How to block websites in Safari on a Mac (2026)

How can you block websites in Safari?

Safari gives you useful controls, but most of them are not true blocking. Separate noise reduction from access blocking before choosing a method. The table compares the five methods in this guide.

For the whole-Mac version of this guide, see how to block websites on a Mac. If you also use Chrome, see how to block websites in Chrome on a Mac. Chrome has no built-in per-site block of its own.

How do you block distracting websites in Safari with Nudge?

Safari often belongs in a focus session. You may need it for research, docs, web apps, reading, billing or writing tools. The problem is not Safari itself. The problem is that the same browser also contains news, feeds, forums, video and shopping.

Nudge is a Mac app (macOS 13+) that blocks the apps and websites you pick during a focus session. Websites are blocked in Safari and Chrome. It starts from the menu bar with presets or Quick Focus. This keeps the browser useful while narrowing the web to what the work actually needs.

1. Create a Nudge preset for the task.

2. Leave Safari off the block list if the session needs browser access.

3. Add the distracting websites to the blocked list.

4. Keep only the Mac apps that belong in the work block.

5. Start the session from the menu bar.

What can Safari's Websites settings do?

Safari Websites settings let you manage per-site behavior such as Reader, Content Blockers, Auto-Play, Pop-up Windows and Notifications. This is useful for reducing friction and noise on sites you still need to visit.

Use this for noise control. Do not rely on it as your main focus blocker if the goal is to stop visiting a distracting site entirely.

1. Open Safari.

2. Choose Safari, then Settings.

3. Open the Websites tab.

4. Select a setting on the left, such as Pop-up Windows, Content Blockers, Auto-Play or Notifications.

5. Choose the behavior for the current site, configured sites, or websites you have not configured yet.

Do pop-up, content and notification settings block a site?

No. Safari can block pop-up windows for a single website or all websites. It can also use content blockers to stop ads and other unwanted content where a content blocker is installed. Auto-Play settings can stop videos from starting automatically, and notification settings can deny a site's ability to send alerts.

These are valuable cleanup steps. A site with fewer pop-ups, autoplay videos and notifications is less distracting. But the site is still available, which means the habit loop may still survive.

How do you block websites in Safari with Screen Time?

Screen Time Content & Privacy settings include Safari web content levels. You can leave access unrestricted, limit adult websites and add custom restricted or allowed sites, or use Allowed Websites Only for a much stricter list. These rules apply to Safari only.

This is stronger than ordinary Safari settings, but it is still not as flexible as a work-session preset when your rules change between writing, research, admin and deep work.

1. Open System Settings on your Mac.

2. Open Screen Time.

3. Go to Content & Privacy.

4. Open App Store, Media, Web, & Games settings.

5. Choose the Safari web content level and customize allowed or restricted sites where needed.

How do you block a website with the hosts file?

The Mac hosts file can block domains by pointing them back to your own machine. It is a system-level change, so it is not limited to Safari. The downside is maintenance: editing system files, remembering subdomains, flushing DNS, and undoing changes when the block should end.

Safari has one extra caveat. If iCloud Private Relay is on, a local hosts entry may not apply in Safari, so turn Private Relay off if the block does not work.

Use the hosts file if you are technical and want a static system-level block. Use Nudge if the rules need to change by task.

1. Open Terminal and edit the hosts file with administrator rights.

   sudo nano /etc/hosts

2. Add a line for each domain, pointing it at your own machine, and include the www version.

   127.0.0.1 example.com www.example.com

3. Save the file (Control-O, then Return) and exit (Control-X).

4. Flush the DNS cache so the change applies.

   sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

5. Restart Safari. To undo the block, delete the line and flush DNS again.

How do you block websites on iPhone Safari too?

Nudge is a Mac app, so it does not block iPhone Safari. On the iPhone, the built-in route is Screen Time web content restrictions. If the same sites pull you away on your phone, a cross-device blocker such as Freedom keeps one blocklist on Mac and iPhone.

Which method should you use for Safari?

Use Safari settings to quiet websites. Use Screen Time to create broader built-in restrictions. Use the hosts file if you want manual system-level blocking and are comfortable maintaining it.

Use Nudge when Safari is needed for work but specific websites should be blocked during the session. Pick the apps and sites to block, start from the menu bar, and schedules can run presets on the days and hours you choose. Nudge costs $9.99 once for Lifetime Access, with a 7-day free trial and no card to start. If you want a timer first, there is also a free web timer at the Pomodoro timer.