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There are many reasons to block a particular website. If you work from home, browsing certain pages may affect your productivity. You might be a parent trying to protect your kids from explicit content, or you might want to make sure they don't visit websites that could spread viruses.
If you're a Windows 10 user, there's more than one way to block websites on your device. Sometimes tweaking your browser settings is enough.
However, you can also customize your computer to block specific websites. It's important to know all the options, so we'll discuss all the ways to block websites while using your Windows 10 PC.
Block Websites on Windows 10 PC Using the Hosts File
No matter which browser you use, one of the most effective ways to make sure a website is blocked is to modify the hosts file.
By doing this, you can override DNS and redirect URLs and IPs to different locations. The process is very simple and the steps are as follows:
- Click the Start menu and select Windows Accessories.
- Right-click Notepad, select More and then Run as administrator.
- When Notepad opens, choose File from the toolbar and Open from the drop-down menu.
- Go to the C:WindowsSystem32Driversetc location.
- Make sure to select All files for the files to appear. Then open host .
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the last row. Make sure to create space.
- Enter the URL to block.
- Go to File and choose Save.
To do this, you must have access to the hosts file. Also, make sure to restart your computer to make sure the website is blocked.
How to block websites on Windows 10 Defender Firewall
Windows 10 has proven to be very effective at filtering and preventing unwanted applications from damaging your computer. It's also a great tool to rely on when using public networks.
But did you know that Windows 10 Defender Firewall can be improved by blocking specific websites?
If your firewall allows access to the site in question, you can set it so that no one at home, school, or workplace will open it. Here's how it works:
- Launch Control Panel on your computer.
- Select Windows Defender Firewall via Advanced Settings in the left pane.
- Right-click Outbound Rules and select New Rule from the menu on the left.
- When the new window pops up, select Custom followed by Next.
- In the next window, select All programs and select Next again.
- Select these IP addresses below Which remote IP addresses does this rule apply to?
- Click Add and enter the IP address you want to block. Then choose Next.
- Make sure Block the connection is selected and click Next.
- Choose whether the rule applies to the domain, private, or public. You can also choose all three.
- Choose Next, add a name or description for the rule, and then choose Finish to complete the action.
Your blocked IP addresses will not be accessible through any browser.
How to Find the IP Address of a Website
To successfully block websites with Windows Defender Firewall, you must have an accurate IP address. For example, let's say you want to block Facebook on your computer to avoid distractions at work. Before setting up new rules through Defender, follow these steps to locate the IP:
- Open Command Prompt Manager by typing CMD into the search box.
- Go to nslookup www.facebook.com and press the Enter button.
- You will see two IPs listed, IPv4 and IPv6. When entering information in Windows Defender settings, you need to copy both.
How to Block Websites in Chrome on Windows 10 PC
If you manage your business and have Google administrator account permissions, you can block specific websites. If members of your organization use Chrome, they won't be able to access sites you've blocked. Here's how to block a website on Chrome as an administrator:
- Sign in to Google Workspace as an administrator account.
- On the home page, click Devices via Chrome and then Settings.
- From there, select Users & browsers.
- Select an organizational unit to block websites.
- Select URL Blocking and enter the address you want to block. You can add up to 1,000 websites.
- Choose Save.
If you want to block websites on your personal computer on Chrome, you must choose the correct extension.
- Go to the Chrome Web Store .
- Go to BlockSite or search for other options under Productivity in the search box.
- Click Add to Chrome via Add extension.
How to Block Websites in Firefox on Windows 10 PC
Many Windows users prefer to use Firefox to browse the web. You can filter unwanted content by restricting access to specific websites.
To do this, you need to use one of the specified Firefox add-ons. You can download and set up the extension in minutes. That's it:
- Launch Firefox on your Windows 10 computer.
- Go to the official add-ons website for Mozilla Firefox.
- Search Block Site or browse the extension under Privacy & Security .
- Select the add-on and click +Add to Firefox.
- The permission window pops up, click Add and go through Okay, I got it.
Once you've added the extension to your browser, you can use it to block unwanted domains, schedule website blocking, and even choose a custom message on blocked pages.
How to Block Websites in Edge on a Windows 10 PC
Microsoft Edge is a native browser for Windows 10 without built-in website blocking.
As with other browsers, users must find an extension that works to block access to specific websites. Fortunately, browsing safely is just a few clicks away. Here's how:
- Launch Microsoft Edge on your Windows 10 computer.
- Click the three horizontal dots in the upper right corner of the screen.
- From the drop-down menu, select Extensions.
- Select Get extensions for Microsoft Edge .
- Search Block Site or browse Productivity .
- After making your selection, click on the extension next to Get .
- When the popup appears, select Add extension.
After the installation is complete, go to the website you want to block and click Block Site on the browser toolbar.
Remember to make sure to confirm this action.
From that moment, when you visit the website, you will see the extension's logo and a message that the website is blocked.
Block adult sites Windows 10
If you're a parent or caregiver worried about your child's access to online content, there's a way to minimize this problem.
First, you'll need to change your Microsoft account settings and create a designated profile for your child. You can then take advantage of the filter feature that blocks adult websites. It's not a complicated setup. Here are all the steps:
- Go to the Microsoft Family Safety page and log in to your account.
- Click on Add a family member .
- Enter your child's email address. Make sure it's an Outlook or Hotmail account.
- If your child already has an account, click Content filters .
- Select Web and search and turn on the Filter inappropriate website switch.
Microsoft calls this the SafeSearch feature and blocks all adult content when turned on. Also, when this filter is turned on, it will prevent the use of all other browsers except Microsoft Edge.
Browse Safely on Windows 10 Computers
We still don't have a built-in button to turn on website blocking in Windows 10. Before this was possible, users had to use various methods to block websites they wanted to avoid or deemed unsafe.
Organizations have more options, but each approach has its limitations. You can block websites through the hosts file, Windows Defender Firewall, or by downloading the Block Websites extension on your browser.
With regards to children's content filtering, you can address this through Family Safety on your Microsoft account. This will ensure that adult websites are blocked, and you can also block certain apps and even enforce time limits.
What's the preferred way to block websites on Windows 10? Let us know in the comments section below.
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