Backup & Restore - Import and Export All Your Settings

Overview

The Backup & Restore feature gives you complete control over your Website Blocker configuration data. With a single click, you can export every setting, rule, and preference you have ever configured into a portable, human-readable JSON or CSV file. That file serves as a complete snapshot of your blocking environment — including your block lists, allow lists, scheduling rules, redirect destinations, password protection preferences, custom block page messages, and every other preference you have tailored over time.

Whether you are migrating to a new laptop, setting up a fresh browser profile, or simply want the peace of mind that comes with having a reliable backup on hand, this feature ensures that your carefully crafted blocking configuration is never more than one import away from being fully restored. Choose between JSON for a complete structured backup or CSV for a simple, spreadsheet-friendly format — both are lightweight, universally compatible, and editable by hand if you need to make bulk adjustments before importing.

This feature is especially valuable for users who have invested significant time building sophisticated blocking setups. If you have configured keyword and exact URL rules to catch every variation of a distracting site, or if you have set up flexible blocking rules that adapt to your workday, you know how much effort goes into getting things just right. Backup & Restore protects that investment completely.

What Data Is Included in the Export?

When you export your Website Blocker settings, the resulting JSON or CSV file contains a comprehensive snapshot of your entire configuration. Here is everything that gets saved:

• Block Lists: Every website and domain you have added to your block list is included. Whether you added sites manually or used the block with a single click feature to quickly add distractions as you encountered them, they are all captured in the export. This includes full domain blocks, subdomain-specific blocks, and wildcard patterns.
• Allow Lists: Your carefully maintained allow list — the sites you have explicitly permitted even when broader blocking rules are active — is fully preserved. This is critical for users who block entire categories but need exceptions for work-related tools or educational resources.
• Schedules: All of your scheduled blocking configurations are exported, including the specific days of the week, start and end times, and which block lists are associated with each schedule. If you have built complex multi-schedule setups for different parts of your day, every detail is retained.
• Redirect Rules: Any rules you have configured to redirect distractions to productive websites are saved in the export. This includes the source URLs and their corresponding redirect destinations.
• Password Settings: Your password protection configuration is included in the backup. This means that when you restore your settings on a new device, your blocking rules remain locked and tamper-proof from the moment they are imported.
• Custom Block Page Messages: If you have written a custom block page message — a motivational quote, a reminder of your goals, or a firm instruction to get back to work — it is preserved in the export file.
• Keyword and URL Rules: All of your keyword-based and exact URL blocking rules are included. This covers both simple keyword matches and complex URL patterns you have defined for precision blocking.
• Attempt-Based Blocking Settings: If you use attempt-based blocking to progressively restrict access after repeated visits, those thresholds and counters are part of the export.
• Incognito Mode Settings: Your configuration for blocking websites in incognito mode is included, ensuring there are no loopholes in your restored setup.
• Display Preferences: Interface preferences such as dark mode settings and your chosen language preference are also saved, so the extension looks and feels exactly the same after you restore.
• Block History Data: Your block history records — the log of every time a site was blocked — can be included in the export, giving you continuity in tracking your progress over time.

In short, whether you choose JSON or CSV, the export is a complete mirror of your Website Blocker installation. Nothing is left behind.

Key Benefits

Never Lose Your Configuration Again

Browser updates, system crashes, accidental uninstalls — any of these can wipe out an extension's data without warning. With regular backups of your Website Blocker settings, you have a safety net that lets you recover in seconds. Instead of spending hours trying to remember which sites you blocked, which schedules you set, and which flexible blocking rules you configured, you simply import your JSON or CSV file and everything is restored instantly.

Seamless Multi-Device Setup

Many people work across multiple devices — a desktop at the office, a laptop at home, and perhaps a Chromebook for travel. Without Backup & Restore, you would need to manually recreate your blocking configuration on each device. With this feature, you configure Website Blocker once on your primary device, export the settings, and import them on every other device. Your block lists, allow lists, schedules, redirect rules, password settings, and preferences are identical everywhere. The distractions you have blocked with a single click on your work computer are automatically blocked on your home laptop too.

Peace of Mind Before Making Changes

Want to experiment with a completely new blocking strategy? Perhaps you want to try more aggressive attempt-based blocking to break bad habits, or you want to overhaul your schedule to match a new work routine. Before making any major changes, simply export your current settings. If the new approach does not work out, you can restore your previous configuration in seconds. This makes it safe to experiment without risk — you always have a known-good backup to fall back on.

Share Configurations with Teams or Friends

The export file is not just for personal backup — it is also a powerful way to share blocking configurations. If you are a manager who wants to recommend a focus-friendly browser setup for your team, you can export your settings and distribute the JSON or CSV file. Team members import it and instantly have the same distraction-blocking environment. Parents can share configurations with their children. Study groups can align on the same set of blocked sites during exam season. Share JSON for a full configuration transfer, or CSV when team members want to review and edit the data in a spreadsheet before importing.

Lightweight and Transparent Formats

Website Blocker offers two export formats to suit your workflow. JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is an industry-standard, human-readable data format that captures your entire configuration in a structured, nested format — ideal for complete backups and programmatic editing. CSV (Comma-Separated Values) exports your data in a flat, tabular format that opens directly in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc, or any spreadsheet application — perfect for quickly reviewing, sorting, filtering, and bulk-editing your block lists and rules.

Unlike proprietary binary formats, both JSON and CSV files can be opened in any text editor. Want to bulk-add 50 new sites to your block list? Edit the CSV in a spreadsheet or the JSON in a text editor. Want to adjust schedule times across all your rules at once? A quick find-and-replace handles it in either format. This transparency gives advanced users unprecedented control over their configuration.

Instant Recovery After Browser Resets

Browser resets, profile cleanups, and extension updates can sometimes clear extension data. For users who rely on Website Blocker to maintain focus throughout their workday, losing their configuration even temporarily can be disruptive. Having a recent backup stored on your computer, in cloud storage, or even emailed to yourself means you are never more than a few clicks away from a full recovery. Combine this with password protection on your restored settings, and your focus environment is both resilient and secure.

How It Works

Exporting Your Settings

The export process is designed to be as simple and fast as possible. Here is how to create a backup of your Website Blocker configuration:

1. Open Website Blocker Settings: Click the Website Blocker icon in your browser toolbar and navigate to the settings or options page.
2. Navigate to Backup & Restore: Find the Backup & Restore section within the settings interface. It is clearly labeled and easy to locate.
3. Choose Your Format: Select whether you want to export as JSON or CSV. JSON is recommended for complete backups that preserve all nested settings and structures. CSV is ideal if you want to review or edit your data in a spreadsheet application like Excel or Google Sheets before importing.
4. Click "Export Settings": A single click generates your complete backup file in your chosen format. The extension gathers all of your data — block lists, allow lists, schedules, redirect rules, password configurations, custom messages, display preferences, and more — and packages it into a neatly structured file.
5. Save the File: Your browser's standard download dialog appears, allowing you to choose where to save the file. We recommend saving it to a cloud-synced folder (such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive) so it is automatically available on all your devices.

The entire export process takes just a few seconds, regardless of how complex your configuration is. Whether you have a simple setup with a handful of blocked sites or an elaborate system with dozens of scheduled blocking windows, keyword rules, and redirect destinations, the export captures everything instantly.

Importing Your Settings

Restoring your configuration on a new device or after a reinstall is equally straightforward:

1. Install Website Blocker: Install the Website Blocker extension on your new browser or device from the Chrome Web Store, Edge Add-ons store, or your browser's extension marketplace.
2. Open Settings and Navigate to Backup & Restore: Access the same Backup & Restore section in the extension's settings page.
3. Click "Import Settings": Click the import button and select the JSON or CSV backup file you previously exported. The extension automatically detects the file format, reads the data, and validates its contents to ensure it is a valid Website Blocker configuration.
4. Confirm the Import: You may be asked to confirm that you want to replace your current settings with the imported ones. This safeguard prevents accidental overwrites.
5. Done: Your entire configuration is restored. Block lists, allow lists, schedules, redirect rules, password settings, custom block page messages, display preferences — everything is back exactly as it was. If you had dark mode enabled, it is enabled again. If you had the interface set to one of the 47 supported languages, it is restored to that language.

Understanding the File Structures

 CSV Format

The CSV export organizes your data into rows and columns, making it instantly accessible in any spreadsheet application. Each row represents a single entry — a blocked site, an allow list item, a redirect rule, or a schedule — with clearly labeled column headers. This format is especially useful when you want to:

• Review your block list visually — Sort, filter, and scan hundreds of blocked sites at a glance in Excel or Google Sheets.
• Bulk-edit entries — Add, remove, or modify dozens of sites at once using familiar spreadsheet operations like copy-paste, drag-fill, or find-and-replace.
• Share with non-technical users — CSV files are universally understood, making them ideal for sharing with team members, family, or students who may not be comfortable editing JSON.
• Integrate with other tools — Import your Website Blocker data into project management tools, databases, or custom scripts that accept CSV input.

Best Practices for Backups

To get the most out of the Backup & Restore feature, consider adopting these habits:

• Back up regularly: Whenever you make significant changes to your configuration — adding new sites to your block list, updating your scheduled blocking times, or modifying redirect rules — create a fresh export.
• Store backups in the cloud: Save your JSON or CSV files to a cloud storage service so they are accessible from any device and protected against local hardware failures.
• Use descriptive file names: Name your backup files with dates or descriptions (e.g., "website-blocker-backup-2026-04-06.json" or "blocklist-export-2026-04-06.csv") so you can easily identify them later.
• Keep multiple versions: Instead of overwriting the same backup file, keep a few recent versions. This gives you the option to restore to different points in time if needed.
• Back up before experimenting: Before trying new blocking strategies like aggressive attempt-based blocking for breaking bad habits or restructuring your schedules, always create a backup first.

Use Cases

Setting Up a New Computer

You just bought a new laptop for work. Instead of spending an hour manually adding every blocked site, recreating your schedules, and configuring your redirect rules from scratch, you simply install Website Blocker and import your backup file. Within seconds, your new laptop has the exact same distraction-blocking environment as your old one. Every site you ever blocked with a single click, every keyword rule you defined, every schedule you built — all restored instantly.

Syncing Between Work and Home

You use one browser profile at the office and another at home, but you want the same blocking rules on both. Export your settings from your work computer, save the JSON file to your cloud storage, and import it on your home machine. Now both environments enforce the same focus rules. If you update your block list at work — perhaps adding a new social media platform that has been eating into your productivity — just re-export and re-import at home to stay in sync.

Recovering from a Browser Reset

Your browser crashed and you had to reset your profile. All extensions lost their data. Without a backup, you would be starting from scratch. But because you had the foresight to export your Website Blocker settings last week, you import the JSON file and you are back up and running in seconds. Your flexible blocking rules are intact, your schedules are unchanged, and your password protection is active again immediately.

Sharing a Configuration with Your Team

You are a team lead at a company that values deep focus time. You have built a comprehensive Website Blocker setup that blocks common distractions during work hours using scheduled blocking, redirects social media to the company wiki, and uses a custom block page message that reminds team members of the company's focus-first culture. Instead of asking each team member to configure these settings individually, you export your settings as a JSON file and share it via Slack or email. Everyone imports it, and the entire team has a consistent, distraction-free browsing environment from day one.

A Parent Configuring Multiple Devices for Children

You have set up Website Blocker on your child's school Chromebook with a carefully curated block list of inappropriate and distracting sites. You have enabled incognito mode blocking to close any workarounds, and you have locked the settings with password protection so the configuration cannot be changed. Now your child's sibling needs the same setup on a different device. Rather than repeating the entire process, you export the JSON file from the first device and import it on the second. Both devices are identically configured in minutes.

Experimenting with a New Productivity Strategy

You have read about breaking bad habits with attempt-based blocking and want to try a more aggressive approach — blocking distracting sites permanently after just two visit attempts instead of your current five. Before making the change, you export your current settings. You try the new strategy for a week. If it is too aggressive and disrupting your workflow, you import the old backup and restore your previous, more lenient configuration. No harm done, no time wasted reconfiguring.

Students During Exam Season

A group of students preparing for exams agrees to share a strict blocking configuration. One student sets up an aggressive distraction-blocking profile — social media, streaming platforms, gaming sites, and news aggregators are all blocked during study hours via scheduled blocking. Entertainment sites are redirected to study resources. The student exports the configuration and shares it in the group chat. Everyone imports it, and the entire study group benefits from the same disciplined browsing environment. After exams, they can import their pre-exam backup to return to normal browsing.

IT Administrators Deploying Across an Organization

An IT administrator needs to deploy a standardized Website Blocker configuration across dozens of workstations. Instead of manually configuring each machine, the admin creates a master configuration, exports it to JSON, and distributes the file through the organization's deployment tools. Every workstation gets an identical blocking setup — the same block lists, the same schedules, the same password-protected settings — with minimal effort and zero configuration drift.

Keeping Your Setup Safe During Extension Updates

While rare, extension updates can occasionally reset settings. Maintaining a regular backup habit means you are always prepared. If an update clears your data, a quick import restores everything — your block history, your preferences, your rules, your schedules. You never have to worry about an update undoing your productivity setup.

Two Formats, Maximum Flexibility

Website Blocker gives you the choice between two proven, open formats for your backups — each with its own strengths:

JSON is an open, standardized format supported by virtually every programming language and tool. It preserves the full nested structure of your configuration, making it ideal for complete backups and automated workflows. It is lightweight — even a complex configuration with hundreds of blocked sites and dozens of schedules produces a file that is typically just a few kilobytes in size. Power users can edit JSON directly to make bulk modifications, create templates, or merge configurations from multiple sources.

CSV brings the power of spreadsheets to your Website Blocker configuration. Open your export in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or LibreOffice Calc and instantly see all your blocked sites, allow list entries, and rules laid out in a clear, tabular format. Sort by category, filter by keyword, bulk-edit with familiar spreadsheet tools, and save — then import the modified CSV right back into Website Blocker. CSV is also the format of choice when sharing configurations with colleagues or family members who are more comfortable with spreadsheets than code editors.

This dual-format flexibility, combined with the simplicity of the import and export process, makes Backup & Restore one of the most practical and empowering features in the Website Blocker extension. You are never locked into a single workflow — choose the format that fits your needs and take full control of your productivity setup.

Protect Your Productivity Investment

Building an effective distraction-blocking setup is an investment of time and thought. You have identified your personal triggers, figured out the right balance of strictness and flexibility with flexible blocking rules, and fine-tuned your schedules to match your daily rhythm. The Backup & Restore feature ensures that investment is protected. With a single JSON or CSV file, your entire Website Blocker configuration is portable, recoverable, and shareable. Whether you are setting up a new device, recovering from data loss, or sharing your setup with others, Backup & Restore makes it effortless.

Start backing up your Website Blocker settings today. Export your configuration, save it somewhere safe, and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing your productivity tools are always just one import away from being fully operational.