You can deploy our Chrome web filtering extension to Google Workspace by following this guide.
Get Started
Log in to your dashboard from a Bark Super Admin account.
Click the drop-down menu > Web Filtering > Settings.
Select Create new Chrome filter.
You will now see setup instructions and settings for blocking categories of apps and sites and for blocking specific exceptions.
In a new tab, open the Google Admin console.
Click on Devices > Chrome > Apps & extensions.
Choose Users & Browsers from the middle of the screen.
Select the OU(s) that contain the student accounts you wish to enable the extensions for — bear in mind that the top-level OU will force those related sub-OU's to inherit the extension.
Click on the yellow + symbol on the bottom right.
Select Add Chrome app or extension by ID.
Select From a custom URL.
Head back over to your Bark for Schools Filter Settings tab. Copy and paste the Extension ID and Extension URL into the correct fields within the Add Chrome app or extension by ID fields page in Google Admin.
Click the Installation policy, select Force Install, and click Save on the top right of your screen. This will allow you to forcibly install the extension across all students in that OU.
If you wish to turn on the Bark filtering extension for OUs that were not part of the first tree, repeat steps 8-13.
Exceptions
The Exceptions section allows for the input of any domain (ie. site) you would like to blacklist or whitelist. These sites will be on a report within the dashboard for ease of visibility. You can update these settings at any time.
Bark also supports the use of wildcards at the front (*.youtube.com), middle (sites.google.com/*game*), or end (*.youtube.com/playlist=1234*) of a domain to fit your use-case.
How to add an exception to your list:
Enter the domain/site into the exception box.
Adjust to allowed or blocked depending on your needs and click Add.
Note: The exceptions field does not support IP addresses. You'll need to enter the actual domain into the exception box instead.
Categories
The Categories section will allow the whitelisting / blacklisting of whole categories. This is pulled from our database that houses countless sites that are associated to these categories and is updated regularly.
Bark groups websites into the categories shown below. Toggle each category to the appropriate setting for your use-case.
How do I know it's working?
When the filter starts processing web browsing activity for your students, it will display the activity on the web filter reports on the super admin's dashboard:
Students may also notice the extension is installed on the puzzle piece menu of their Chrome browser when logged in with their student account. The extension will be labeled "Bark for Schools Filter."
Bark for Schools: Filter+
Bark’s upgraded Filter+ product includes the additional functionality of assigning web filter policies by organizational unit or student group. This means allowing and blocking different sites or categories for elementary school vs. high school—or even different classes within each!**
Click here to request contact from our sales team for more information.
**The granularity of the web filter assignments is based on how your organizational units or groups are structured within your Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 environments.
How to Remove the Chrome Web Filter
Navigate to the Google Admin console.
Click on Devices > Chrome > Apps & extensions.
Choose Users & Browsers from the middle of the screen.
Select the OU(s) that contain the students you wish to disable the extension for — bear in mind that the top-level OU in the past may have forced those related sub-OU's to inherit the extension.
Select your custom Bark Chrome web filter extension and click the Trash can icon on the right-hand side to remove the custom extension.
Don't remember the extension ID? Check your Chrome Web Filter settings when logged into Bark as the super admin.