Features

Block Nested Pages Automatically — Contain vs Exact Filter Modes

One of the most common frustrations new users have with web blockers is the moment they realize that blocking reddit.com did not actually block reddit.com/r/news or reddit.com/r/funny. They added the domain, walked away thinking they were protected, and then spent the next forty minutes scrolling through subreddits that technically were not "the same URL" as the one they blocked. The good news is that Website Blocker has already solved this problem with a feature called Filter URL Mode — a small but powerful setting that controls whether a rule blocks only the exact URL you entered, or every nested page underneath it.

Filter URL Mode gives you two choices for every blocking rule you create: Contain (the default, designed to catch nested pages automatically) and Exact (designed to surgically target one specific URL while leaving everything else accessible). By choosing the right mode for each rule, you can build a blocking strategy that is both comprehensive (no accidental loopholes through subpages) and precise (no accidental over-blocking of pages you actually need). It is one of those features that quietly transforms a basic blocker into a serious focus tool — and most users never even know it is there.

This blog walks you through exactly when to use each mode, why the choice matters more than it might seem, and how to combine Contain and Exact rules in the same block list to handle every kind of distracting page you might encounter. Filter URL Mode is the difference between a blocker that mostly works and a blocker that actually stops what you want it to stop — and it works seamlessly with every other rule type Website Blocker supports, including precise keyword and exact URL rules, keyword blocking by content, and flexible blocking rules.

Key Benefits of Filter URL Mode

1. Contain Mode Blocks Entire Sections of a Website in a Single Rule

This is the headline benefit and the reason most users will want to leave Filter URL set to Contain by default. When you block reddit.com in Contain mode, you are not just blocking the homepage — you are blocking every single page that contains reddit.com in its URL. That includes every subreddit (reddit.com/r/anything), every user profile (reddit.com/user/anyone), every comment thread, every search result page, and every link the site might add in the future. One rule, one URL, infinite coverage.

The alternative — adding every subpage individually — is impractical for any modern website. Major sites have hundreds or thousands of distinct URL patterns, and they add new ones constantly. Contain mode handles all of that automatically by treating the URL you entered as a pattern that must appear somewhere in the page's address. If it appears, the page is blocked. This is exactly how most people intuitively expect blockers to work, and it is exactly how Website Blocker works by default.

2. Exact Mode Gives You Surgical Precision When You Need It

Sometimes you do not want to block an entire site — you just want to block one specific page on it. Maybe the homepage of a productivity tool sometimes shows you tempting product news, but the dashboard URL underneath is exactly where your real work lives. Maybe a news outlet's homepage is endless doomscrolling, but their specific article you bookmarked is fine to access. Maybe you want to block your own social media profile (to stop checking your own notifications) but keep direct-message URLs accessible for real conversations.

For all of these cases, Exact mode is the answer. Set Filter URL to Exact, paste in the specific URL you want blocked, and only that exact URL is enforced — everything else on the same site stays accessible. Exact mode is also the right choice when you have a high-traffic page on a low-distraction site that occasionally pulls you in (like a specific subreddit you cannot resist, on an otherwise approved Reddit you use for research).

3. Both Modes Work Together in the Same Block List

Filter URL Mode is set per-rule, not globally. That means you can have some rules in Contain mode and other rules in Exact mode within the same block list. The most powerful blocking strategies usually combine both: big Contain rules for sites you want fully off-limits, and targeted Exact rules for specific pages within sites you generally want accessible. This per-rule granularity is what makes Filter URL Mode genuinely flexible instead of an all-or-nothing setting.

This per-rule design also pairs beautifully with block profiles for different contexts like work, study, and relaxation. Your "work" profile might use Contain on every social platform, while your "weekend" profile might use Exact rules to block only the specific pages that ruin your downtime (like a particular subreddit known for arguments). Same site, different blocking strategy, different context.

4. Saves Hours of Rule Maintenance as Sites Change

Modern websites are constantly adding new URL patterns. Twitter introduces a new "For You" feed at a new URL, Reddit launches a new community page format, YouTube redesigns its trending section with a new path. If your block list relies on hundreds of exact URLs, every single one of these changes is a new gap in your protection. With Contain mode, you do not have to worry about any of this — the base domain stays the same, and every new page underneath it is automatically blocked from the moment it exists.

This durability is especially valuable for users who maintain large block lists and do not want to be constantly auditing them. Set Contain rules once for your major distracting sites, and the rules continue working months and years later without manual maintenance. Combined with backing up and restoring your configuration, your blocking strategy becomes both durable in time and portable across devices.

5. Works Perfectly with Subdomains, Paths, and Query Strings

Contain mode does not just match the path — it matches the full URL, including subdomains and query strings. That means you can use it to target very specific parts of a site without sacrificing the catch-everything-underneath behavior. Block old.reddit.com and you block every page on the old Reddit interface while leaving the new interface accessible. Block news.ycombinator.com/newest and you block the "newest" section and everything under it, but leave the top-stories homepage open.

This URL-pattern flexibility also makes Contain mode work elegantly with sites that use query parameters for important state. Block youtube.com/watch?v= if you want to block every video page while keeping the homepage and search accessible. The Contain match catches every URL that includes that prefix — which is every video on YouTube. Try doing that with exact URLs and you would need a separate rule for every video ID on the site.

6. The Default Choice for the Most Common Use Case

Contain mode is the default for a reason: in the vast majority of cases, it is exactly what users want. When most people add a website to a blocker, they mean "block this entire site, including everything under it." Contain mode delivers that intuition without requiring users to think about URL patterns, regular expressions, or matching modes. The setting is there for users who need precision, but the default behavior just works for everyone else.

This is especially valuable for new users following a Pomodoro-based focus workflow or just trying the extension for the first time. They can single-click block a distracting site, trust that the block will cover everything that matters, and only revisit the filter mode later if they discover a specific need for Exact mode. The defaults are well chosen, so the learning curve stays flat.

How Filter URL Mode Works — Step-by-Step

Setting up a rule with Filter URL Mode is part of the normal blocking workflow. You do not need to dig into advanced settings or open a different page — the choice between Contain and Exact is right there next to the URL input when you create or edit a rule.

Step 1: Open the Website Blocker Popup

Click the Website Blocker icon in your browser's toolbar to open the popup. You will see the URL input at the top, the block type selector below it, and the Filter URL Mode option as part of the same form. If you are editing an existing rule, click the edit (pencil) icon next to the rule in the "Recently blocked websites" list to open the same form pre-filled with the rule's current settings.

Step 2: Enter the URL You Want to Block

Type the URL into the input box. The format depends on what you want to block:

To block an entire domain: Enter just the domain — for example, reddit.com, youtube.com, or twitter.com.
To block a specific section of a domain: Enter the domain plus the path — for example, reddit.com/r/funny to block one subreddit, or youtube.com/shorts to block YouTube Shorts but allow regular videos.
To block a specific exact page: Enter the complete URL — for example, news.example.com/category/politics/article-name.

Step 3: Choose Filter URL Mode

Below the URL input, you will see the Filter URL Mode option. Two choices are available:

Contain (default): Blocks any page whose URL contains the text you entered. Best for blocking entire domains, sections, or any case where you want nested pages caught automatically. This is the right choice 90% of the time.
Exact: Blocks only the page whose URL exactly matches the text you entered. Any other page on the same site stays accessible. Best for surgically targeting one specific page while leaving everything else open.

If you are unsure which to pick, start with Contain. You can always switch to Exact later if you find the rule is blocking pages you actually need.

Step 4: Pick a Block Type and Save

Filter URL Mode works with every block type Website Blocker supports — Permanent Block, Smart Block, and Time-based Block. Choose the block type that matches how aggressively you want the rule enforced, then click the orange Block button to save. The rule is added to your block list immediately, and the chosen Filter URL Mode is applied from this moment forward.

If you have a long list of URLs to add — for example, dozens of specific pages you want to block in Exact mode, or many domains you want covered in Contain mode — you can also use CSV bulk import to add all of them at once. Each row in the CSV file specifies its own Filter URL Mode, so you can mix Contain and Exact rules in the same import.

Step 5: Verify the Rule Works as Expected

After saving the rule, test it by trying to visit a page that should be blocked. For Contain rules, try both the base URL and a nested page — both should be blocked. For Exact rules, try the exact URL (should be blocked) and a different page on the same site (should still be accessible). Every blocked attempt is logged in your block history, so you can review later which URLs your rules actually caught.

Step 6: Adjust as You Discover Edge Cases

Real-world blocking sometimes requires iteration. You might discover that a Contain rule is catching a page you actually need (in which case you can either switch it to Exact mode for the specific URL, or add an allowlist exception). You might discover that an Exact rule is missing a page you wanted to block (in which case Contain mode is probably what you really need). Edit the rule using the edit (pencil) icon in the popup, change the Filter URL Mode, and save the updated version.

For complex rule sets, you can also use keyword blocking that targets page content instead of just URLs as a complementary approach. Contain handles the URL side; keyword blocking handles cases where the URL is innocent but the page content is the actual distraction.

Real-World Use Cases for Contain vs Exact

The right Filter URL Mode depends entirely on what you are trying to block and why. Here are six concrete scenarios that show how different users mix Contain and Exact rules to build effective blocking strategies.

Block All Reddit Subreddits with One Contain Rule

Reddit is the canonical example of a site where Contain mode is essential. Adding just reddit.com in Contain mode blocks every subreddit, every comment thread, every user profile, and every search result in one rule. If you tried to handle Reddit with Exact rules, you would need to add thousands of subreddit URLs individually — and Reddit creates new subreddits every single day, so your list would be out of date the moment you finished building it.

Combine this with a redirect rule that sends you to your project management tool instead, and the Reddit-as-time-sink pattern is completely neutralized. Every URL you try, every link you click, every push from a friend — all of them redirect somewhere productive.

Block YouTube Shorts but Allow Regular Videos with a Targeted Contain Rule

YouTube Shorts is a different beast than the rest of YouTube. The short, swipeable format is designed for endless engagement and consistently destroys focus, even for users who are otherwise productive on the platform. Setting up a Contain rule for youtube.com/shorts blocks every Short while leaving regular videos, channels, search, and educational content fully accessible. One precise rule, one specific target, no collateral damage.

The same pattern works for blocking YouTube's homepage feed (youtube.com in Exact mode would block just the homepage) while allowing direct video links. Combine this with keyword-based content blocking to filter out specific topics you want to avoid, and YouTube becomes a focused learning tool instead of a feed-scrolling trap.

Block a News Site Entirely with a Contain Rule

News addiction follows the same pattern as social media addiction: you go to check one thing and end up scrolling for forty-five minutes. Blocking a news site with Contain mode (just the base domain) is the right level of intervention for most users — every article, every category page, every search, every comment section gets caught by the one rule. Compulsive news-checking becomes friction-loaded rather than frictionless.

For users who need a more nuanced approach — for example, journalists who need access to news sites for professional work — combine a Contain block with scheduled blocking so the rule only applies outside of working hours, or with block profiles so the rule applies only in a specific context.

Block Your Own Social Media Profile with an Exact Rule

If you constantly check your own profile for new likes, follows, or comments — but you legitimately use the social platform for messaging or specific community features — Exact mode is exactly the right tool. Block your specific profile URL (for example, instagram.com/yourusername) in Exact mode, and the profile page is blocked while messaging, search, and other features stay accessible. You get the focus benefit without losing the legitimate use cases.

This same pattern works for blocking your own LinkedIn profile (to stop checking who viewed it), your own YouTube channel analytics (to stop refreshing the view count), or any other "self-check" URL that consumes more time than it deserves. Pair this with bypass prevention so you cannot casually remove the rule when the urge to check hits.

Block a Specific Path on an Otherwise Useful Site

Many sites have one section that ruins everything else. Stack Overflow has its "Hot Network Questions" sidebar that pulls you into endless trivia. Wikipedia has its "Random article" feature that turns twenty-second lookups into two-hour rabbit holes. GitHub has its trending pages that have nothing to do with what you came to find. Each of these can be handled with a single Contain rule on the specific path: wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random, github.com/trending, and so on. The rest of the site stays fully usable for the work you actually need to do.

Build a Hybrid Block List That Mixes Both Modes

Power users typically build block lists that combine many Contain rules with a smaller number of carefully targeted Exact rules. A typical pattern looks like:

Contain rules for sites that are fully off-limits during focus time — facebook.com, twitter.com, tiktok.com, instagram.com, and any other platforms that have no productive use case for you.
Contain rules with paths for sections of larger sites — for example, youtube.com/shorts, reddit.com/r/funny, or news.ycombinator.com/best.
Exact rules for very specific pages on otherwise-useful sites — your own social profile, a particular tab on a tool's homepage, or a known-distracting URL within an otherwise allowed site.

This hybrid approach gives you the comprehensive coverage of Contain mode plus the precision of Exact mode, all within a single block list. Add CSV bulk import for fast initial setup, password protection to prevent casual rule changes, and the Focus Timer for structured sessions, and you have a focus system that handles every kind of distracting page you might encounter.

Why Filter URL Mode Matters in Website Blocker Pro

Filter URL Mode is one of those features that separates a basic blocker from a serious focus tool. The difference between "I blocked Reddit" and "every single subreddit, comment thread, and user profile on Reddit is now genuinely off-limits" is the difference between a setting that mostly works and one that actually delivers the focus benefit you signed up for. Contain mode is the quiet engine that makes Website Blocker's rules durable, comprehensive, and resistant to the constant churn of modern websites.

As a Website Blocker Pro subscriber, you get the full toolkit that makes Filter URL Mode even more powerful: the full Pomodoro-based Focus Timer, keyword-based content blocking (for cases where URL matching alone is not enough), Silent Block Mode, bypass prevention with cooldown timers, block profiles for different contexts, and scheduled blocking. Together, these features turn the simple Contain-versus-Exact choice into the foundation of a precision-engineered focus environment.

Stop adding URL after URL trying to catch every variant of the same distracting site. Stop letting nested pages slip past your rules. Choose Contain when you want broad coverage, choose Exact when you need surgical precision, and let Website Blocker do the rest — for every site, every page, and every future URL the web throws at you.