Question 1

What is pause.do?

Accepted Answer

pause.do is a browser extension that creates small moments of friction before attention-draining behaviors AI prompt offloading, mindless scrolling, and tab overload. It does not block websites. It inserts a brief pause so you can choose consciously, not by habit.

Question 2

How does pause.do work?

Accepted Answer

pause.do runs entirely in your browser. It detects low-effort AI prompts (e.g. "rewrite this", "make it better"), rapid scrolling sessions, and tab overload. When triggered, a brief 5–30 second overlay appears with a breathing animation. You choose whether to pause, try it yourself, or continue. All processing happens locally no data leaves your device.

Question 3

What is "Think First" in pause.do?

Accepted Answer

Think First is pause.do's AI-awareness feature. It detects when you type a low-effort prompt into AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini phrases like "rewrite this" or "make it better" and suggests spending a few minutes attempting the task yourself first. This helps maintain cognitive engagement and prevents habitual AI offloading.

Question 4

Does pause.do work with ChatGPT?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Think First feature works on ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and any AI tool you access in the browser. It detects low-effort prompt patterns regardless of which AI platform you're using.

Question 5

Does pause.do block websites?

Accepted Answer

No. pause.do does not block or restrict any websites. It creates small moments of friction a brief pause rather than a hard wall. This is intentional: the goal is awareness and choice, not restriction.

Question 6

How is pause.do different from Freedom or Cold Turkey?

Accepted Answer

Freedom and Cold Turkey block websites on a schedule. pause.do works differently it does not block access or require scheduling. Instead, it inserts micro-pauses at the moment of impulse, targeting specific behaviors (AI offloading, rapid scrolling, tab spirals). The user always retains control.

Question 7

Is pause.do private?

Accepted Answer

Yes. pause.do is designed privacy-first. All data your attention patterns, pause history, and AI balance is stored in IndexedDB on your device. There is no telemetry, no cloud sync, no account required, and no data sold or shared.

Question 8

How much does pause.do cost?

Accepted Answer

pause.do is free to install. A one-time license at £6.99 unlocks all five pause types, Think First for AI, the full Attention Map and insights dashboard, and all future updates. There is no subscription.

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What's New in pause.do 0.2.5

Think Before You Prompt

How to Stop Doom Scrolling (Without Blocking Your Favourite Apps)

Pause.do vs Freedom vs Cold Turkey: Why They Solve Different Problems