How to block websites on a schedule on Mac

Can you block websites at certain times on a Mac?

Yes, but not with Screen Time alone. Screen Time can limit a site's daily time (App Limits) or turn off almost every app during Downtime. It has no setting for "block youtube.com and x.com from 09:00 to 17:00 on weekdays." For that rule you need a scheduled website blocker, a browser extension with a schedule, or a script you maintain yourself.

Your options, from built-in to dedicated:

1. Screen Time Downtime blocks every app except the ones you allow, on a schedule. It blocks whole browsers, not specific sites.
2. Screen Time App Limits give a site a daily allowance. You can change the amount by day, but not by hour.
3. A browser extension with a schedule blocks specific sites at set hours, in one browser.
4. A Mac-level scheduled blocker blocks specific sites at set hours, in every browser.

Cactus for Mac, made by the author of this guide, is option 4: one recurring schedule for one site list, in every browser, for $19.99 once after a 7-day free trial.

If your Mac runs macOS 27, Screen Time works differently. Apple's macOS 27 guide describes Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances in place of App Limits, though a Downtime page is still listed for macOS 27. Both versions are covered below.

What Screen Time can schedule (macOS 14 to 26)

Downtime: a schedule for everything

Downtime is Apple's only built-in start and end time. During Downtime, "only apps that you choose to allow and phone calls are available," in Apple's words. So it can't block YouTube while leaving the rest of the web open. It can block every browser during work hours while your other work apps keep running.

1. Open System Settings, click Screen Time, and turn on App & Website Activity if asked.
2. Click Downtime. In the Schedule pop-up menu, choose Every Day and enter a start and end time, or choose Custom to set different times for each day.
3. Go back to Screen Time and open Always Allowed. Allow the apps you need during work hours, such as your editor, Terminal, and Slack. Leave your browsers off the list.
4. To make Downtime hard to dismiss, turn on Lock Screen Time Settings and set a passcode. Apple offers Block at Downtime only when a Screen Time passcode is in use.

This works when your focused work doesn't happen in a browser. For most people it does, because docs, email, and dashboards live in a browser. A passcode you set yourself also stops only the half-awake reflex, since you know it. Apple documents the options in its Downtime settings guide.

App Limits: a daily allowance per site

App Limits are the only Screen Time control that names a specific website. They measure time, not the time of day.

1. In Screen Time, click App Limits, then Add Limit.
2. Expand Websites at the bottom of the list, then select the site or add its URL, such as youtube.com.
3. Choose Custom, click Edit, and set an amount for each day. For example, 1 minute Monday to Friday and an hour on weekends.
4. Select Block at end of limit, then click Done.

The closest you get is "almost no YouTube on weekdays," which also blocks it on weekday evenings. Apple's App Limits guide has the full steps. Screen Time's website controls are documented for Safari, and Chrome, Firefox, and other browsers often behave differently. See why Screen Time isn't blocking websites if a limit seems to do nothing.

What changed in macOS 27

On macOS 27, Apple's guide describes Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances. You create a schedule for chosen days, add time windows such as "Work" from 09:00 to 17:00, and choose which Time Allowance categories are allowed in each window. Apple's examples are Entertainment, Games, and Social Media.

This is closer to the rule most people want, but Apple describes it in terms of app categories. As of October 2026, Apple's Mac guide doesn't show a way to put a specific site such as youtube.com into a time window, and its block list for specific websites is still described for Safari. Apple also notes that you need version 27 on all your Apple devices to use all of the latest Screen Time features. If you are on macOS 27, test a time window with the exact sites and browsers you use before relying on it.

Use a browser extension with a schedule

A scheduling extension is the free way to block specific sites at specific hours. LeechBlock NG is a good example. It runs in Firefox, Chrome, Edge, and other Chromium browsers such as Brave, and lets you set up to 30 sets of sites, each with its own times and days.

The catch is the usual one for extensions. You can switch it off on the extensions page. It doesn't run in private windows unless you allow it, and it does nothing in a second browser. If one browser is all you use and you rarely fight the block, this may be enough. If you tend to open Safari when Chrome says no, read why a blocker without an extension holds up better.

Block websites on a recurring schedule with Cactus

Cactus for Mac is built for this one rule: the same sites, blocked at the same hours, on the days you choose. Its maker built it after he kept opening YouTube and X during the short waits while coding agents worked, and a 20-second pause turned into 20 lost minutes.

1. Download Cactus, move it to Applications, and open it. Approve its background helper once in System Settings, under Login Items.
2. Choose the days: every day, every weekday, or any set of days.
3. Drag the block on the timeline to set the start and end times, in 15-minute steps. Overnight works too. A Friday block from 22:00 to 06:00 runs into Saturday morning, because the days refer to when a block starts.
4. Add the sites, such as youtube.com, x.com, and reddit.com. Cactus blocks each domain and its www. version, plus m.youtube.com for YouTube and twitter.com for X. Add other hosts, such as youtu.be or old.reddit.com, as separate entries.
5. Click Turn On Cactus. If the window has already started, blocking begins right away. The 7-day free trial also starts here, with no account or card.
6. Open each site in every browser you use and check that it fails to load.

During a block, Cactus has no off switch. If you edit the schedule mid-block, the button reads Save for Next Block, and the current block runs to its end. Edits made between blocks apply right away, so the commitment starts when the block starts. A Mac administrator can still get around it, for example by disabling the background item or changing the clock. How Cactus blocks websites explains the details.

Cactus blocks at the Mac level with the hosts file and the macOS packet filter, so it works in every browser without an extension. A browser's own secure DNS setting, iCloud Private Relay, proxies, and some VPNs can affect it, which is why the last step is a test.

Know the limits before you buy:

• One schedule. One time range, one set of days, one site list. Different hours on different days need a different tool.
• Whole sites only. Blocking youtube.com/shorts blocks all of youtube.com.
• Websites, not apps. Cactus doesn't block desktop apps.
• Menu bar only. The menu bar shows when access returns while the app is open. There are no notifications, and Launch at Login is off by default.
• Mac only. There is no iPhone or Windows version.

Cactus costs $19.99 once and needs macOS 14 or later. See pricing.

Other scheduled website blockers for Mac

Cactus does one thing. These tools do more, and some will suit you better. Prices are as of October 2026.

• Cold Turkey Blocker Pro ($45 once) has a weekly grid you drag to schedule, multiple blocks with their own schedules, app blocking, and a Windows version. On a Mac it blocks through browser extensions, and a locked block requires them to stay enabled.
• Freedom Premium ($8.99 a month, about $40 a year, or a $99.50 Forever plan on sale) has recurring sessions that sync across Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android, plus app blocking. It needs an account.
• Focus ($49 once) has multiple schedules, app blocking, and a Locked Mode. It controls supported browsers through macOS Automation, and Firefox needs its add-on.
• 1Focus Pro ($9.99 a year) adds recurring schedules and multiple block lists to the free app. It doesn't support Firefox.
• SelfControl is free and blocks at the Mac level, but it has no schedule. Each block is a one-off timer.

If you'd rather build your own, a hosts file plus a launchd job can swap blocked sites in and out on a timer. The Terminal and hosts file guide covers the hosts part and its pitfalls.

Which one should you use?

Use Downtime if your focus hours can go without a browser. Use App Limits if the amount of time matters more than the hour. Use a scheduling extension if you live in one browser and want something free. Use Cactus if the rule is "these sites, these hours, every browser," and one schedule covers it. If you need several schedules, app blocking, or an iPhone, Cold Turkey, Freedom, or Focus is the better fit. For a wider comparison, see the best website blockers for Mac.

Whatever you choose, test it during the first scheduled block. Open each site in every browser and in a private window, try any short links such as youtu.be, and confirm when access returns.