How to block distracting websites on Mac without blocking your work

Step 1: separate work sites from loop sites

Do not start with a giant internet blacklist. Start with two lists: websites you must keep for work and websites that repeatedly pull you away.

For many Mac users, work sites include docs, GitHub, Notion, Linear, Figma, Google Docs, dashboards, banking, and search. Loop sites often include feeds, video, short-form media, shopping, forums, and news.

Step 2: create task presets

A coding preset might allow GitHub, docs, package registries, and local preview tools. A writing preset might allow notes, references, and a dictionary. An admin preset might allow mail, calendar, invoices, and banking.

The goal is not to make the Mac unusable. The goal is to remove the websites that do not belong in the current mode.

Step 3: test every browser

If you use Safari for personal browsing and Arc or Chrome for work, test both. A blocker that only works in one browser leaves an easy escape path.

Also test private windows, profiles, and any browser extensions you depend on before trusting the setup during a deadline.

Step 4: decide escape behavior before the session

Strict blockers can be useful, but they are risky if you have not tested them. A practical middle ground is a session tool that creates friction without trapping legitimate work.

Nudge is designed for this repeatable session layer: start the mode, keep the right apps available, and block the websites that should not be part of the block.

Example blocklists by task

A coding blocklist might block social feeds, video platforms, shopping, news, and personal forums while allowing GitHub, docs, Stack Overflow, package registries, Linear, and local preview URLs. A writing blocklist might allow source material, notes, a dictionary, and CMS access while blocking inboxes, feeds, and analytics.

The exact domains matter more than the category name. If YouTube is needed for one tutorial, allow the specific video or channel if the tool supports it. Do not open the entire platform unless the work really requires it.

The exception policy

Decide exceptions before the session starts. If a site is needed often, it belongs in the preset. If it is needed once, pause after the session and update the rules. If every session needs emergency exceptions, the preset is too strict.

This prevents the worst habit: training yourself to break the blocker whenever work gets uncomfortable. The blocker should support the task, not become another negotiation.

Testing checklist

Run a five-minute test before relying on any blocker during paid work or a deadline. Open Safari, Chrome, Arc, and any browser profile you use. Test private windows. Test links opened from Slack, Mail, Notion, and calendar events. Test login pages and payment pages if those are part of admin work.

Write down every legitimate site that failed and every distraction that slipped through. Fix the preset before the real session.

Weekly maintenance

Your web workflow changes. New client tools, docs portals, dashboards, and AI products appear. Review presets once a week for the first month, then monthly after they stabilize. Remove sites that are no longer needed and add blockers for loops that recently appeared.

This is why task-specific presets beat one giant blocklist. They are easier to reason about and easier to maintain.

The first 20 domains to inspect

Start from real behavior instead of generic productivity advice. Open Screen Time, browser history, or your automatic tracker and identify the top recurring non-work domains. Sort them into three groups: always distracting, sometimes useful, and work-critical. Only the first group belongs in the default blocklist.

The middle group needs context rules. YouTube, Reddit, X, LinkedIn, and news sites can be useful for some roles and destructive for others. Put them behind task-specific presets rather than all-day rules.

Make the setup hard to forget

A blocker that requires ten clicks will not become a habit. Put the session start in the menu bar, keyboard launcher, calendar reminder, or morning checklist. Name presets after jobs, not moods: coding, writing, research, admin, study.

The goal is to make the correct mode easy to start before the first distraction appears. Waiting until you are already in the loop is much harder.

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