What is an AI website blocker?
An AI website blocker is a focus tool that decides what to block by reading each page against the task you declared, instead of checking domains against a fixed list. You tell it what you're working on; it judges every page you open by one question: does this serve that work?
That one change fixes the failure that kills traditional blockers. A domain list can't tell a calculus lecture on YouTube from YouTube Shorts, or the Reddit thread that answers your exact error message from r/all. So list blockers either over-block (and get uninstalled the first time you need a "blocked" site for real work) or under-block (and you keep scrolling). Context is the missing ingredient, and context is what AI evaluation adds.
How Focus AI's blocking works
- You declare the task. "Finish the lab report." "Write chapter 3." The declaration is the contract.
- The AI evaluates each page you open during the session against that contract: content, not just domain. Allowed pages load instantly; distractions hit the block page.
- The block page does psychology, not punishment: it shows your own promise back to you, counts the escape attempt, and when you walk away it stamps the win with your reaction time. Resisting becomes a streak, not a sacrifice.
- The exit is guarded. Quitting a session early means typing a surrender phrase letter by letter (the Quit Wall), or is impossible until the timer ends if you chose nuclear mode.
AI blocker vs list blocker, in one table
| Scenario | List blocker | AI blocker (Focus AI) |
|---|---|---|
| Calculus lecture on YouTube during study | Blocked (whole domain) or allowed (whole domain) | Allowed: matches the task |
| YouTube Shorts during the same session | Same verdict as the lecture, by definition | Blocked: serves nothing |
| Reddit thread answering your exact bug | Blocked if Reddit is listed | Allowed during that task |
| New distraction site you never listed | Allowed: it's not on the list | Blocked: the AI recognizes the category |
Who it's for
Focus AI is built for students and people with ADHD: the people for whom "just use willpower" was never a plan and for whom every previous blocker was either too blunt to live with or too easy to escape. If you've uninstalled three blockers, you weren't the problem; the model was.
Try the AI website blocker
Free on the Chrome Web Store. Type what you're working on, lock in, and let the AI hold the door.
Add Focus AI to Chrome — it's freeFrequently asked questions
What is an AI website blocker?
An AI website blocker is a focus tool that decides what to block by evaluating each page's content against the task you declared, rather than by matching domains against a fixed list. Tell it 'study for the calculus exam' and a calculus lecture on YouTube loads while YouTube Shorts gets blocked, the distinction a domain list cannot make.
How is that different from BlockSite or StayFocusd?
List-based blockers are binary: a domain is blocked or it isn't, for lectures and brainrot alike. An AI blocker is contextual: the same domain can be allowed during one task and blocked during another. In practice this removes the main reason people uninstall blockers, which is over-blocking the sites they legitimately need.
Does the AI see everything I browse?
Focus AI evaluates page content only during active protection (a focus session or with the Identity Shield enabled) for the single purpose of the allow/block decision. It is not surveillance software: there are no team dashboards and no reports to anyone but you.
Is Focus AI free?
Free to install from the Chrome Web Store with full AI blocking for your first sessions, no account required. Continued use is $9.99/month or $49/year at Founding Member pricing.
What are the honest limits of AI blocking?
It runs in Chrome (and Edge), so a determined person can open another browser; the Quit Wall and anti-tamper features raise the cost of cheating but a blocker is a commitment device, not a prison. And AI judgment is probabilistic: rare mis-blocks happen, which is why Focus AI includes a once-per-session Quick Check pass and editable allow/block lists.