> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.goguardian.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Site Blocked Unexpectedly
> Troubleshoot blocked-site reports in GoGuardian Admin.
Use this page when a student, teacher, or administrator reports that a site is blocked but should be allowed.
## Gather the Exact Details First
* The full URL, not just the domain
* The affected user or representative test user
* The user's OU or custom-group assignment
* Device platform and whether the user is on campus or off campus
* The time of the report and, if available, a screenshot of the block page
Start with the exact URL the user opened. Small URL differences can change the category match, exception match, or [YouTube filtering](/products/admin/youtube-filtering) behavior.
## Check the Effective Result
1. Test the same URL and user context that triggered the report. Do not troubleshoot against a simplified or shortened version of the site address.
2. Use Policy Checker or the equivalent policy-comparison workflow in Admin to see how [filtering policies](/products/admin/filtering-policies) are being applied to the user or target in question.
3. Review any allowlist, blocklist, or other explicit site rules that could override the broader category behavior.
4. Confirm whether the site is being blocked because of its category, because it is uncategorized, or because of a recent rule change in the policy.
5. If the user could match more than one policy, verify which policy is winning and whether a local customized policy is overriding an inherited one. See [Understand Policy Precedence](/products/admin/how-filtering-rules-interact) if the assignment chain is unclear.
6. Confirm whether the user is being filtered by an in-school policy, an out-of-school policy, or a [DNS filtering](/products/admin/dns-filtering) path that applies different rules.
7. After making a change, retest the same URL in the same context and document what was changed so future requests are easier to review.
## Identify Common Causes
| Cause | What to review |
| -------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| A site-specific block overrides the expected category result | Allowlist and blocklist entries in the policy |
| The user matches more than one policy | Policy precedence and current assignment |
| The site falls into a blocked or uncategorized state | Category rules and how your district handles uncategorized sites |
| Different behavior applies off campus | Out-of-school settings and the user's current network context |
| The issue only appears on a network or unmanaged-device path | DNS filtering configuration and the target associated with that context |
| The issue is specific to YouTube playback or an embedded video | [A YouTube Video Is Blocked Unexpectedly](/products/admin/youtube-video-blocked-unexpectedly) |
Do not solve a single-site request by weakening a broad policy unless you intend to change access for every user assigned to that policy.
## Know When to Escalate
* The result in Policy Checker does not match the observed behavior
* The block occurs only on a specific platform or deployment path
* The site still appears blocked after the policy has been updated and retested
* You need help confirming categorization or product behavior that is not visible from Admin
## Resources
Review the policy structure before making broader changes.
Use this workflow when the fix requires a reusable policy rather than a one-off exception.
Use this concept page when overlapping policies are likely causing the conflict.
Use this troubleshooting page when the blocked result is specific to YouTube or embedded playback.