are for specific situations: blocking adult content, Chrome on Android, Chrome on iPhone, and parental controls for a child’s account. Jump to the method that matches your setup.
Method 1: Block Websites in Chrome with a Free Extension
The simplest way to block websites in Chrome is a free extension from the Chrome Web Store. BlockSite is widely used; StayFocusd is the productivity-focused alternative; Block Site by Webrouge is a no-ads option. All three install in under a minute and let you add specific URLs to a block list.
This is the default desktop answer. About 80% of readers will solve their problem here.
Steps for BlockSite:
1. Open the Chrome Web Store and search for BlockSite, or go directly to the BlockSite listing.
2. Click Add to Chrome, then Add Extension on the confirmation popup.
3. Click the BlockSite icon in the Chrome toolbar (puzzle-piece icon if it’s hidden in the overflow menu).
4. Click the green plus sign, enter the URL of a site to block, and click the green checkmark.
BlockSite’s free tier covers most use cases. StayFocusd is a better fit for time-based limits (block YouTube between 9am and 5pm, for example) rather than full blocks. Block Site by Webrouge is the cleanest option if you find ads in the free BlockSite tier annoying.
Anyone with browser access can disable an extension in two clicks. If you’re blocking sites for a child or another user, pair the extension with Method 5 (Family Link) or a system-level block (Method 3 for Android, Method 4 for iPhone).
Method 2: Block Adult Websites on Chrome with SafeSearch
Google’s SafeSearch filter blocks adult content from search results in Chrome on every platform. It doesn’t block typed URLs, but it stops adult content from showing up when someone searches. Combined with an extension or system-level block, it covers most of the adult-content use case.
SafeSearch is Google’s content filter, not a site blocker. It removes adult results from Google searches, but it doesn’t prevent someone from typing a URL directly into the address bar. Use it as a layer, not as a complete solution.
1. Open Chrome and go to google.com/preferences.
2. Under SafeSearch, choose Filter (blocks explicit images, videos, and links) or Blur (blurs explicit images but allows results).
3. Sign in to a Google account to make the setting stick across devices.
SafeSearch can be locked for child accounts through Google Family Link, which means a child can’t turn it off without parent approval. Method 5 covers that setup.
Method 3: Block Websites on Chrome Mobile (Android)
Chrome on Android doesn’t support browser extensions, so the desktop method (Method 1) doesn’t work. The options are: install the BlockSite Android app, use Google Family Link if the device is a child’s, or block at the network level via DNS or your router.
Chrome mobile is a different system from Chrome desktop. Extensions don’t run. Three ways to block sites instead:
- BlockSite Android app. Install from the Google Play Store, grant accessibility permission, add URLs to the block list. The app intercepts Chrome (and other browsers) and shows a blocked page when the URL loads.
- Google Family Link. The right answer for a child’s Android phone. Set up from the parent’s device. Method 5 below covers the steps.
- DNS-level filtering. Free services like CleanBrowsing Family or NextDNS block sites for any browser on the device. Set the DNS in Settings → Network & Internet → Private DNS. This works without installing any apps.
For a deeper Android-specific reference that covers more than just Chrome, see block inappropriate websites on Android.
Method 4: Block Websites on Chrome on iPhone
Chrome on iPhone uses Apple’s WebKit engine because Apple requires it. Chrome itself can’t enforce blocks, but Screen Time can. Screen Time’s Web Content restrictions apply to Chrome on iOS the same way they apply to Safari, with some inconsistency in how strictly they hold.
Every browser on iPhone (including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Brave) is technically running Apple’s WebKit engine under the hood. This is why iOS-level controls work across browsers. The block has to come from iOS, not from Chrome.
1. Open Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn it on.
2. Tap Content Restrictions → Web Content.
3. Select Limit Adult Websites (automatic blocklist) or use the Never Allow list for specific URLs.
4. Set a Screen Time passcode different from your phone unlock.
For the full Screen Time walkthrough across all browsers, including the App Limits trick for forcing a child onto Safari, see block websites on iPhone with Screen Time.
One quirk: Screen Time’s web blocks work reliably in Safari but sometimes leak through in Chrome on iOS. The more reliable iOS fix is to block the Chrome app itself via App Limits, which forces the child onto Safari where the blocks behave consistently.
Method 5: Block Websites on Chrome for a Child with Google Family Link
Google Family Link lets a parent block specific websites on a child’s Chrome (desktop and Android) by managing the child’s Google account. Once Family Link is active, the parent adds URLs to a block list from their own phone, and Chrome enforces the block on the child’s device.
This is the parent-managing-child’s-device method. Most aligned for parents whose kids have their own Google accounts.
Prerequisites: the child must have their own Google account (created through Family Link if they’re under 13), and the child’s device must be set up with that account signed in.
1. Install the Family Link app on the parent’s phone if not already done.
2. In Family Link, tap the child’s profile → Controls → Content Restrictions on Chrome.
3. Choose Allow All Sites, Try to Block Mature Sites, or Only Allow Approved Sites.
4. To block specific URLs, tap Manage Sites → Blocked → Add a Website.
Family Link is Google’s equivalent to Apple’s Family Sharing. For the Apple ecosystem version of the parent setup, see kid-proof an iPhone or iPad.
Family Link’s blocks work across Chrome on every device the child signs into (desktop, Android, and with some limits on iOS). This is the only method in this article that’s truly cross-device for a single user.
Common Mistakes When Blocking Websites on Chrome
Three things commonly trip people up when trying to make these blocks stick.
- Trusting only the Chrome extension. Anyone with browser access can disable an extension in two clicks. Pair the extension with Family Link, DNS-level filtering, or Screen Time depending on platform. Our 12 ways kids bypass Screen Time post covers the workarounds children actually use.
- Forgetting that Chrome isn’t the only browser. A child blocked from a site in Chrome can install Firefox, Edge, or Brave and try again. Extend the block to the system level with DNS or router controls, or restrict app installs through Family Link or Screen Time.
- Adding only the main URL. Many sites have separate mobile subdomains (m.example.com) or country versions (example.co.uk). Add all known variants to the block list. Most extensions and Family Link accept wildcards (*.example.com) to catch subdomains automatically.
For Parents: When Blocking Isn’t the Real Answer
For older kids and teens, blocking sites is a useful tool in a larger setup. For younger children, an endless block list often loses to the next site they discover. There’s a different approach worth considering.
Instead of building and maintaining a block list, some parents skip the browser-level controls for younger kids and use a closed environment. An app where every piece of content has been pre-reviewed for safety, so there’s no list to maintain.
That’s what Jellies does. A video app for kids where every video is hand-reviewed by our team for safety, with no ads, no autoplay, and no comments. For parents with young kids, browsing what’s safe by design at jelliesapp.com is worth a look. It can work alongside the methods above for a layered setup.
Wrapping Up
Five methods, depending on your situation. A free Chrome extension for desktop blocks in 30 seconds. SafeSearch for filtering adult content from Google results. The BlockSite Android app, Family Link, or DNS filtering for Chrome on Android. Screen Time for Chrome on iPhone. And Google Family Link for managing what a child’s Chrome account can reach.
The fastest action right now: if you’re on desktop, open the Chrome Web Store and install BlockSite. The whole setup takes under a minute, and you’ll be blocking your first site within two. If you’re a parent managing a child’s account, start with Family Link instead. For more on the iOS side, our block websites on iPhone post covers Screen Time in full.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you block websites on Chrome without an extension?
Chrome itself has no built-in site-blocking, so the no-extension paths are SafeSearch for adult content, system-level DNS filtering, or Family Link for child accounts.
How do I block a specific website on Chrome?
Install BlockSite from the Chrome Web Store, click the BlockSite icon, and add the URL to the block list. The whole process takes under a minute.
How do I block adult websites on Chrome?
Turn on SafeSearch (Method 2) for search results, and pair it with a content-blocking extension or Family Link for a more complete solution.
Why can’t I install extensions on Chrome mobile?
Chrome on Android and iOS doesn’t support extensions. Use the BlockSite Android app, Google Family Link, or system-level DNS filtering instead.
Can my child get around the Chrome website block?
Yes, if they can disable the extension, install a different browser, or use the device’s mobile data to bypass network-level filters. Combine methods for tighter coverage.