How to Block a Website on Microsoft Edge

Regaining Control of Your Browser

The internet is filled with distracting, unproductive, and occasionally unsafe websites. Whether you are a parent trying to keep a specific social media platform away from your child’s laptop, or a professional trying to physically stop yourself from endlessly scrolling a news site during work hours, sometimes you need to block a URL entirely.

Unlike Google Chrome, which forces you to rely exclusively on third-party extensions to block content, Microsoft Edge actually has powerful website blocking tools built directly into the browser itself, thanks to its deep integration with Microsoft Family Safety.

Depending on who uses the computer, you have two distinct options: use a lightweight browser extension (best for personal productivity) or use Microsoft’s system-level controls (best for parental control).

Method 1: Using an Extension (Best for Productivity)

If you are the only person using the computer and simply want to stop yourself from habitually opening Twitter or Reddit while trying to study, the easiest and fastest method is to use a free browser extension. Because Edge is built on the same underlying code as Google Chrome, it can seamlessly run almost all Chrome extensions.

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Navigate to the Edge Add-ons Store (or the Google Chrome Web Store).
3. Search for a free extension called BlockSite (this is one of the most popular and reliable blocking tools available).
4. Click the Get (or Add to Edge) button to install it.
5. Once installed, look for the new red shield icon sitting in the top right corner of your browser toolbar (next to the address bar). Click it to open the extension menu.
6. Click on the Settings gear icon within the BlockSite menu.
7. You will see a large text box labelled “Enter a web address.” Simply type in the URL of the site you want to block (e.g., facebook.com) and click the green Add Item button.

Now, whenever you try to visit that specific website in Edge, you will be intercepted by a massive, cartoonish “Site Blocked” screen, reminding you to get back to work. You can easily remove the block later by returning to the extension settings and clicking the trash can icon next to the URL.

Method 2: Using Microsoft Family Safety (Best for Parental Control)

While the extension method is great for personal productivity, a tech-savvy teenager can easily bypass it by simply deleting the extension or opening a private “InPrivate” browsing window. If you need a strict, enforced block, you must use Microsoft Family Safety, which applies the block at the Microsoft account level.

Note: This method requires that you have set up a Family Group on your PC, and that the child logs into the computer using their own standard user account, not the master Admin account.

1. Open a web browser (on any computer) and navigate to family.microsoft.com. Log in with your master parent Microsoft Account.
2. On the family dashboard, find your child’s profile card and click on it to open their specific settings.
3. In the left-hand sidebar menu, click on Edge.
4. Scroll down the page until you find the section titled Blocked sites.
5. Type the exact URL of the website you wish to restrict (e.g., tiktok.com) into the text box and press the plus (+) button to add it to the list.
6. Ensure the toggle switch for “Filter inappropriate websites and searches” is turned on to activate the rules.

Because this rule is tied to the child’s Microsoft Account, it is virtually impossible to bypass. The moment they log into their account on the PC and open Microsoft Edge, the browser will synchronise with the Family Safety servers and immediately block access to the blacklisted URL, even if they attempt to use an InPrivate window.