Tutorial

How to Block All Websites Except a Few (Whitelist Mode)

Q: How does whitelist mode work?

Whitelist mode inverts normal blocking. Instead of maintaining a list of blocked sites, you maintain a list of allowed sites, and the default for anything not on the list becomes blocked. When you try to open an unlisted site, the request is intercepted and a block page is shown instead.

Q: What happens to new or unlisted sites in whitelist mode?

They are blocked. That is the point of the model: the default is deny, so a brand-new distraction site, a redirect, or an embedded page from an unlisted domain will not load unless you explicitly allow it. You never have to chase new sites onto a blocklist.

Q: Is whitelist mode better than a normal blocklist?

It depends on your situation. Whitelist mode suits deep work sprints, exam preparation, and managed work profiles, where the set of allowed sites is small and stable. A blocklist suits everyday use, where you visit dozens of legitimate sites and only want to remove a few specific distractions. Many people use both: whitelist mode during focus hours via a schedule, a normal blocklist the rest of the time.

By Adam · Published 6 September 2026 · Updated 6 September 2026 · 8 min read

To block every website except the ones you allow, use a blocker with whitelist mode: Bouncer inverts the usual model so the default becomes "blocked," and only the sites on your allowlist — your mail, your work dashboard, your calendar — load normally. Chrome has no built-in way to do this; its site settings manage notifications and permissions, not page access. Below: how whitelist mode works, the setup steps, how to allow specific paths instead of whole domains, and what happens to sites you never listed.

Key Takeaways

Whitelist mode flips the default. Everything is blocked except the sites you explicitly allow.
New and unlisted sites are blocked automatically — you never chase new distractions onto a blocklist.
Chrome can't do this natively. Site settings handle notifications and permissions, not page access.
Path-level allows let you permit one section of a domain instead of the whole thing — hosts file and DNS can't.
Best for deep work and managed profiles; a normal blocklist fits everyday browsing better.

How Does Whitelist Mode Work?

Normal blocking is deny-by-exception: everything loads unless it's on your blocklist. The problem is coverage — new sites, viral links, and infinite "related content" mean the blocklist is always one step behind. Whitelist mode inverts the model:

Blocklist (default allow): the internet is open; you close specific doors.
Whitelist (default deny): the internet is closed; you open specific doors.

When you try to open an unlisted site, the request is intercepted and you get a block page instead. Nothing on your allowlist changes. A brand-new distraction site that launched this morning is already covered, because it isn't on the list — the model doesn't need to know about it to block it.

How Do You Set Up Whitelist Mode in Chrome?

Chrome has no built-in website blocker, so you need an extension that supports whitelist mode. With Bouncer:

Install a website blocker with whitelist mode, such as Bouncer, from the Chrome Web Store.
Open the dashboard and switch the blocklist to whitelist mode.
Add the sites you want to allow — for example mail.google.com, your work dashboard, and your calendar.
Browse normally: everything on the allowlist loads, everything else shows the block page.

Bouncer's whitelist mode is part of the Pro plan ($25 one-time — unlimited rules, schedules, and profiles); the free tier covers up to 5 rules of standard blocking. Two refinements worth knowing: combine whitelist mode with a schedule so it runs 9–5 on workdays and the internet opens back up at 5, and protect the settings with the accountability PIN so the allowlist can't be quietly expanded mid-afternoon.

Can You Allow Specific Paths Instead of Whole Domains?

Sometimes a whole domain is too much. You might need your company's Google Drive but not YouTube, which lives on the same google.com infrastructure. Whether you can allow a path depends entirely on the tool:

Path-level whitelist rules: blockers like Bouncer support path rules, so you can allow docs.google.com or a specific dashboard URL while the rest of the domain stays blocked. This is the precise version.
Hosts file: domain-only. You can point google.com at 127.0.0.1, but you cannot say "except the mail subdomain." The hosts file understands domains, not paths.
DNS filtering (NextDNS, OpenDNS): also domain-only, plus it applies to the whole network rather than your browser.

The general pattern across tools: browser extensions with path rules are the only way to get section-level precision. The mechanics of path rules are the same as in blocking only the Shorts path of YouTube — just inverted, allowing instead of blocking.

What Happens to New or Unlisted Sites?

They're blocked — automatically and permanently, until you decide otherwise. This is the entire advantage of the model:

New distraction sites that didn't exist when you set up the block are covered on day one.
Redirects to unlisted domains (link shorteners, ad networks, "read more" hops) hit the block page.
Embedded content from unlisted domains won't load inside pages you do allow.

The honest cost: you will occasionally hit a legitimate site you forgot to allow — a documentation page, a client's portal. That friction is the design working. Add the site deliberately, with the PIN protected, and the list stays clean. If even that feels too loose, Bouncer's nuclear mode covers the extreme case: a block with no exits at all until the timer ends.

Is Whitelist Mode Better Than a Normal Blocklist?

Neither is universally better — they solve different problems:

Whitelist mode fits deep work sprints, exam preparation, freelance deep-focus contracts, and managed work or study profiles, where the set of legitimate sites is small and known in advance.
A blocklist fits everyday browsing, where you legitimately visit dozens of sites and only a handful of them are the problem. Blocking "everything except five sites" would break your week; blocking the five problem sites fixes it.

The strongest setup uses both on a schedule: whitelist mode during your focus hours, a normal blocklist the rest of the day. If your focus problem is one specific platform rather than the whole internet, the per-platform guides — YouTube, TikTok, Reddit — are the lighter touch.

When This Guide Is the Wrong Fit

Your work sites change daily. If you can't predict what you'll need, the constant allowlist edits will cost more than they save. A blocklist or scheduled blocking fits better.
You're managing a child's device. For device-wide allowlists — apps included, not just the browser — use Google Family Link (Android) or Screen Time (iOS), which are tamper-resistant in ways browser extensions aren't.
You need content filtering, not site access. Whitelist mode controls which sites load; filtering categories of content across the whole web is a DNS service's job (NextDNS, OpenDNS).

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I block all websites except a few in Chrome?

Use a website blocker with whitelist mode, such as Bouncer. Install the extension, switch to whitelist mode, and add the sites you want to allow — for example mail.google.com and your work dashboard. Everything on the allowlist loads; everything else is blocked. Chrome has no built-in way to do this.

How does whitelist mode work?

It inverts normal blocking: instead of a list of blocked sites, you keep a list of allowed sites and the default becomes blocked. Requests to unlisted sites are intercepted and a block page is shown instead.

Can I allow specific paths instead of whole domains?

It depends on the tool. Blockers with path-level rules — Bouncer among them — let you allow specific paths like a single dashboard URL. Hosts-file and DNS approaches only understand whole domains, so they can't be that precise.

What happens to new or unlisted sites in whitelist mode?

They're blocked. Default-deny is the model: a brand-new site, a redirect, or embedded content from an unlisted domain won't load until you explicitly allow it.

Is whitelist mode better than a normal blocklist?

Whitelist mode suits deep work and managed profiles where the allowed set is small and stable. A blocklist suits everyday browsing where you visit many legitimate sites. Many people combine both on a schedule: whitelist during focus hours, blocklist the rest of the day.

Related Guides

Default-Deny Browsing in Two Minutes

Bouncer's whitelist mode blocks everything except what you allow — on a schedule, with a PIN. Free tier available. Pro is $25, one-time.

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