Linewize Filter controls what users can access online by creating filtering policies you set for specific users, groups, and content types.
Before you begin
- You must have permission to manage Filtering.
Create a Content Filtering Policy
- In Linewize Filter, select Filtering > Content Filtering.
- You will see your current list of Content Filtering Policies.
- To add a new policy, select + Create Policy.
- Configure the following settings:
The best practice for naming a policy is to use a short, descriptive name that captures what it does and who it applies to. We recommend following this naming convention:
Block/Allow - Theme/Category/Signature - Scope
You can select different types of content for your policy from the drop-down list. If you are unsure of the Theme, Category, or Signature of the website you want to block, use the Category Search.
Note
You can add up to 30 Themes, Categories, and Signatures to a single content filtering policy. If you need to create a policy with more than 30 entries in the Type field, use a Custom List Object Pool.
Caution
If you select multiple criteria for a Policy, it will make an AND Policy. For example, If you select a Group and Network criteria for a policy, the policy applies to users in the selected group and IP subnet.
Warning
Do not select these options from the filtering Type unless instructed by the Linewize support team:
- All HTTP/HTTPS Traffic
- HTTP Traffic via DirectIP
- All Traffic
- Unclassified Traffic
These types are only applied by your Linewize Deployment or Support team to configure filtering for Linewize Filter Appliances and connections to your physical network.
Note
IPV6 is not supported for filtering at this time. IPV4 is required for network-based filtering criteria.
This option only applies to a Block policy.
You can redirect the user to your chosen URL when they conflict with a policy. Enter the domain and subdomain.
- For Chromebooks: Do not include the leading "https://"
- For Windows and macOS: Include the leading "https://"
Be sure to test the redirect to see if it requires a leading "www". Some web servers may not have their DNS record set up to recognize a redirect to the root domain.
Note
You cannot turn this on if you have turned on a Block page for this policy.
This option only applies to a Block policy.
You can turn on a Block page when a user conflicts with a policy
You can use the default block page or create your own.
This option only applies to a Block policy.
Turn on this feature to receive filtering alerts. You will also need to configure the Emailed Reports section. Go to Filtering > Reports and Alerts.
This option only applies to a Block policy with a Linewize Filter Appliance.
This should only be used when blocking the Proxies & VPNs Signature. This feature allows you to temporarily block users from accessing this content across all internet traffic for 3 minutes.
Tip
To give teachers the most autonomy in managing their classes, it is recommended only to lock those policies that absolutely must be blocked or allowed.
For Blocked: The Theme, Category and Signature are Blocked and can’t be accessed, even if another Policy is set to Allow. Teachers can't use Classwize features (Focus, Rules, Reward or Bypass Codes) to override this policy.
For Allowed: The Theme, Category and Signature are Allowed and can always be accessed, even if another Policy is set to Block. Teachers using Classwize can’t override this by creating a block or focus rule, but can temporarily block access to all internet traffic, including Locked Allowed sites, using Pause Internet.
This option only applies to an Allow policy.
You can limit access to personal Gmail, Google Workspace, Microsoft Entra ID, or Outlook accounts when Connect runs on specific devices. For more information, see limiting access to Google personal accounts.
- Select Save Policy.
Tip
Save time by duplicating policies that use the same content filtering settings.