LeechBlock for Windows

Stop wasting time: a Firefox add-on that helps you focus

If you find yourself drifting to games, video portals or social networks when you should be working, a site-blocking Firefox extension can help. LeechBlock is designed to reduce online distractions by preventing access to selected websites during times you specify, or by limiting how long you can spend on them.

Who it helps and common uses

• People who repeatedly lose focus to social media, streaming or casual gaming.
• Users who want to silence persistent ads, pop-ups or unwanted messaging from particular sites.
• Caregivers who want to restrict what children can access on a shared browser (note: the developer advises against relying on it as a parental control solution).

Key capabilities

LeechBlock offers flexible controls so you don’t have to toggle blocking on and off manually:

• Schedule blocks for particular hours of the day, defined dates, or a mix of both.
• Enforce time limits on sites and track how long you spend on them.
• Optionally require a password to view blocked pages, making it harder to give in to temptation.
• Configure whether blocked pages remain in your Back history and whether the blocked page’s URL is passed to the block page.
• Show a warning message before a site is blocked, providing a final reminder before access is denied.

How to add and manage blocked sites

To add sites to your block list:

• Open Firefox’s Add-ons manager, find LeechBlock, and choose Options.
• Enter the addresses you want to restrict and configure the schedules, password protection, and time-counting settings to suit your needs.

This approach keeps everything configurable so you can allow occasional access without repeatedly enabling or disabling the extension.

Practical limitations and tips

• Because you choose the password, LeechBlock can’t absolutely prevent a determined user from bypassing it — its value is in creating friction to reduce impulsive browsing.
• It’s particularly effective for removing annoyances or preventing casual access by others on your machine rather than serving as foolproof parental control.
• If you have sites that use Flash or Java, enable the option to count time on pages when the tab isn’t focused to ensure accurate tracking.

Alternative option

If you prefer a different tool, BlockSite is a commonly recommended, free alternative that provides similar blocking features.

Recent changes and enhancements

• Localizations were removed due to unavailable translators.
• Options dialog redesigned to be more compact and space-efficient.
• Example links were added directly in the options panel for quick reference.
• A new setting counts time spent on pages even when the tab is not focused (helps with certain Flash/Java pages).
• A pre-block warning message can now be shown before access is denied.
• You can choose to preserve blocked pages in the browser’s Back history.
• Added the ability to include the blocked page’s URL in the block page (use $U).