Browser extension
Focus modes
Create switchable blocking profiles for different contexts — Deep Work, Evening Wind-Down, Study, Full Focus.
Quick answer
Focus modes are presets for your digital environment. Pick the mode that fits what you're doing right now; the rules apply automatically.
What's in a mode
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Name | Whatever you want — "Deep Work", "Tuesday Evening", etc. |
| Emoji + color | Visual identifier for the toolbar icon |
| Category blocks | Which categories of sites are blocked |
| Custom block list | Specific sites and keywords on top of categories |
| NSFW filter | Block known explicit-content domains |
| Safe search | Force safe search on Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, etc. |
| Image blur | Blur filtered images instead of fully blocking |
| Strict mode | Cooldown period before changes can take effect |
| Intervention | Pause prompt before allowing access (instead of blocking) |
Each mode is independent — you can have a strict "Deep Work" mode and a permissive "Evening" mode active on different devices at once.
Create a mode
Open the Modes page
On the Daybreak Focus dashboard at app.daybreakpath.com.
Click 'Create new mode'
Pick an emoji and color so you can spot it in the toolbar.
Name + describe
Short name, optional one-line description for context.
Configure blocking
Toggle category blocks, NSFW, safe search, and image blur. Add specific sites or keywords to the custom list. See Content blocking for what each toggle does.
Optionally enable strict mode
Adds a cooldown so disabling the mode requires waiting. See Strict mode.
Save
Mode is available immediately. Switch to it from the toolbar icon or the Modes page.
Example modes
These are common patterns — they're starting points, not prescriptions.
- Deep Work — Blocks social, entertainment, gaming, news. Strict mode with 15-minute cooldown. Used during focused work blocks.
- Study session — Blocks entertainment and gaming. Allows educational and communication sites.
- Evening wind-down — Blocks NSFW content; enforces safe search. Allows most other content. Used after work hours.
- Full focus — Blocks everything except productive and communication tools. Maximum restrictions for retreat-level focus.
- Default — Always-on baseline. NSFW blocking, safe search. Nothing else.
Switch modes
Two ways:
- Toolbar icon: click the Daybreak icon in your browser, pick a different mode from the dropdown.
- Dashboard: Modes page, click any mode to activate.
Mode switches take effect immediately on the device you switched on. To switch on every signed-in browser at once, switch from the dashboard rather than from one extension.
Per-device modes
You can assign different modes to different browsers. Useful patterns:
- "Deep Work" on the work laptop, "Relaxed" on the personal desktop.
- "Full focus" on a shared/family computer to enforce stricter defaults.
Configure per-device modes from the Instances page on the dashboard.
Edit, duplicate, delete
- Edit: click an existing mode → adjust settings → save. Changes apply next time the mode is activated.
- Duplicate: copy a mode as a starting point for a variation. Useful for "Deep Work" + "Deep Work (Strict)".
- Delete: remove modes you don't use. You cannot delete the currently active mode — switch first.
Tips
- Start with 2–3 modes. Adding a fourth before you've actually used the first three usually means you're over-engineering.
- Pick descriptive names. "Mode 4" tells you nothing in three weeks; "Tuesday evening" does.
- Default to your most restrictive mode. Switch to relaxed modes intentionally rather than the other way around.
Common pitfalls
Building the perfect mode and never using it
The best focus mode is the one that's active right now. A mediocre mode that's running beats a perfect mode you tweak for three weeks before deploying.
Modes that block too much, becoming all-or-nothing
If you have to disable the mode entirely to do legitimate work, the mode is too strict. Loosen it; don't bypass it. The bypass habit erodes the value.
Next steps
- Content blocking — what each toggle does in detail.
- Custom block lists — sites and keywords specific to you.
- Strict mode — adds cooldown so you can't impulsively disable.
Still need help?
Pick whichever way of getting help works best for you.
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