> ## 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.

# Configure YouTube Filtering

> How GoGuardian Admin controls YouTube access, playback, channels, videos, and YouTube-specific restrictions.

YouTube filtering in GoGuardian Admin lives inside [filtering policies](/products/admin/filtering-policies) and lets you manage YouTube at both the website layer and the video-playback layer. Use it when you need to fully block YouTube, allow only approved channels or videos, or reduce distraction with playback and engagement restrictions.

## Review YouTube Filtering Options

* Block or allow access to YouTube webpages through Website URLs rules
* Block or allow individual channels and videos
* Block videos by keyword or category
* Hide comments, live chat, and the related-videos sidebar
* Enforce age restriction
* Use Restrictive Mode to block all videos except the ones you explicitly allow

## Choose the Right YouTube Control

| Need                                                                         | Use                                                |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| Block or allow the YouTube website itself                                    | Website URLs rules                                 |
| Block or allow video playback, including embedded playback                   | YouTube channels, videos, keywords, and categories |
| Limit comments, sidebar recommendations, live chat, or age-sensitive content | YouTube toggle settings                            |
| Allow only approved channels or approved videos                              | YouTube Restrictive Mode plus explicit allow rules |
| Block YouTube search results while keeping other access available            | A Website URLs rule for `youtube.com/search`       |
| Control YouTube Kids                                                         | Website URLs rules, not YouTube video controls     |

<Note>
  To understand how Website URLs rules, YouTube rules, and Google Admin settings interact, see [Understand YouTube Filtering Layers](/products/admin/youtube-filtering-layers).
</Note>

## Review Common Configuration Patterns

### Block YouTube Completely

* Block `youtube.com` in Website URLs rules to stop access to the site itself
* Enable YouTube Restrictive Mode to stop video playback, including embedded videos, except for the videos or channels you explicitly allow

<Note>
  `youtube.com` cannot be blocked by website category filtering. To block the YouTube site, add `youtube.com` as a Website URLs block rule.
</Note>

### Allow YouTube With Restrictions

* Leave `youtube.com` accessible
* Use category, channel, video, and keyword rules to shape what students can watch
* Add toggle restrictions such as comments, sidebar, live chat, and age restriction where needed

<Note>
  The Block Comments toggle hides comment sections below videos. It does not apply to YouTube Live Stream chat threads. Use the Block Live Chat toggle to remove chat from live streams.
</Note>

### Allow Only Approved Channels and Videos

* Enable Restrictive Mode in the YouTube section
* Add allow rules for the channels and videos your district wants to permit
* Use direct video allows when a channel is too broad but one specific video is appropriate

<Note>
  A channel allow rule supersedes any other block rules for videos from that channel. Students can watch any video from an allowed channel even if other block rules would otherwise apply.
</Note>

### Reduce Discovery and Distraction

* Keep the site accessible
* Block `youtube.com/search` if you want to reduce search-driven browsing
* Hide comments, sidebar recommendations, and live chat where those create distraction or risk

## Set Up YouTube Filtering Rules

1. Use Website URLs rules for site and page access. Use YouTube settings when the question is whether a specific video, channel, category, or YouTube playback experience should be allowed.

2. Add `youtube.com`, `youtube.com/search`, `youtube.com/shorts*`, or other YouTube URLs to Website URLs rules when the site path itself is what you want to control.

   <Note>
     A Website URLs allow rule for a video page does not override a block set in the YouTube section. The YouTube section takes precedence over Website URLs rules for video playback.
   </Note>

   <Note>
     When `youtube.com` is blocked via Website URLs and you need to allow a specific video, replace the `?` in the video URL with `*` before adding it as a Website URLs allow rule. For example: `youtube.com/watch*v=abc123`.
   </Note>

3. Add channel rules, video rules, keyword filters, category rules, and YouTube-specific toggles inside the policy's YouTube section.

   <Note>
     The Videos filter accepts `youtube.com/watch`, `youtube.com/shorts`, and the `youtu.be` short-link URL format.
   </Note>

   <Note>
     The Keywords filter accepts only single terms. Multi-word strings are not supported.
   </Note>

   <Note>
     Video category filtering may occasionally miscategorize content. If a video is blocked unexpectedly by a category rule, add an individual Video allow rule for that video to override the category block.
   </Note>

   To block videos by keyword, open the **Keywords** tab within the policy's YouTube section, click the **Enter a Keyword** field, type the keyword, and click **Block**. This blocks videos whose titles or descriptions contain that keyword; it does not block YouTube searches for the term.

   <Note>
     YouTube keyword filtering does not currently support wildcard entries.
   </Note>

4. Restrictive Mode blocks all YouTube videos except the videos and channels you explicitly allow. This is useful for tightly curated classroom or grade-band access.

5. Validate the result with a direct YouTube page, an embedded video on another site, and any special cases such as Shorts or YouTube Kids that matter to your rollout.

   <Note>
     Policy changes can take up to 15 minutes to propagate to student accounts. Test with a student account after that window has passed to confirm the expected behavior.
   </Note>

## Plan for Special Cases

### Handle Embedded Videos

Embedded videos can still be controlled by YouTube rules. If a video is embedded on another site, you may need to copy the video's direct URL or channel URL and allow it in the policy.

### Control YouTube Shorts

Shorts videos follow standard YouTube video rules, but Shorts pages can also be controlled with Website URLs rules such as `youtube.com/shorts*`.

<Note>
  When you add a `youtube.com/shorts` URL to the Videos section of a policy, GoGuardian Admin automatically converts the Shorts link to a `youtube.com/watch` URL.
</Note>

### Manage YouTube Playlists

Playlist-specific filtering is not supported. If a playlist matters, control the underlying channel or the individual videos instead.

### Configure YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids is controlled through Website URLs rules rather than YouTube video controls. If you need to block or allow YouTube Kids, treat it as a website-level rule.

<Note>
  YouTube Kids URLs contain a `?` character. Replace the `?` with `*` before adding the URL to a Website URLs rule. GoGuardian policy filtering does not accept question marks in URLs.
</Note>

### Work With Google Admin Restricted Mode

YouTube filtering rules from Google Admin Console take precedence over GoGuardian Admin policy rules. If a video or channel is allowed in a GoGuardian policy but blocked by Google Admin Console settings, the video is blocked. Account for this when you decide where to apply YouTube filtering rules.

To configure Restricted Mode for YouTube in Google Admin Console:

1. Go to admin.google.com.
2. Click **Devices**, then **Chrome**.
3. Select **Settings**, then **User & browser settings**.
4. Select the org unit to apply the setting to from the **Organization Units** menu.
5. Under **Content** > **Setting**, click **SafeSearch and Restricted Mode**.
6. In the Configuration menu, select one of the three restriction levels.

<Note>
  Google Admin offers three Restricted Mode levels that produce meaningfully different video availability. **Enforce Strict Restricted Mode on YouTube** screens out the most content using an automated signal-based system while leaving some videos available. **Enforce at least Moderate Restricted Mode on YouTube** applies lighter filtering and makes a much larger collection of videos available. **Do not enforce Restricted Mode on YouTube** leaves YouTube fully unrestricted at the Google layer, so all filtering relies on GoGuardian Admin policies alone.
</Note>

<Warning>
  [DNS filtering](/products/admin/dns-filtering) does not support YouTube-specific channel, video, keyword, category, or toggle rules. Do not expect network-only DNS filtering to reproduce the same YouTube behavior as device-based Admin filtering.
</Warning>

## Resources

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="A YouTube Video Is Blocked Unexpectedly" href="/products/admin/youtube-video-blocked-unexpectedly">
    Use this troubleshooting page when the final result is wrong for a specific video, channel, or embedded player.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Understand YouTube Filtering Layers" href="/products/admin/youtube-filtering-layers">
    Use this concept page to understand which control layer is producing the current result.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Understand Filtering Policies" href="/products/admin/filtering-policies">
    Review the broader Admin policy model when YouTube behavior is one part of a larger policy design.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>