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Use this article when a Windows device is not receiving the filtering behavior you expect from The GoGuardian App. Filtering on Windows runs through The GoGuardian App (deployed via MDM) and requires several components to be in place before coverage is active.
This article covers filtering through The GoGuardian App on Windows. For DNS-based filtering issues on school networks, see A Device Is Not Filtering on the School Network.
Common issues:

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The GoGuardian App Is Not Installed on the Device

Cause: The GoGuardian App must be deployed to Windows devices through your MDM solution (SCCM, Intune, or GPO). If the app was never deployed, or if the device was not enrolled in MDM at the time of deployment, no filtering is active.
  1. On the Windows device, open Settings, then go to Apps and search for “GoGuardian.” Confirm The GoGuardian App appears in the list.
  2. If the app is absent, verify that the device is enrolled in your MDM (SCCM, Intune, or GPO) and that the GoGuardian deployment target includes this device or its device group.
  3. In your MDM console, check the deployment status for The GoGuardian App. Confirm the deployment succeeded and that no errors are reported for this device.
  4. If the device was recently enrolled, allow up to 30 minutes for the MDM policy to apply, then recheck the app list.
  5. Verify the result: The GoGuardian App appears under Apps on the Windows device and no MDM deployment errors are reported.

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The Browser Extension Is Not Present

Cause: The GoGuardian App filters all browsers on Windows at the system level, but the GoGuardian browser extension must also be present in Chrome or Edge for full filtering coverage. Without the extension, some filtering behaviors may be limited or absent.
  1. Open Chrome or Edge on the Windows device and go to the extensions page (chrome://extensions in Chrome or edge://extensions in Edge).
  2. Confirm the GoGuardian Extension is listed and enabled. If it is absent, deploy it through your MDM or through a Chrome or Edge browser management policy.
  3. Confirm the extension is set to force-install for the relevant student accounts. Check your MDM or browser management console for the extension deployment policy.
  4. Verify the result: The GoGuardian Extension appears as enabled in the browser’s extension list.

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The Student Is Not Signed In with a School Account

Cause: Filtering policies apply at the user level based on the student’s school Google or Microsoft account. A student browsing without signing in, or signed in with a personal account, does not receive a filtering policy.
  1. On the Windows device, confirm the student is signed in to the browser with their school Google or Microsoft account (not a personal account).
  2. If the student is signed in to the operating system but not to the browser, ask them to sign in to Chrome or Edge with their school account.
  3. If single sign-on (SSO) or device enrollment is configured to automatically sign students in, confirm the SSO flow completed correctly for this device.
  4. Verify the result: The student’s school account appears as the active profile in the browser, and filtering behavior is applied.

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The Student Is Not in a Filtered Organizational Unit

Cause: GoGuardian Admin applies filtering policies through organizational units (OUs). A student whose account is not in any OU configured in GoGuardian Admin receives no filtering policy, even if The GoGuardian App is installed and the student is signed in.
  1. Go to admin.goguardian.com and find the student’s account.
  2. Confirm the student’s account belongs to an OU that has a filtering policy assigned.
  3. If your organization uses Active Directory or Clever as the OU source (rather than Google Admin Console), confirm the student’s account was synced from that source and appears in the expected OU in GoGuardian Admin. For Active Directory environments, see Understand Active Directory OU Sync.
  4. If the student is in the correct OU but no filtering policy is assigned to it, assign one from the Filtering Policies page in GoGuardian Admin.
  5. Verify the result: The student’s account appears in an OU with an assigned filtering policy in GoGuardian Admin.

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The App Is Installed but Filtering Is Still Not Active

Cause: If The GoGuardian App is installed, the extension is present, and the student is signed in with a school account in the correct OU, a configuration or version issue may be preventing the app from communicating with GoGuardian Admin.
  1. On the Windows device, open The GoGuardian App (if it has a system tray icon or status indicator) and confirm it shows a connected or active state. If it shows an error, note the error message.
  2. Confirm the device has network access and can reach GoGuardian service endpoints. If a firewall or proxy is in place, confirm that GoGuardian domains and IP addresses are permitted.
  3. Check the app version. If an older version of The GoGuardian App is installed, update it through your MDM to the current release.
  4. Restart The GoGuardian App service on the device through your MDM or directly on the device, then retest filtering with a known blocked URL.
  5. Verify the result: Filtering blocks the expected URL, and the app shows a connected state.

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Identify Common Causes

Theft Recovery is not available on Windows devices. If Theft Recovery is listed as a requirement in your deployment plan, it applies only to Chromebook devices.

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Know When to Escalate

  • The GoGuardian App reports an error state and the error does not resolve after reinstalling
  • The device passes all diagnostic checks but filtering is still not applied
  • Filtering works for some students on the same device but not others, and OU assignments appear correct
  • You need help confirming which filtering path (app-based vs. DNS) is active for a specific device
Contact support@goguardian.com with the device name, the student account affected, and the results of each diagnostic step above.

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Resources

Understand Active Directory OU Sync

Review how GoGuardian Admin uses Active Directory as the OU source for Windows environments.

Understand Filtering Policies

Review how filtering policies are created and assigned to OUs.

Configure At-Home Filtering

Set up filtering for students using school devices off campus.

A Device Is Not Filtering on the School Network

Troubleshoot DNS filtering issues on school networks.
Last modified on July 15, 2026