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Clean Up URL and Domains Lists in Policies

Updated
Qoria Knowledge Team

This article is for IT support.

You should review Object Pools (also called Object Lists) used in Policies at least once a semester. Reviewing Object Pools helps you check for entries you can remove or replace with a Policy that uses Themes, Categories or Signatures. 

This article explains how to review your Pools, what to look for, and why.

Long URL and Domain Lists can cause problems

School Manager doesn’t need lists of every item you want to block or allow. Long lists often cause Policy conflicts, particularly if you have many locked Policies. A Policy conflict is when both a block and an allow Policy apply to the same resource, for the same user, at the same time.  Conflicting Policies create a bad experience for your users and more work for you.

If one or more of your Object Pools has hundreds of entries, contact our support team. We can help you restructure your Policies to get the results you need.

Reviewing your Object Pools

  1. Login to School Manager as an Owner/Administrator.
  2. Go to Configuration > Objects.
  3. In Search, enter “website list” or “domains list”.
    Website list shows Pools containing lists of URLS.
    Domains list shows Pools containing domains.
  4. Select the name of any Pool to review its entries.
If you have... Consider... Because...
Many entries with the same domain and different subdomains or top level domains. Replacing them with a Policy that uses the website's Signature.

A website’s signature usually includes all of its known domains, subdomains and variants, including mobile and foreign language sites. 

If there is no Signature for your site, contact our support team and ask us to make one.

Identical entries, except the schemes (i.e. http or https)
Entries that are dependencies for a website or service you want to allow Replacing them and the entry for the site or service you want to allow with a Policy using its Signature.

Most Signatures include the dependencies they need. Those dependencies only apply while someone is visiting the site or using the service.

If a Signature is missing dependencies, contact our support team and we'll update it!
Many entries with similar paths. Replacing the entries with a Policy that uses the website's Signature or wildcards. Replacing part of a URL’s path with a wildcard lets you use a single Policy to block or allow it and any similar pages.
Lots of YouTube video URLs

Reviewing your YouTube Policies and Content Modifications. They may be too restrictive or permissive.

If you've Locked YouTube, consider unlocking it.

A simple unlocked Block Policy, accompanied by YouTube Content Modifications, is often the best way to manage YouTube.

Blocking without Locking lets teachers Focus on specific videos in lessons, while blocking access to any other videos at any time.
Many entries that host similar kinds of content or are about similar topics. Using a mixture of Themes and Categories to Block or Allow content by type or topic. Themes, Categories and Signatures are designed to let you create Policies that block or allow large amounts of content, and then create exceptions as needed.
Any entries that appear in more than one Object Pool.

Deleting or merging duplicate entries.

Creating specific Policies for entries that appear in both Block and Allow pools.

 Entries that appear in more than one Pool may also appear in conflicting Policies. This can make your Policies seem like they’re not working properly, in ways that are hard to troubleshoot.
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