Block Websites
How to Block Websites on Windows
Block websites on windows using the most effective methods. Prevent website blocks from being bypassed.
As a software developer who works from home, I know first-hand how important it is to block websites on a Windows PC. When I assess effective website blocking techniques, I prioritize reliability and customization. Customization is important since many website blocking use-cases are more complex than just specifying a list of disallowed URLs. Furthermore, a website blocking system must be reliable - working across various browsers and accounting for intentional or accidental bypass techniques. Blocking websites on a PC isn't just a parental control concern - adults also want to self-restrict.
In this guide, I'll break down the most effective ways to block websites on a Windows computer and my recommended approach given the common use-cases I've seen from my customers.
If you're trying to block porn on Windows , you should combine multiple approaches together for more a more effective blocking system.
Block Websites Natively on Windows
As a base website blocking layer, I recommend configuring the hosts file on your computer to block websites.
You can block websites using the Hosts file . This is a free website blocking technique that all Window PCs have access to.
In order to block a website with this technique, you would add a line like this to the hosts file:
0.0.0.0 facebook.com
This instructs your computer to use a different IP address (one that doesn't resolve to facebook in this case) when you visit that address.
The hosts file can be a bit cumbersome to customize, but it still provides a useful additional blocking layer that works alongside other blocking techniques.
Block Thousands of Websites Based off of a DNS Content Category
In most cases, you'll probably want to block more than just a few websites. For example, if you're trying to block security threats on your computer, chances are you don't know every malicious website out there. That's why many DNS Filtering services use Content Categories to allow or block thousands of websites at once.
The same thing is true for applications. Just blocking YouTube's domain (www.youtube.com) might still allow videos to work. Tech Lockdown's DNS rules let you select apps, which groups all of the domains needed by that app in order to connect to the internet.
In some cases, websites might share overlapping content categories. In that case, you may need to manually allow a website that's unintentionally blocked.
Blocking Websites with a Browser Extension on a Windows Computer
If you've set up a DNS Content Policy to block websites and use the Hosts file as a final backup just in case, it's possible that you'll need more granular control.
One of the shortfalls of the Hosts file is how you can't block specific web pages. Instead, you might try using a browser extension that can filter out specific URLs or keywords within URLs.
Block Website URLs and Keywords
Using a blocking application like Cold Turkey, you can block specific web pages, like the URL of a specific YouTube video:
Or if you want block specific keywords, like those that might show up in a Google search term, you can add words surrounded with the asterisks symbol ( * ).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I block Google Image search?
Google Image search has a specific URL. You can use Cold Turkey (or another URL filter) to block access to this web page.
Add this entry to a block in Cold Turkey (or whichever URL filter you decide to use):
google.com/imghp
Similarly, other image searching platforms have URLs, just like Google.
Another common one if Yahoo! image search:
images.search.yahoo.com
It might be easier to add the hostname above to your a block rule on your DNS Content Policy, or add this entry to the Hosts file instead:
0.0.0.0 images.search.yahoo.com