We all know that the internet is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it provides you with all the resources in the world that you can think of, on the other, it is also a great time waster. You make up your mind and open your laptop to work and 12 hours of cat videos later, you are at the same point where you began. Also, the internet gives access to all kinds of websites including content which is not suitable for all ages. So, whether you are a parent who is looking to save his child from ruining his childhood or are someone who just wants to get work done without wasting hours inside the web’s blackhole, blocking certain websites will go a long way in achieving your goal. If you use the Chrome, there are ways you can manage the websites you visit, and here’s how you can do it.
Block Certain Websites From Showing Up in Search Results
As there is a song for every moment, so is a Chrome Extension for fulfilling your every need. Whether it’s spammy websites or websites with indecent content, which you don’t want to see in your search results, you can use an Extension created by Google itself to stop the from making an uninvited appearance in your searches. You can just install the Personal Blocklist (by Google) extension from the Chrome Web Store.
Whenever you are on a website you want to block, just click on the extension icon and block the website. From next time, whenever you are searching on the web, you won’t see any content from that website appearing in the search result.
Note: Remember, this only blocks websites from showing up in your search result, you can still visit the website by directly inputting its URL.
Block Websites For a Limited Period Of Time
We all know that feeling when we have gathered up all of our willpower for completing our work, yet that one more YouTube video and one more Facebook post ruins it all. We, humans, love instant gratification, which makes it harder to stay away from those YouTube videos and Facebook comments. Willpower alone is not enough, we need a tool which checks our instant desires and let us focus on our work. If you are looking for such a tool, the StayFocused extension (install) is the one.
There’s a lot you can do here. You can assign time limits for certain specific websites. This means that after that limit is over, you will get a simple message reading “Shouldn’t you be working?”. However, you can go into the settings and change the time limit again to access the website. If you are such person who is going to do that, there’s an extra hardcore option for you called the “Nuclear Mode”. Once you go Nuclear, you cannot change the time limit and will not be able to access the websites. If you are feeling extra positive, you can even block the entire web. Now, that’s a tool I was looking for.
Block Websites From Loading Forever
If you are someone who wants to block websites forever, there’s an extension for that too. Just install the Block Site extension from the Chrome Web Store. Once you have installed the extension, click on its icon and select the Options menu. A page will open where you can type the URLs of the website you want to block. You can import a CVF file containing the URLs of all the websites you want to block. The extension also works in the incognito mode. It also gives you the option to redirect a user to a specified website whenever he/she tries to open the blocked websites.
If you want, you can assign active days and time on which the websites will remain blocked. You can customize all these settings on a per URL basis or in bulk. If you go premium ($4.99), you can also set a password which will not let others either unblock or uninstall the extension. If you are looking for a permanent website blocker, this is the best one out there.
Use Parental Controls in Chrome
If you are a parent, you know how hard it is to stop your child from accessing websites which are not suitable for them. These websites range from sites containing adult content to those containing malware and spyware. Even if you use an any of the above software, it is impossible to manually enter the URLs of every one of such websites. That’s where WebFilter Pro (install) comes in. It automatically blocks websites based on their content and security status. you still get the option to block a specific website by adding the site’s URL to the block list.
To access the settings menu, just click the extension’s icon and select settings. Here, you can find all the options offered by the extension. Select the ones which suit your needs. You can also add a password, so that your children cannot disable the extension without your permission. There’s also an option to receive notification on your email or phone number if somehow someone manages to disable the extension. It’s a greatweapon to have for a parent living in this digital age.
SEE ALSO: 7 Cool Chrome Flags for Android You Should Check
Block Websites in Chrome on PC or Mac
Chrome is a very resourceful browser. It can open the doors to internet and also close some selective windows if you ask it to. Use the above extensions and curate your browsing experience as per your needs. These extensions will seriously come in handy if you are a procrastinator or a parent. Let us know about your favourite Chrome extensions which you use on a daily basis in the comment section below.
