Gmail Blocker case study | WebFootprint
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Gmail Blocker · Chrome extension, open source

Gmail, blocked by default

A small Chrome extension that blocks Gmail by default, to break the habit of checking the inbox. One click pauses the block for 15 minutes.

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Illustration: Gmail Blocker keeping the inbox closed until you choose to open it

The brief

We wanted to stop checking email out of habit, and still reach the inbox when we chose to.

What we did

  • A full-screen overlay on mail.google.com while Gmail is blocked
  • The tab title is forced to 'Blocked' and the tab icon is locked, so unread counts never show
  • A 15-minute pause with a live countdown, plus '+15 min' and 'Block Now'
  • A warning bar in the last 60 seconds before Gmail blocks again
  • Timers that survive browser restarts, using Chrome alarms and saved timestamps

Screens from the project

Gmail behind the block
The popup while Gmail is blocked
A 15-minute pause with a countdown

The picture at the top is an illustration based on the real screens below.

The result

Published on GitHub as open source in April 2026.

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