Quick answer
Use the narrowest tool that solves the problem.
- Use Screen Time for a free restriction built into macOS.
- Use a Safari extension for rules that only need to work in Safari.
- Use a Mac-level blocker for recurring schedules that should work without a Safari extension.
What "website blocker for Safari" can mean
A Safari website blocker can live in one of three places: macOS settings, a Safari extension, or a separate Mac app. Each layer gives you a different balance of convenience, browser coverage, scheduling, and friction when you try to turn it off.
Safari blocking works differently on a Mac than on an iPhone. This guide stays with macOS, where Screen Time, extensions, and Mac-level apps have distinct roles. The steps follow macOS Sonoma 14, Sequoia 15, and Tahoe 26, with a note where macOS 27 differs.
Use Screen Time to restrict websites in Safari
Screen Time is the simplest place to start because it is already part of macOS. You can add specific domains to Safari's restricted list without downloading another app.
- Open System Settings. Select Screen Time and turn it on if it is not already active.
- Open Content & Privacy. Turn the section on, then select App Store, Media, Web, & Games.
- Change Safari web access. Choose Limit Adult Websites, open Customize, and add each unwanted domain to the Restricted list.
- Verify the result. Open each domain in Safari and test any subdomain you visit separately.
For a stricter setup, choose Allowed Websites Only instead. Safari then opens only the sites on your allowed list. On macOS 14 Sonoma, that pane is called Store, Web, Siri & Game Center Content, and the menu is Web Content instead of Safari. On macOS 27, Apple's overview labels the button Content & Privacy Restrictions, and the Safari list is still documented under App Store, Media, Web, & Games.
Tradeoff: this is a straightforward Safari restriction, but it is not a recurring schedule for a custom list of distracting sites. If you know the Screen Time passcode, it is also easy to undo. If a restricted site still loads, read why Screen Time is not blocking websites.
Apple describes the current options under App Store, Media, Web, & Games settings. For a side-by-side look at Screen Time and a scheduled blocker, see Cactus vs Screen Time.
Install a Safari website-blocking extension
A Safari extension is useful when you only care about Safari and want controls inside the browser. Extensions may offer custom lists, timers, or blocked-page messages.
The same convenience creates the main limitation: Safari lets you turn an extension off from Settings, and an extension does not control another browser. Apple also says that on macOS Sonoma and later, extensions that need website access are turned off in private windows by default. Check what website permissions the extension requests, and check that it is allowed in Private Browsing, before relying on it.
- Open Safari Extensions. In Safari, choose Safari > Safari Extensions to browse the Mac App Store.
- Review permissions. Check which websites the extension can read or change and whether its blocking model fits your goal.
- Enable and test it. Open Safari > Settings > Extensions, enable the extension, select Allow in Private Browsing if you want it there too, and test normal and private windows.
Use this if you only use Safari and want browser-specific controls.
Apple's Safari extensions guide explains installation, permissions, Private Browsing behavior, and how extensions are turned off.
Use a Mac-level scheduled website blocker
A separate Mac blocker can start the same website block every workday without a Safari extension. It is useful when you keep disabling a browser extension during the hours you meant to block.
Cactus blocks a list of websites at the Mac level on one recurring schedule: the weekdays and time range you choose. It works through the hosts file and the pf firewall rather than a Safari extension, so turning off extensions in Safari does not turn off the block, and the same rule applies in Chrome or Firefox. The schedule stays on the Mac. While the app is open, the menu bar shows whether blocking is on and when access returns.
- No Safari extension
- One recurring schedule: chosen weekdays, one time range, one site list
- No way to end an active block early in Cactus, though a Mac administrator can still remove it
For each site, Cactus blocks the domain and its www. version, so add other subdomains you use separately. It blocks whole sites, not individual pages. Use this if you want distracting sites blocked automatically during predictable hours. More on why this avoids the extension problem is in the website blocker without an extension guide, and schedule options are compared in how to block websites on a schedule.
See how Cactus blocks websites on Mac, including what happens during an active block and how a Mac administrator can remove it.
iCloud Private Relay and Mac-level blockers
If you pay for iCloud+ and use iCloud Private Relay, Safari sends your browsing through Apple's relays and encrypts its DNS lookups. That can get around blockers that work through the hosts file and firewall rules for a site's addresses, and Cactus is one of them. Treat Private Relay as a likely gap: with it on, test a blocked site in Safari before relying on the block. Browsers with their own secure DNS, proxies, and some VPNs can have a similar effect in other browsers.
Compare Safari website-blocking options
| Option | Works beyond Safari | Recurring hours | Easy to disable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Time restriction | Apple documents it for Safari only | No custom site schedule | Settings remain available |
| Safari extension | No | Depends on extension | Can be disabled in Safari |
| Mac-level blocker | Yes, on the Mac | Yes | Depends on the blocker |
Start with Screen Time when a free Safari restriction is enough. Choose an extension for Safari-only customization. Choose a Mac-level scheduled blocker when recurring hours and resistance to impulsive changes matter more than browser-specific features.
A short checklist before choosing
- Do you use only Safari, or do you switch browsers?
- Do you want a permanent restriction, a daily allowance, or recurring hours?
- How easy should it be to change the block during an active period?
- Do you use iCloud Private Relay or a VPN that could affect the block?
- Does the tool explain its permissions and how an administrator can remove it?
- Can you see when the block ends without opening a settings window?
For every method, including App Limits, the hosts file, and Chrome, see how to block websites on Mac.
