Tiny Blocker - Chrome Extension (Manifest V3)

A lightweight website blocker Chrome extension that helps you stay focused and productive by blocking distracting websites.

Features

• Dynamic Website Blocking: Add and remove websites from your block list through an intuitive options page
• Quick Add Popular Sites: One-click buttons to block popular distracting sites (YouTube, Reddit, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Netflix)
• Individual Site Toggle: Enable/disable blocking for specific sites without removing them
• Master Block Switch: Temporarily disable all blocking with a single toggle
• Custom URL Patterns: Support for wildcard patterns to block entire domains or specific paths
• Real-time Updates: Changes take effect immediately without restarting the extension

Installation

1. Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://extensions/
2. Enable "Developer mode" in the top right
3. Click "Load unpacked"
4. Select the Tiny Blocker directory
5. The extension is now installed and ready to use!

Usage

Adding Sites to Block

1. Click the Tiny Blocker icon in your Chrome toolbar
2. Click "Manage Blocked Sites" or right-click the icon and select "Options"
3. Use the form to add custom websites:
   • Enter a website name (e.g., "YouTube")
   • Enter a URL pattern (e.g., *://*.youtube.com/*)
4. Or use the Quick Add buttons for popular sites

URL Pattern Examples

• *://*.example.com/* - Blocks all subdomains of example.com
• https://example.com/* - Blocks only HTTPS version of example.com
• *://example.com/path/* - Blocks specific paths

Managing Blocked Sites

• Toggle Individual Sites: Use the switch next to each site to enable/disable blocking
• Remove Sites: Click the "Remove" button to permanently delete a site from your list
• Master Toggle: Use the master switch to temporarily disable all blocking

Technical Details

• Manifest Version: V3 (Compatible with Chrome's latest requirements)
• Permissions:
  • storage - Save your blocked sites list
  • declarativeNetRequest - Block websites efficiently
  • declarativeNetRequestWithHostAccess - Redirect to blocked page
• Architecture: Service worker-based background script for better performance

Migration from V2

This extension has been migrated from Manifest V2 to V3 to ensure compatibility with Chrome beyond June 2025. Key changes include:

• Replaced webRequestBlocking with declarativeNetRequest
• Converted background scripts to service worker
• Updated to use dynamic rules for real-time blocking updates

Privacy

Tiny Blocker respects your privacy:

• All settings are stored locally in Chrome's sync storage
• No data is sent to external servers
• The extension only blocks sites you explicitly add to your list

Future Features

• Site timers for time-based blocking
• Blocking schedules (e.g., block during work hours)
• Password protection for settings
• Blocking statistics and productivity insights

Support

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions, please create an issue on the project repository.