A little help with Ward.
Setup questions or a website that is not being blocked? Contact hello@particularsystems.com. Include your macOS version, Ward version, browser and a short description. Do not send passwords or private page contents.
Start with Safari
- Open Ward, then Browser Setup. In Safari Settings → Extensions, enable the included Ward extension and grant website access.
- In Ward → Websites, add a website rule for Safari. A Domain rule includes that domain and its subdomains; an exact-page rule is more specific.
- Start an unlocked timed session. Open the blocked site in Safari to confirm the Ward block page appears before relying on protection.
- Stop the session and reload the page to check that normal access returns.
Keep Ward running and its browser extension enabled. Ward is not a system-wide firewall, native-app blocker or tamper-proof parental-control tool.
Choose your session
Timed: choose a duration, with optional limited breaks. Untimed: keep focusing until you stop; untimed sessions are always unlocked. Pomodoro: configure focus rounds, short breaks and long breaks. Blocking pauses during a break and resumes for focus.
Profiles keep different website rules and session defaults. History is stored on this Mac; break time stays separate from focused time. Locked timed or Pomodoro sessions restrict ordinary stopping and rule weakening; a separate delayed emergency-unlock flow remains available.
If a site is not blocked
- Check that a focus session is active and is not on a break.
- Check that the rule targets the browser you are using and matches the actual host or page. More-specific allow rules can make exceptions.
- Check Browser Setup for disconnected or degraded protection. Verify the extension is enabled and allowed to access the site.
- Reload the page, or test a new top-level navigation. Browser-internal pages are not ordinary websites.
Chrome requires its own extension
The Mac app includes the Safari extension. Chrome needs the separate Ward Chrome companion and its connection setup. Do not rely on Chrome blocking until that extension is installed, connected and a test navigation is blocked. Contact support for the current public installation availability; do not install an extension from an untrusted source.
Sharing diagnostics
Ward can save a diagnostics file from Diagnostics. Saving it does not automatically upload it. Review it before sending it to support: it may include session history, timings, settings summaries and operational events. Your existing settings and history should not be deleted as a first troubleshooting step.
Privacy
No Ward account is required. Read the Ward privacy policy for local storage, browser-address access and optional support sharing.