How to use Focus Guardian

Everything you need to install Focus Guardian, set up your guardians, and build a focus streak that sticks.

Table of contents

1. Install the extension

Focus Guardian is a Chrome browser extension. It also works in Brave and Microsoft Edge.

  1. Open the Chrome Web Store listing.
  2. Click Add to Chrome.
  3. Confirm the permissions prompt. Focus Guardian only needs access to the sites you choose to monitor and our backend.
  4. Pin the extension to your toolbar (click the puzzle icon → pin Focus Guardian) for one-click access.
💡 First install — A welcome page opens to help you pick your first guardians and add the sites that distract you most.

2. The free plan

Every install includes the Free plan — free forever, no credit card. You get 5 monitored sites, 3 built-in guardians, daily analytics, and the full XP, levels, and focus-streak system. Upgrade to Pro for unlimited sites and guardians, custom uploads, weekly/monthly analytics, AnimeDoro, and cloud sync — or to Ultimate for the AI layer.

3. Pick your guardians & sites

  1. Click the Focus Guardian icon → Settings.
  2. Under Guardians, choose the characters that will defend your focus. Free includes 3; Pro unlocks all of them.
  3. Under Sites, add the domains that distract you most (e.g. youtube.com, x.com, instagram.com). Free covers up to 5.
  4. Set your escalation level (see below) and you're protected.

4. Escalation levels

When you open a monitored site, your guardian steps in. There are 5 escalation levels, from a gentle nudge back to work up to a full block screen. Pick how hard you want your guardian to push — start light and turn it up as you build the habit.

5. Surgical element hiding

Sometimes you need a site for work but not its rabbit holes. Element hiding lets you keep the site while removing the distracting parts:

  • YouTube — hide the sidebar, comments, and Shorts.
  • X / Twitter — hide Trends.
  • Instagram — hide Explore.

Toggle each from Settings. The rest of the site keeps working normally.

6. Hardcore Lock & the Wait-Timer

The hardest part of focusing is the moment you crave a distraction and reach to disable your own rules. Hardcore Lock closes that loophole.

Once enabled, changing your settings requires sitting through a 5–10 minute Wait-Timer countdown before the settings become editable — long enough for the urge to pass.

⚠️ Use with intent — While Hardcore Lock is active you genuinely cannot edit your blocked sites until the timer ends. That's the point: turn it on when you want to commit.

7. Focus sessions, XP, levels & streaks

Start a focus session from the popup. Staying on task earns XP; XP levels you up and unlocks achievements. Finish a focused day to extend your focus streak — watch your deep-work consistency compound over weeks. Complete focus missions to unlock new guardians.

8. AnimeDoro mode Pro

Classic 25/5 Pomodoro is too short for real deep work. AnimeDoro sizes a session to an anime episode: 40–60 minutes of focus, then a 20-minute break. Start it from the popup and your guardian keeps watch through the whole block.

9. Analytics & insights Pro

The Free plan shows daily analytics. Pro adds weekly and monthly breakdowns of where your attention goes and how your focus trends over time — so you can see what's working and adjust.

10. Custom guardians & cloud sync Pro

Pro lets you upload your own art and turn any character into a personal focus guardian. Turn on Cloud Sync and your sites, guardians, and progress follow you across every browser you sign in to.

11. AI features Ultimate

Ultimate adds the AI layer:

  • AI motivational messages — context-aware encouragement for your current mission and mood.
  • AI guardian generator — describe a guardian and let AI generate original art and personality on demand.
  • Smart focus coaching — AI spots your distraction patterns and suggests when to lock in, take a break, or switch tasks.

The context AI needs (like your mission text) is sent for processing and immediately discarded — see our Privacy Policy.

12. Upgrade to Pro or Ultimate

  1. Open the pricing page or click Upgrade in the extension.
  2. Choose monthly or annual billing (annual is 2 months free).
  3. Complete checkout — card, UPI, or net banking via Razorpay.
  4. Your plan unlocks instantly. Reopen Focus Guardian and your new features are live.
✅ 7-day money-back guarantee on your first paid charge. Email within 7 days for a full refund, no questions asked.

13. Manage or cancel your plan

Manage your subscription from the extension, or email [email protected]. You can switch tiers, change billing cycle, or cancel anytime. Cancellation keeps your paid features until the end of the current billing period — no further charges.

14. Troubleshooting

A site isn't being blocked

  • Check that the domain is in your monitored-sites list (and you're within the 5-site limit on Free).
  • Make sure your escalation level isn't set to the gentlest nudge if you expected a full block.
  • Refresh the tab so the content script re-runs.

I can't edit my settings

  • Hardcore Lock may be active — wait for the Wait-Timer countdown to finish, then edit.

My Pro / Ultimate features didn't unlock

  • Make sure you paid with the same email you use in the extension.
  • Reopen the extension to refresh your plan status.
  • Still stuck? Email [email protected] with your payment receipt.
⏰ Urgent help? Email [email protected] with "URGENT" in the subject for payment or activation issues — we prioritise these.