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The Helper shows you exactly how FocusMe sees every open window — its application name, process, window title, address and more — and lets you add any of those values to a plan in a couple of clicks. It is the quickest way to build precise blocking rules.

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Opening the Helper

The Helper window listing open windows, with the detail rows for the selected window

  1. Open the app or website you want to identify
  2. Click Helper in the FocusMe sidebar (or choose Helper from the tray icon menu)
The Helper is a small, always-on-top window, so it stays visible while you switch between apps. Drag it by its header to move it, and drag its right or bottom edge to resize it. Close it with the Close (Esc) button, the Esc key, or by clicking Helper again.

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Reading the list

The header shows how many windows are open. Each row lists one window with four columns: Type in Filter windows… to narrow the list, and click a column header to sort by it. The footer shows Active today: with the time you have spent on the selected window’s app.

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Detail rows

Select a window to see its full set of details: Click any value to copy it — the window confirms with Copied to clipboard. Paste it into the add row on a plan’s What to block step.

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Adding straight to a plan

The Add to Plan dialog opened from the Helper

You do not need to copy and paste at all:
  1. Hover a detail row and click the + that appears, or right-click a window in the list and choose Add to plan…
  2. In the Add to Plan dialog, pick the plan, choose Block list or Allow list, and check the target type and match
  3. Click Accept
The dialog warns you if the entry already exists (Duplicate target - this entry already exists in the list) or is on the plan’s other list, and offers Move to block list / Move to allow list. If the plan is running with allow-list protection, adding to its allow list follows the plan’s protection rules — see Add to a List While a Plan is Active. The right-click menu also offers Copy title, Copy process name, Copy program signature and Copy URL.

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Common process names

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Tips

  • Windows Store apps show ApplicationFrameHost.exe or WWAHost.exe as their process. Do not block that; add the Application Name or Window Title instead. See Block Windows Store Apps.
  • Games each have their own executable. Launch the game, then read its Process Name or Process Path in the Helper.
  • Websites only show a URL when the browser addon is installed and connected. See Browser Extension.