Guides
Block websites on your Mac
Practical, tested guides for keeping distracting websites closed on macOS, with or without Cactus.
Block websites on Mac
- How to block websites in Arc, Brave, and Firefox on MacHow to block websites in Arc, Brave, and Firefox on a Mac: per-browser extensions and policies, why Brave Shields is not a site blocker, and one fix for all.
- How to block websites on Mac with Terminal and the hosts fileBlock websites on a Mac from Terminal by editing /etc/hosts. Exact commands, IPv6 and www entries, DNS flush, why it often fails, and how to undo it.
- How to block websites on a schedule on MacBlock websites during work hours on a Mac. What Screen Time can and can't schedule, what changed in macOS 27, and which scheduled website blockers fill the gap.
- How to block websites on Mac or MacBookHow to block websites on a Mac or MacBook with Screen Time, App Limits, the hosts file, an extension, or a recurring schedule. Steps, tradeoffs, and tests.
- How to block websites on Chrome on a MacHow to block websites on Mac Chrome with an extension, Chrome's URLBlocklist policy, or a Mac-level blocker, plus why Screen Time and Secure DNS trip people up.
- Website blocker for Safari on MacCompare Screen Time, Safari extensions, and Mac-level website blockers for Safari on Mac, with current steps, Private Relay caveats, and when each one fits.
- Website blocker without an extension on MacA website blocker with no extension works in every browser on your Mac. Compare Screen Time, the hosts file, DNS filtering, and system-level apps, with caveats.
Block a specific site
- How to block social media on your MacBlock social media on your Mac or MacBook: the exact domains for 12 networks, how to block them in Safari with Screen Time, and how to block them on a schedule.
- How to block Facebook on your MacBlock Facebook on your Mac or MacBook with Screen Time, a daily limit, or a recurring schedule. Includes the domains to add and what happens to Messenger.
- How to block Instagram on a MacBook or MacBlock Instagram on a MacBook in Safari, Chrome, or any browser: Screen Time steps for macOS 14 to 27, a work-hours schedule, and the exact hostnames to add.
- How to block Netflix on your MacHow to block Netflix on a Mac or MacBook with Screen Time, a daily limit, or a recurring schedule, and why there is no Netflix Mac app as of October 2026.
- How to block Reddit on a Mac or MacBookHow to block Reddit on a MacBook in Safari or any browser: Screen Time steps, a work-hours schedule, and why old.reddit.com and i.redd.it need their own entry.
- How to block X (Twitter) on MacHow to block X on a Mac or MacBook: block x.com and twitter.com in Safari or Chrome, decide on t.co and embeds, and keep X off during your work hours.
- How to block YouTube on Mac or MacBookBlock YouTube on a Mac or MacBook with Screen Time, a daily limit, or a recurring Cactus schedule. The exact domains to add, Shorts, and common fixes.
Focus while coding
- How to get a Claude Code notification when it's doneGet a Claude Code notification when done: built-in desktop alerts, a Stop hook that plays a sound, and permission alerts on macOS. Copy-paste settings.json.
- The most distracting websites to block, for developersThe most distracting websites to block as a developer, grouped by type, with the exact hostnames to add and the sites to keep open: docs, GitHub, registries.
- What to do while Claude Code is workingWhat to do while Claude Code is working: review the plan, queue the next prompt, run a second agent, or stand up. And why opening YouTube costs 20 minutes.
Fix a block
- How to turn off SelfControl on MacHow to turn off SelfControl on Mac: why an active block can't be stopped, what SelfControl's docs say to do when a block is stuck, and how to avoid it.
- Screen Time not blocking websites on MacScreen Time not blocking websites on your Mac? Check these 10 causes, from Content & Privacy being off to Chrome, subdomains and passcodes, with current fixes.
Why I made Cactus
I couldn't stop myself.
I kept opening YouTube and X while waiting for coding agents.
A 20-second pause could turn into 20 lost minutes.
I built Cactus so those sites simply do not open during the hours I chose.
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