How do I block websites on Chrome on a schedule?

Use a free Chrome extension that supports time-based rules. Install a blocker like Focuh, StayFocusd, or LeechBlock NG, add the sites you want blocked, then set the hours or days the block should apply. The extension checks the clock against your rule and blocks matching sites only during those windows. The whole setup takes about two minutes, and you never have to remember to turn the block on or off again.

Can Chrome block websites at certain times by itself?

No. Chrome has no built-in feature to block websites on a schedule. The closest native option is Site Settings, which can block permissions like camera or pop-ups but not access to a domain, and it has no time rules. To schedule blocking you need an extension that adds scheduling on top of Chrome, or an operating-system tool that runs below the browser.

What's the best free extension for scheduled website blocking?

LeechBlock NG is the most flexible: each blockset has its own list, days, and time windows, so you can block social media 9 to 5 on weekdays and nothing on weekends. Focuh is the simplest if you prefer a single timed challenge over granular schedules. StayFocusd works for daily time budgets. All three are free with no account required, so the right pick depends on whether you want fine-grained schedules or a one-click block.

Why does my scheduled block still let sites through?

Two common reasons. First, scheduling extensions only cover the browser they run in, so a site blocked in Chrome still opens in Safari or Firefox. Second, you may have blocked the wrong host — blocking youtube.com but not m.youtube.com or the desktop app leaves a path open. Check that your rule covers every subdomain, and remember that an extension can't block native apps or other browsers.

Can I block websites on Chrome during work hours only?

Yes. This is the most common use of scheduled blocking. In LeechBlock NG, create a blockset, add your distracting sites, then set the active hours to your work day and the active days to Monday through Friday. Outside those hours the sites load normally. If you want the block tied to focus sessions instead of fixed clock hours, a session-based tool like the Focuh extension turns blocking on when you start a challenge and off when it ends.

Can someone bypass a scheduled Chrome block?

Yes. Any Chrome extension can be disabled from chrome://extensions, and a scheduled block is no harder to remove than a permanent one. Scheduling makes a block convenient, not unbreakable. If you need a block that's genuinely hard to lift mid-session, use the Focuh Mac app, which blocks at the operating-system level using Accessibility APIs and is far harder to disable than a browser extension.

Does scheduled blocking sync across my devices?

Usually not on the free tier. Most free blockers store rules locally in Chrome, so your schedule lives on that one machine and browser. Some paid plans add cross-device sync. If you want the same block on your phone, note that Chrome extensions don't run on Chrome for Android or iOS at all — you'd need a separate mobile method or a system-level tool on each device.

Is scheduled blocking better than a permanent block?

It depends on your goal. A schedule is better for protecting work hours while keeping access in the evening, so you don't fight the block during downtime. A permanent block is better for habits you want gone entirely, like a gambling or adult site. Many people run both: a schedule for social media during work, and a permanent block for sites they never want to visit again.

Chrome extensionwebsite blockerschedulefreeproductivity

How to Block Websites on Chrome on a Schedule (Free, 2026)

June 16, 202610 min readFocuh

If a website keeps stealing your attention at the same times every day, the fix isn't more willpower — it's a schedule. Here's how to block websites on Chrome on a schedule for free: install an extension that supports time rules, add your distracting sites, and set the hours the block should run. After that, the block turns itself on when work starts and off when it ends, with nothing for you to remember. Below are the free methods that actually work, and the one case where a scheduled Chrome block won't be enough.

Can Chrome block websites on a schedule by itself?

No. Out of the box, Chrome can't block a website at all, let alone on a timer. Its built-in Site Settings controls permissions — camera, location, notifications, pop-ups — but it can't stop a domain from loading, and it has no concept of time of day. So every scheduled-blocking method below relies on either a Chrome extension that adds the feature, or a tool that runs underneath the browser at the operating-system level.

That distinction matters later, so keep it in mind: an extension schedules blocking inside Chrome. Nothing an extension does reaches Safari, Firefox, or a native desktop app.

Method 1: LeechBlock NG (most flexible schedules)

LeechBlock NG is the free, open-source extension power users reach for when they want real schedules. It's built around blocksets — up to 30 independent lists, each with its own sites, days, and time windows.

To block social media during work hours:

Install LeechBlock NG from the Chrome Web Store.
Open its options and pick Block Set 1.
Under What to Block, add your sites — youtube.com, reddit.com, x.com, one per line.
Under When to Block, set the time periods (for example 0900-1700) and tick Monday through Friday.
Save.

Now those sites are blocked 9 to 5 on weekdays and load normally on evenings and weekends. You can run a second blockset with different sites and different hours — say, news sites blocked only in the morning. It's the most granular free option by a wide margin.

The trade-off is the interface. LeechBlock NG's options page is dense, and the first setup takes ten or fifteen minutes to understand. If you enjoy configuring software you'll appreciate the control; if you want to block one site and start working, it's overkill.

Method 2: StayFocusd (daily time budgets)

StayFocusd takes a different angle: instead of fixed clock hours, it gives you a daily budget. You allow yourself, say, 30 minutes total on blocked sites per day, and once that's spent the sites are blocked until midnight. Its Active Days and Active Hours settings let you scope that budget to your work week.

It's free with no account, and it's been around since 2010. The catch worth knowing: StayFocusd is owned by Sensor Tower, an ad-intelligence company, and it's no longer actively developed. The blocking runs locally, but if you care about who builds the tools you trust with your browsing, that's a fair thing to weigh. For a fuller breakdown, see our best free website blocker for Chrome guide.

Method 3: Focuh (scheduled challenges, no account)

The free Focuh Chrome extension leans into a session model rather than a clock. You start a focus challenge — 30, 91, or 180 days, or a custom length — and your blocked sites stay blocked for the duration. It's the cleanest fit when your "schedule" is really a commitment: block distractions every working day for the next month without re-arming anything.

Focuh is genuinely free with no account, no telemetry, and no cap on how many sites you can block. Settings and your daily attempt counter stay in local Chrome storage and never leave the device. If you want strict daily clock windows, LeechBlock NG is the better tool; if you want a long, low-friction commitment that you set once, Focuh is simpler.

Free scheduled blockers compared

Extension	Schedule type	Truly free?	Account	Best for
LeechBlock NG	Custom hours + days, per blockset	Yes	None	Fine-grained work-hours rules
StayFocusd	Daily time budget + active hours	Yes	None	A daily allowance, not a hard block
Focuh	Session/challenge length	Yes	None	Long commitments, no setup fuss

Pick by the question you're actually answering. "Block these sites from 9 to 5 on weekdays" is a LeechBlock job. "Give me 30 minutes a day, then cut me off" is StayFocusd. "Block distractions every day for a month" is Focuh.

Why a scheduled Chrome block isn't always enough

A scheduled extension blocks Chrome — and only Chrome. The moment your distraction lives somewhere else, the schedule has a hole in it:

You open Safari or Firefox and the blocked site loads fine.
You launch the native Slack, Discord, or YouTube desktop app, which no extension can touch.
You disable the extension from chrome://extensions in five seconds.

That last point is the real limit. Scheduling makes blocking convenient — you set it once and forget it — but it does nothing to make the block hard to remove. A scheduled block is exactly as easy to disable as an unscheduled one.

If your problem is autopilot — you drift to Reddit at 2pm without thinking — a scheduled extension is plenty, because the interruption breaks the reflex. If your problem is genuine compulsion, or you'll switch browsers the second a block appears, you need something that works below the browser. See our system-level vs browser blocking explainer for the full comparison.

When to add OS-level blocking

For blocking that covers every browser and every app at once, you need a desktop tool rather than an extension. The free Focuh Mac app blocks distracting sites and apps at the operating-system level during a focus session, using macOS Accessibility APIs. Because it doesn't live in chrome://extensions, it's far harder to disable mid-session, and because it runs below the browser, switching from Chrome to Safari doesn't get you around it.

The most reliable setup costs nothing: run the free Focuh extension for scheduled blocking inside Chrome, and the free Focuh Mac app for the times you need the block to hold across your whole machine. The extension handles the routine work-hours scheduling; the desktop app handles the sessions you can't afford to break.

Which scheduled method should you choose?

"I want exact hours and days, per site group" — Use LeechBlock NG. The most powerful free scheduler once you've configured it.

"I want a daily allowance, then a cutoff" — Use StayFocusd, weighing the Sensor Tower ownership.

"I want to commit for weeks at a time without fiddling" — Use the Focuh extension. One challenge, set and forget.

"I'll just switch browsers or quit the extension" — Add the Focuh Mac app for OS-level blocking that a schedule alone can't give you.

A scheduled block works when the hard part is remembering to block, not staying blocked. Get the schedule right first; if you find yourself routing around it, that's the signal to move below the browser.

Install the free Focuh extension — no account, no cap. Or get the free Focuh Mac app when a Chrome schedule isn't enough.