Sometimes, when you try to connect to a website via Google Chrome, it might not be able to establish a successful connection or it might even refuse to connect at all. The actual reason this happens may be because the site is blocked.

The error does not always say that the site is blocked for you or on your network. No. The error might also look very generic without giving much information.

There are a lot of reasons why the site is blocked.

• Your organization (school or work) has blocked the site on the entire network.
• The IP address you are trying to connect to has been blocked by the site.
• Your local authority, such as the Government, might be blocking you from accessing the site.
• Your ISP has blocked the particular site.
• Your Windows Firewall or any other security software (such as an Anti-virus) is blocking access to the site.
• Chrome might recognize the site as unsafe and can block access to it.

As you can see, there are really several reasons as to why a site is blocked or inaccessible for you.

No worries, in this Google Chrome guide, we will look into all of these issues and the solutions to overcome them as well.

Bypass Chrome Privacy Warning

By default, Chrome checks the security certificate of every single website you visit. So, when you visit a site with an expired certificate or an invalid SSL certificate, Chrome flags the site for privacy issues. Without a valid SSL certificate, any information you exchange with a site is not secure.

But, if you are really sure that the site is not dangerous and if you are not going to send any information to the site (such as sending card details for shopping), then you can very well visit the site with a few more steps.

Method 1. Click to proceed

On the Chrome privacy error page, simply click on the Advanced button and then click on the “Proceed to example.com(unsafe)” link to visit the site.

Method 2. Add site to safe list

If you are sure the site is safe to use, despite the warning, you can add it to a safe list.

1. Click a blank section of the denial page.
2. Using your keyboard, type thisisunsafe, but not in quotes, just as a one word.
3. This adds the website to a safe list, where you won’t be prompted again.

Method 3. Adjust the Chrome Flag

If you do not want to get such warnings on any website, you can actually tweak a Chrome flag to completely disable the prompt.

1. In the Chrome address bar, type chrome://flags/#allow-insecure-localhost
2. Select the “Enable” link.

Check the restricted list

Check your Google Chrome proxy settings first, then follow the following steps to check the restricted sites;

1. Navigate to the settings category in Google Chrome.
   
2. Scroll down until you see Advanced in the left panel options and click on it.
3. Under System, click Open proxy settings.
   
4. In the Security tab, select Restricted sites then click Sites.
   
5. Select each and every website you want to access and click Remove.
   
6. Now click OK to update the settings.
7. Finally restart Google Chrome to check if the problem is solved.

Use a VPN Service

There is a list of websites banned in some countries, and are not accessible if you are connected to any of the service providers. But if you still want to access them for some personal reasons, you’re going to rely on the help of a VPN App.

A Virtual Private Network helps the users access blocked sites blocked by authorities like schools or organizations. Examples include Systweak VPN and Zenmate.

Some VPN services are free but free VPNs are never as good as paid ones, though some also offer an initial free trial. Free VPNs are either not as fast or reliable, or they can also be forced to share your details with the authorities.

1. Search for the VPN of your choice.
2. Run the VPN to open it.
3. Click Quick Connect.

The VPN will display PROTECTED when it connects.

The disadvantage of vpn is the expense we incur through purchasing or the subscription they offer. But, with the benefit of being trustworthy, it’s always a better option than what the free ones have to offer and even the chrome extensions.

But, once you are connected you can freely browse anything, even those websites which are blocked in your country.

Use a Chrome extension

This method is not as powerful as the VPN service, but can only unlock some sites. These extensions mostly work in Chrome browser; however, these will not be useful for any other apps like streaming Netflix content not available in your region.

When you launch Google Chrome, navigate to More tools, then find Extensions.

Here you will be able to see all the extensions on your Chrome.

To get a Chrome extension, visit the Chrome webstore.

There are hundreds of VPN extensions for you to choose to find the one that works for you.

Search for the extension of your preference then click Add to Chrome.

It will take you to its website, where you Sign up and run the extension.

And then thereafter, it will provide an option to turn on/off whenever you wish to use it, and it’s best to pin it in the toolbar for easier access.

Another extension is the use of HTTP, as HTTPS is an encrypted communication channel and a secure way to transfer data between devices. Somewebsites who host their domain on a VPS or Dedicated server environment can be unblocked by changing HTTP to HTTPS.

HTTPS Everywhere extension can bypass restrictions imposed by the browser when the extension is activated. It sets up an association with SSL and finds the most secure renditions of the sites you visit.

Tweak your Windows hosts file

In some institutions, administrators can modify the host file and block sites according to the rules in place of the institution. This might result in overdoing it on purpose or by defaulting to the guidance the administrator is putting in place.

Now, log in as an administrator in the device you are using, and type in C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc path into the address bar and hit Enter key. This will take you to the required path where you will find the Hosts file, then follow the following steps:

1. First make sure that you have system-level permissions. With the lack of administrative privilege, you cannot make changes to the file.

2. Right click on the hosts file and choose the Notepad application to open in Edit mode.
   
3. If you find your website URL listed here, select the entire line that contains the URL and delete it. Then save the changes and close the Notepad.
4. Restart Google Chrome browser and confirm if this method worked.

Deactivate Windows Defender Firewall

The Windows Defender comes baken in with Windows. It is Microsoft’s homemade security software for Windows platform. Windows Defender can sometimes block harmful network connections to protect your PC from network threats.

But, just like any piece of software, it might wrongly flag a good site as malicious. If you are sure that is the case, you can try disabling the Windows Defender Firewall.

Steps to disable Windows Defender Firewall

1. Click the Start menu and search for Windows Defender Firewall.
2. Next, click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall On or Off from the left menu bar.
   
3. Select Turn off Windows Defender Firewall under both the Public and Private network sections.
   

Once that is done, see if you can visit the site on Chrome browser.