The Internet brings us convenience but also risks. Parents may be worried about their children being exposed to harmful content online. Some websites are addictive, and we spend a lot of time on them every day, such as some games sites, video sites, and social media. Trying to find out how to block a website on Windows 10 for studying, working, or online safety? This article will tell you 5 easy ways to do this.
Cisdem AppCrypt
Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7 
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The most efficient and easiest way to block access to websites on computer is to install a professional web filter app. For Windows users, what I recommended is Cisdem AppCrypt. It supports blocking websites, games and applications with password to boost your productivity and reclaim your free time. And it is easy to use. You can custom the block lists and add an unlimited number of websites to block. Not only can this tool block websites by specific URLs, but also by categories. Below I’ll show you how to block websites on Windows 10 via Cisdem AppCrypt:
1. Download and install Cisdem AppCrypt on your Windows PC.
Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7
2. Launch it. Set a password. Click Submit.
3. Click its icon on the task bar.
4. Enter the password to access this tool.
5. Now you are in the main window.
Go to the Web Block tab. A window will pop up reminding you to install extensions for different browsers. Click Install next to the extensions that you want to block access to websites on.
6. To block a specific website on Windows 10, type in the URL that you want to block into the top URL field. Click Add.
To block categories of sites, click the Import button. Select a category, like Games Sites, Social Sites, etc.
Now the websites are all blocked on your Windows 10 PC.
Do you always get distracted while working or learning online? This Windows website blocker’s Schedule feature may help you. It let you block websites at certain times, such as your working hours, to help you stay focused at work. After adding all distracting websites to the block list, click the Schedule button on the tool bar. Then set the time you want to block these websites.
You can also add schedule to a specific website. For example, to block access to the YouTube site on Windows PC at certain times, first add youtube.com to the block list. Then click on this site. Click the clock icon that appears. Enable Custom Schedule. Set the blocking time.
To remove a blocked website from the block list. Access to AppCrypt with the password. Click this site from the block list. Press the Delete key.
To unblock all blocked websites temporarily, you can click AppCrypt’s icon on the task bar. Choose Disable Web Block. Or quit it. Both options also require the password.
Most web browsers are able to add extensions. We can install a blocker extension to filter unwanted websites on browser. Some extensions even have functions such as schedule, white lists, etc. The trouble is that you need to install extension to each browser one by one in order to block a website on computer completely. In addition, it’s easy to be removed. Below I will tell you how to block websites on Windows 10 through adding extensions to our commonly used browsers Chrome, Firefox and Edge.
Chrome is the most widely used browser on PC by far. Many users are looking for ways to block websites on Google Chrome. There are many great extensions for Chrome can help you. BlockSite is a well-known one.
1. Open Chrome browser on your PC. Go to Chrome Web Store.
2. Search for BlockSite. Select the one developed by BlockSite LP.
3. Click Add to Chrome.
4. Click Add extension on the prompt window.
5. Visit the website you want to block on Chrome.
6. Right-click anywhere on the page. Tap on BlockSite then Block this site.
BlockSite’s free version can meet the basic needs of most users. You can also purchase its premium version to get more advanced features, which costs $3.99 per month (a bit pricey in my opinion).
For example, in the premium version, you are able to add an unlimited number of websites to the block list, while in the free version only 3 sites are allowed.
Additionally, the premium version offers the password protection feature. It allows you to set password for blocked websites. Click the Extensions icon on the upper right corner of your browser window. Select BlockSite. Click the Settings icon. Choose Password Protection on the left sidebar. Enable the “Require password to access blocked sites” option. Then set a password.
Firefox extensions, also known as Firefox Add-ons, can be used to add some custom features to your Firefox browser, like blocking websites. Here’s how:
1. Open the Firefox browser on your Windows PC. Go to ADD-ONS for Firefox website.
2. Search for Block Site by Ray.
3. Add it to Firefox.
4. Open the website you don’t want to allow access.
5. Right-click anywhere on the page. Tap on Block this Page.
Edge browser is a recommended by Microsoft and easy to use. It also supports to restrict sites through extension. Here’s how:
1. Click on the three-dot icon on the top-right corner of the Edge browser main window.
2. Select Extensions from the drop down menu.
3. Click on Get extensions for Microsoft Edge on the new Extensions window.
4. Search for BlockSite and click on Get at the right side.
5. A prompt window will pop up. Tap on Add extension.
6. Go to the unwanted website on Microsoft Edge. Right-click anywhere on the page. Then click on Block this site.
If you are the administrator of the computer, you can block a website via Hosts file. Hosts File is a system file with no extension and can be opened with Notepad. In hosts file, many common domain names and their corresponding IP mappings can be established. When the user enters a URL that they want to access in browser, the system will first look in the hosts file to see if there is a corresponding IP. If there is, it will open the corresponding web page immediately. And you can block specific websites by editing the Hosts file. This method is suitable for users who only need to block a few websites. And it’s a bit cumbersome to set up. Now let’s look at how to block websites on Windows 10 through hosts file:
1. Find Notepad on your PC and run it as administrator.
2. Click Open from File menu.
3. Find hosts file and open it. On windows, the hosts file is usually located in Local Disk(C) > Windows > System32 > drivers >etc.
4. Place the cursor at the bottom line. For example, to block YouTube on PC, type “127.0.0.1 youtube.com”. Then press Enter to create a new line. Type “127.0.0.1 www.youtube.com”.
You can enter multiple URLs one by one in new lines following the same format.
5. Click File > Save.
Now, these websites are permanently blocked on your Windows computer and you will see a “can reach this page” message when you try to access them on any web browser.
Microsoft Family Safety is a built-in application in Windows 10. The administrator can change the settings to control family member’s online behavior. As parent, you are able to view the time your child uses the device and the time spent in each application. You can also filter inappropriate content, and set time limits on certain apps. But one thing you need to pay attention is that you need to create a Microsoft account for your child, and ensure that he can only log in to this account. Here is the steps on how to block websites on Windows 10 with Microsoft Family Safety:
Create a Microsoft account for child:
(If you child already has his account, you can skip this part)
1. Click on the Start menu of your PC. Select Settings > Account > Family & other users.
2. At the pop-up Microsoft account window, click on Create one for child. Then click Next.
3. Enter your child’s personal information to create an account for him.
4. Go back to Microsoft account window and add your child’s account.
Block inappropriate websites on child’s account:
1. Sign in your own Microsoft account.
2. Find your child’s account on the Your family page.
3. Click on More options > Content restrictions.
4. Go to the Web Browsing section. Enable the Block inappropriate websites option.
5. Enter the unwanted websites to Always blocked section.
Some parents worry about their children seeing harmful content online, or being addicted to certain inappropriate websites. Fortunately, most routers have built-in URL filter. We are able to use it to get a safer network environment and remove distractions. Adding a website to router’s black list will prohibit all devices in the local area network from accessing this website. However, if you take the device out of the LAN range, the blocking will not work. Below are steps on how to block websites on Windows 10 through router:
1. First, open a browser and enter the router's IP address. Different routers have different IP addresses. You can see it on the back of the router. Such as http://192.168.1.1, http://192.168.0.1, or http://router.asus.com.
2. Then enter your username and password to log in.
3. Access router’s Settings page and go to the URL Filter section. Sometimes it’s named as Website Filtering, Parental Controls, Web Filter or something similar.
Some routers will have advanced features to filter websites. For example, the Asus router and Huawei router offer 2 blocking modes: Black List and White List. TP-Link Wi-Fi router lets you block websites by domain names or IP addresses. It also enables you to block websites by keywords.
4. Enter the URL you want to restrict to the block list.
5. Then save the setting.
Computer built-in settings do not have this feature. But some third-party website blockers allow you to do this. For example, in Cisdem AppCrypt main window, there is a Block all websites button and an Exceptions button. You can use these 2 buttons to allow access to only certain websites on your Windows PC.
Yes. You can use Cisdem AppCrypt to allow access to certain websites at certain times through its Schedule feature: First, rnable the Block all websites button. Then click on Schedule on the tool bar. Set time. Click the Exceptions button on the bottom right corner. Add sites you allow access to the Always Allow list. Then during the time you set, all websites will be inaccessible except those you enter in the allowed list.
Additionally, some routers also have the Schedule feature. Let you set up a white list and create a schedule for it.
In this case, you can install a website blocker on the device that you want to set restrictions on. Note that the website blocker must be based on computer but not on the user account. Also, you can use the Hosts file method.
Several of the web filters I mentioned in this article provide the feature to block websites by categories on Windows 10. And you can select the categories to block that you consider being inappropriate or not safe, like adult sites, games sites, etc.
The best way to block websites in a specific browser is to download and install a web filter extension. You can find extensions for different browsers in Part 2 of this article.
There’re many reasons to block websites. If you always distracted by interesting websites while working, you might need a block with schedule feature to boost your productivity. If you are a parent, it’s necessary to pay attention to your child’s online behavior and block some harmful websites on his devices. After reading this article, I believe you have known how to block websites on Windows 10. Which method is your preferred one?
Rosa has worked in Mac software industry for more than eight years. She believes that the purpose of software is to make life better and work more productively. In addition to writing, Rosa is also an avid runner.
Ivan Chevillote
Thanks, now I can stop my addiction to bad websites.