How to block websites on Mac

Nudge is the easiest option when website blocking is part of a broader work session. Instead of only blocking a list of domains, you create a preset for the work you want to do. The right apps stay available. Distracting websites are blocked. The session starts from the menu bar.

1. Open Nudge and create a preset, such as Writing, Deep Work, Study, or Admin.
2. Add the Mac apps that should stay available during the session.
3. Add distracting websites that should be blocked in the browser.
4. Start the preset from the menu bar when the work block begins.
5. Reuse the preset next time instead of rebuilding the blocklist.

This is the best fit for people who do not just want to block one website. They want the Mac environment to match the task.

Screen Time can set limits for apps and websites without installing another tool. It is useful when you want a simple daily cap, especially for broad usage control.

1. Open System Settings on your Mac.
2. Click Screen Time in the sidebar.
3. Turn Screen Time on if it is not already enabled.
4. Open App Limits and add a limit for the app or website category you want to restrict.
5. Choose the time allowance and save the limit.

The limit model is good for reducing usage. It is less good for task-specific work sessions. If you need different rules for writing, coding, and admin, presets are usually easier than daily allowance limits.

Screen Time also includes content and privacy controls. Depending on your macOS version, you can restrict web content, limit adult websites, or create a stricter allow-only browsing setup.

1. Open System Settings.
2. Go to Screen Time.
3. Open Content & Privacy settings.
4. Choose the web content setting that matches your goal.
5. Add blocked or allowed websites where the interface provides that option.

Use this when you want broad web access rules. It is usually too blunt if the goal is to protect a 90-minute focus block while leaving normal browsing alone afterward.

The hosts file can point a domain back to your own Mac, which prevents the domain from resolving normally. This can work for simple site blocks, but it is manual and easy to manage badly.

sudo nano /etc/hosts

Add both the root domain and common subdomain:

127.0.0.1 example.com
127.0.0.1 www.example.com

Then flush DNS:

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

This method is not a friendly daily workflow. It does not know what task you are doing, it does not give you presets, and undoing it requires editing the file again.

Safari has per-website settings, pop-up controls, and content blocker support. These help reduce unwanted interruptions, but they should not be confused with a durable focus-session website blocker.

1. Open Safari.
2. Choose Safari, then Settings.
3. Open the Websites tab.
4. Review settings such as Pop-up Windows, Content Blockers, Auto-Play, and Reader.
5. Use these settings to reduce noise, then use Screen Time, Nudge, SelfControl, or hosts file rules for actual website blocking.

SelfControl is free and open-source. You add sites or mail servers, set a timer, and start. The block continues until the timer expires, even if you restart the Mac or delete the app.

That strictness is useful for one-off blocks. It is less useful when you need app boundaries, reusable work presets, menu bar starts, or session history. Compare the two here: Nudge vs SelfControl.

What should you use?

Use Screen Time if you want a built-in usage cap. Use Content & Privacy restrictions if you want parental-control style browsing rules. Use the hosts file if you are technical and want a manual system-level block. Use SelfControl if you want a free strict timer.

Use Nudge if the real job is repeatable focus: the right apps stay open, distracting websites stay blocked, and the work mode is easy to start again tomorrow.

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