Getting Started with Blocker Web
Getting Started with Blocker Web
This guide will help you set up Blocker Web, understand the main controls, and block your first website.
Open Blocker Web
Launch Blocker Web from your desktop, Start menu, or installation folder.
When Blocker Web is opened for the first time, you will see an important notice explaining that the application uses the Windows hosts file and Windows Firewall to control website access.
Blocker Web will also attempt to create a backup of your existing Windows hosts file. This backup can be restored later from the Settings section.
Understand the Main Menu
The menu on the left side of Blocker Web provides access to the main areas of the application.
The available sections include:
- Blocked Websites
- History
- Whitelist
- Internet Lock
- Remote Control
- Settings
- Activate Pro
The Blocked Websites section is where you can add, search, remove, and control websites in your block list.
Add Your First Website
To add a website:
- Open the Blocked Websites section.
- Click the button to add a website.
- Enter the website domain you want to block.
- Select a reason for blocking the website.
- Click Add.
You can enter a website in several formats, including:
facebook.com
www.facebook.com
Blocker Web automatically removes unnecessary parts of the address and saves the main domain.
For example:
will be saved as:
facebook.com
You should enter the website domain rather than a search phrase or individual page name.
Select a Blocking Reason
When adding a website, Blocker Web asks you to select a reason.
The selected reason is stored alongside the website and can help you remember why it was added to the list.
The blocked website list can display:
- The website domain
- The date it was added
- The selected blocking reason
A reason must be selected before the website can be added.
Turn Website Blocking On
After adding a website, make sure the website-blocking switch is set to ON.
When blocking is on:
- Websites in the list are blocked
- The status displays as ON
- The number of blocked websites is shown
- The most recently added website may be displayed
Blocker Web also refreshes the Windows DNS cache when the blocking status changes. This helps Windows and your browser recognise the updated rules.
Test the Blocked Website
Open your web browser and try to visit the website you added.
The website should no longer load normally.
Depending on your browser, the website, and your Blocker Web settings, you may see:
- A browser connection error
- A page saying the website cannot be reached
- The custom Blocker Web blocked page
Try closing and reopening the browser if the website was already open before it was blocked.
Temporarily Pause Website Blocking
You can temporarily allow access to all websites in your list without deleting them.
Set the website-blocking switch to OFF.
When blocking is off:
- Your saved websites remain in the list
- The websites are temporarily accessible
- The blocked website count changes to zero
- You can turn blocking back on later
This is useful when you only want websites blocked during certain times.
Search Your Blocked Websites
Use the search box above the blocked website list to find a particular website.
Enter part of the domain name and Blocker Web will display matching entries.
For example, searching for:
you
could help you find:
youtube.com
Clear the search box to display the complete list again.
Remove a Website
To remove a website permanently:
- Select the website in the blocked websites list.
- Click Remove.
This removes the website from the list and deletes the entries created for it by Blocker Web.
Turning blocking off is different from removing a website. Turning blocking off keeps the website saved, while removing it deletes the website from the list.
Minimise Blocker Web to the System Tray
Clicking the minimise control hides the main Blocker Web window and keeps the application running in the Windows system tray.
To reopen Blocker Web:
- Find the Blocker Web icon in the system tray.
- Double-click the icon.
You can also right-click the tray icon and select Open Blocker Web.
To close Blocker Web completely, right-click the tray icon and select Exit Blocker Web.
Change Blocker Web Settings
Open the Settings section to configure options such as:
- Displaying a custom page for blocked websites
- Password-protecting Blocker Web
- Sharing anonymous usage analytics
- Restoring the hosts-file backup
- Resetting the Windows hosts file
After changing settings, click Save where required.