PauseFence – Free Website Blocker for Focus

Description

Block distracting websites with focus modes, intentional pauses, controlled breaks, recurring schedules, and optional exam tools. # PauseFence — Chrome Web Store submission ## Listing - Upload package: **`PauseFence-v0.8.1-webstore.zip`** - Name: **PauseFence – Free Website Blocker for Focus** - Version: **0.8.1** - Category: **Workflow & Planning** - Language: **English** - Short description (129/132 characters): > Block distracting websites with focus modes, intentional pauses, controlled breaks, recurring schedules, and optional exam tools. > **Naming decision applied:** The unique PauseFence brand avoids confusion with the established “FocusGuard” listing while retaining accurate website-blocker and focus keywords. ### Detailed description ```text PauseFence is a customizable website blocker for Chrome that turns impulsive visits into deliberate choices. Select the distracting sites you want to guard, choose how firm the boundary should be, and let recurring schedules protect your work or study time automatically. CHOOSE THE RIGHT LEVEL OF FRICTION • Strict Mode redirects enabled sites to a local interruption page with no bypass inside the extension. • Friction Mode adds a configurable pause before a timed break. Set the pause and access length, add a daily limit, and choose from two configurable, one-time extension options after access ends. • Free Mode keeps sites available unless a scheduled Strict period is active. BLOCK THE SITES THAT DISTRACT YOU Choose built-in options for Reddit, X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, including a Shorts-only option. Add custom domains when you need a different boundary. Chrome requests access to each additional domain you enable. AUTOMATE YOUR FOCUS SCHEDULE Create recurring periods for selected days and start/end times. Overnight periods are supported. During each scheduled window, Strict Mode overrides your base mode. Afterwards, your saved mode resumes. OPTIONAL STUDY SUPPORT Switch between Normal and Study Mode from the popup. Add an exam name, exam date, and personal reminder to see your goal and countdown on interruption screens. If you are preparing for CAT, you can also set daily targets for VARC, DILR, QA, and lectures, track progress in settings, and see that progress on the interruption page. SEE PROGRESS WITHOUT AN ACCOUNT The popup and local insights show interrupted attempts, site-level counts, breaks started, and current access timers. End an active break early whenever you choose. PRIVATE BY DESIGN PauseFence has no developer-operated server, account, analytics, ads, or tracking. Settings, schedules, exam details, study progress, and aggregate statistics stay in Chrome local extension storage. Protection remains off until you review the in-product disclosure and agree. Protected URLs are then processed on your device only to apply your rules and return you to an allowed page; they are not sent to the developer or saved as a persistent browsing-history list. Good to know: Incognito windows are covered only if you enable “Allow in incognito” on Chrome’s extension details page. Disabling or removing the extension, or switching browser profiles, bypasses its rules. ``` ## Privacy tab ### Single purpose > PauseFence helps users reduce distracting browsing by blocking user-selected websites and enforcing user-configured focus rules, intentional pauses, timed breaks, and schedules. Optional study reminders and progress context support that same distraction-interruption workflow. ### Permission justifications **alarms** > Used to schedule recurring Strict Mode transitions and the expiration of active site breaks so protection resumes at the configured time, including after Chrome suspends the extension service worker. **declarativeNetRequestWithHostAccess** > Used to create local rules that redirect top-level navigations on user-enabled websites to PauseFence’s interruption page. During a user-approved timed break, a temporary local allow rule permits that site until the break expires. Rules apply only to main-frame navigations. **storage** > Used to save settings, selected and custom sites, schedules, optional exam/reminder/target data, daily progress, and aggregate blocked-attempt and break counts in Chrome local storage. Short-lived pause, break, and extension timers use Chrome session storage. Chrome sync is not used. **Required host permissions — Reddit, X/Twitter, and Instagram** > These sites are selected by default but protection remains off until the user reviews the in-product disclosure and explicitly agrees. After agreement, access is used only to recognize and redirect top-level navigations when protection is active and to restore the protected page after an allowed break. PauseFence does not inject content scripts or read page content. **Optional host permission — `*://*/*`** > Supports the custom-site feature. It does not grant blanket access at installation. PauseFence requests only the specific origin the user adds or enables at runtime; the broad optional declaration is needed because a custom domain can be any website. **Remote code** Select **No, I am not using remote code**. All JavaScript and CSS is packaged with the extension. There are no remote scripts, runtime code downloads, `eval`, or `new Function` calls. ### Data-use disclosures - Disclose **web history / browsing activity**: protected domains and full protected URLs are processed locally to enforce rules and restore an allowed page. Full URLs are not transmitted or stored as a persistent browsing-history list. - Disclose **user activity**: aggregate blocked-attempt counts, counts by protected site, break counts, and study progress are stored locally. - If offered by the form, disclose **user-provided content/form data** for custom domain/name, exam name/date, reminder, schedule, targets, and progress. - Do not select website content, authentication, financial, health, location, or communications data; the current code does not process those categories. - Certify that data is not sold, used for advertising or creditworthiness, transferred for unrelated purposes, or made available for human review. ## Distribution - Visibility: choose **Public** unless an unlisted/private release is intentional. - Regions: choose the intended regions. - In-app purchases: **No** (the current extension has no paid feature or purchase flow). - Publishing: automatic is simplest; deferred publishing must be completed within 30 days of approval. ## Reviewer test instructions > Install the extension and review the first-run local-data disclosure. Select “Agree and enable PauseFence” to activate the default Reddit, X/Twitter, and Instagram protection rules. Open Settings to change modes, websites, recurring schedules, or optional Study Mode details. Navigate to an enabled website to verify the local interruption page. No account, payment, or external service is required. ## Still required from the publisher - Replace the contact placeholder in `privacy-policy-template.html`, host it at a stable public HTTPS URL, and enter that URL in the Privacy tab. - Upload all five authentic 1280×800 images from `webstore-assets/screenshots/upload-ready/` in numeric order. - Upload `pausefence-small-promo-440x280.png` as the small promotional tile. - Upload `Focus-Guard-v0.8.0/assets/icon128.png` as the store icon if the dashboard asks for it separately. - Verify the developer contact email, enable Google Account 2-Step Verification, and complete the trader/non-trader declaration. - Run the smoke test in `Focus-Guard-v0.8.0/UPGRADE_NOTES.md` before submission.

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