Why nextdns-blocker?

NextDNS is powerful for network-wide DNS filtering, but users frequently request features it doesn’t natively support. nextdns-blocker fills these gaps.

Community Pain Points → Solutions

These are real requests from NextDNS communities (Reddit, Help Center, GitHub):

What Users Ask For	nextdns-blocker Solution
”I want to block YouTube only during work hours”	Per-domain scheduling
”I need multiple recreation windows per day”	Multiple time_ranges
”I want a delay before I can unblock a site”	Configurable unblock_delay
”I need an emergency button to block everything”	Panic mode
”I want different rules for weekdays vs weekends”	Day-based scheduling
”I want to block gaming category but allow Discord”	Allowlist priority
”I need to know when blocks change”	Discord notifications
”I want it to run automatically”	Watchdog service

vs Alternatives

Feature	nextdns-blocker	Browser Extensions	Native NextDNS
Per-domain schedules	Yes	No	No
Network-wide (all devices)	Yes	No	Yes
Unblock delays (friction)	Yes	Some	No
Hard to bypass	Yes	No	Yes
Automated enforcement	Yes	No	No
Category + exception control	Yes	No	Partial
Emergency lockdown	Yes	No	No

Real Use Cases

Digital Wellness / Addiction Recovery

For those building healthier digital habits:

• Unblock delays add friction against impulsive access
• Panic mode provides emergency lockdown when needed
• Strict schedules limit entertainment to specific windows
• “never” unblock makes certain blocks permanent

{
  "domain": "reddit.com",
  "unblock_delay": "4h",
  "schedule": {
    "available_hours": [
      {
        "days": ["saturday", "sunday"],
        "time_ranges": [{"start": "18:00", "end": "22:00"}]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Remote Work Productivity

Block distractions during work, allow them after:

• Weekday/weekend differentiation - stricter on workdays
• Multiple windows - lunch break + evening access
• Work resources in allowlist - never blocked

{
  "blocklist": [
    {
      "domain": "twitter.com",
      "schedule": {
        "available_hours": [
          {
            "days": ["monday", "tuesday", "wednesday", "thursday", "friday"],
            "time_ranges": [
              {"start": "12:00", "end": "13:00"},
              {"start": "18:00", "end": "23:00"}
            ]
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ],
  "allowlist": [
    {"domain": "github.com"},
    {"domain": "stackoverflow.com"}
  ]
}

Parental Control

Manage children’s screen time:

• Gaming only on weekends - schedule-based access
• Educational sites always allowed - via allowlist
• “never” unblock delay - kids can’t bypass
• Category blocking - block entire content types

See the Parental Control Guide for a complete setup.

Focus Sessions

Temporary strict blocking during deep work:

# Block everything for 2 hours
nextdns-blocker panic 120

What nextdns-blocker Does NOT Do

To set correct expectations:

• Not a VPN - Uses your existing NextDNS profile
• Not a browser extension - Works at DNS level, network-wide
• Not real-time filtering - Syncs every 2 minutes via watchdog
• Requires NextDNS subscription - Needs API access (free tier works)

Getting Started

Ready to try it?

1. Install nextdns-blocker
2. Quick Setup - 5 minutes to configure
3. Your First Sync - See it in action

Or explore specific features:

• Schedules - Time-based access control
• Unblock Delay - Add friction
• Panic Mode - Emergency lockdown