How to block YouTube Shorts on Chrome

Free, takes under a minute

You open YouTube for one video, and forty minutes later you're still swiping through Shorts. Here's how to block Shorts on your computer while the rest of YouTube keeps working: normal videos, search and your subscriptions.

Block Shorts in four clicks

This uses Bonk, a free website blocker for Chrome. It needs no account.

Add Bonk to Chrome from the Chrome Web Store.
Click the Bonk icon in Chrome's toolbar. If you can't see it, click the puzzle piece icon and pin Bonk.
Open Categories and YouTube.
Under YouTube, pick Just Shorts.

That's it. Any Shorts page now takes you to Bonk's blocked page instead, and that includes clicking a Short from inside YouTube. Everything else on YouTube works as normal.

Or type it in yourself

Bonk can block part of any site, not just YouTube. Type youtube.com/shorts into Bonk's box and click Block. It does the same as Just Shorts. The same trick works for other sites, like one section of a news site. The basics are in how to block websites on Chrome.

Hide Shorts from YouTube's pages too

Blocking stops Shorts from opening, but YouTube still shows rows of them on its pages. To remove those as well, open Bonk, click More blocking options, and under Hide parts of sites turn on Shorts shelves and links for YouTube. Hiding parts of sites is part of Bonk Pro.

Make it stick

Only during work hours: add a schedule, so Shorts are blocked on weekdays from 9 to 5 and open in the evening.
A daily allowance: give YouTube a daily time limit, so it blocks once you've used up your time.
No changing your mind: hard mode locks everything for a set time, including Chrome's extensions page, so you can't switch Bonk off until it ends.

Add Bonk to Chrome, it's free

Questions

Does this block Shorts on my phone?

No. Bonk is a Chrome extension for computers, on Windows, Mac, ChromeOS and Linux. It doesn't change the YouTube app on your phone.

Will normal YouTube videos still work?

Yes. Just Shorts only blocks Shorts pages. If you want, Bonk can block all of YouTube instead, or keep YouTube Music open while blocking the rest.

Is it really free?

Yes. Blocking Shorts, schedules and the Pomodoro timer are all free, with no limit on how many sites you block. Pro adds extras like hiding parts of sites. See pricing.

Can Bonk see what I watch?

No. Bonk checks each page's address against your list inside your browser, and nothing about what you watch or visit is sent anywhere. The privacy policy lists everything Bonk sends.