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Use category rules in a filtering policy to block or allow groups of websites by content type. GoGuardian Admin classifies sites into categories; some categories include subcategories for more targeted control. Blocking a parent category applies the block to all of its subcategories.
To add category rules to a policy, open the policy in GoGuardian Admin and select the Categories tab. Choose a category or subcategory, then select Block or Allow.

Review Available Categories

The following categories and subcategories are available for filtering in GoGuardian Admin policies.
Most categories with subcategories also include a “General [Category] Websites” subcategory, which catches sites in that content type not covered by a specific named subcategory.GoGuardian Admin includes a Block Uncategorized setting that blocks all uncategorized content by default. To enable it, see Configure Global Filter Settings.

Suggest a Website Category

If a website is uncategorized or its current categorization looks incorrect, any GoGuardian Admin user can suggest a category for GoGuardian’s categorization team to review. Two entry points are available.
  • From browsing data: Select the 3-dot (kebab) menu next to a captured browsing record — in the Browsing Activity tab or a student’s Detailed Browsing History — then select Suggest Category.
  • From a policy: In the Categories tab of a policy, enter a URL in the search bar and select Check URL to see the site’s current categorization. Select Share Category Feedback to submit a different category.
Suggestions are reviewed by GoGuardian; submitting one does not immediately change how the site is filtered. To block or allow the site right away, add an explicit rule in the Website URLs section of the policy.

Understand the Appropriate Category

A small number of high-traffic sites, most notably youtube.com and google.com, are classified as Appropriate. The Appropriate category itself cannot be blocked. If you want to block one of these sites, add it as a block rule in the Website URLs section of a policy instead. The Appropriate classification describes the site itself, not the content of any individual page. If a student looks up inappropriate videos or searches, those pages are still classified as Appropriate in GoGuardian Admin. To control that content, use YouTube filtering rules, keyword search filtering, or category rules that apply to the underlying result.

Resources

Create a Filtering Policy

Add category rules to a new or existing policy.

Use Wildcard Rules in Policies

Block or allow specific URLs within a category using wildcard patterns.
Last modified on July 16, 2026