Chrome Web Filtering on Google Workspace

Get Started

1. Log in to your dashboard from a Bark Super Admin account.
   
   
2. Click the top right drop-down menu and select Settings under the Web Filtering section.
   
   
3. Under the Chrome category, select Create new Chrome filter.
   
   
   
   This will open a web page that provides you with the instructions to set up your filter within the Google Admin Console, allows you to set up exceptions to category rules, and provides you with the ability to allow/block categories of websites. 
   
   

   How to Setup the Chrome Web Filter

   1. In a new web browser tab, open the Google Admin console.
      
      
   2. Click on Chrome browser and then Apps & extensions.
      
      
      
   3. 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.
      
      
      
      
   4. Click on the yellow + symbol on the bottom right.
      
      
      
      
   5. Select Add Chrome app or extension by ID.
      
      
      
      
   6. Select From a custom URL.
      
      
      
      
   7. 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. 
      
      
   8. 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.
      
      
   9. If you wish to turn on the Bark filtering extension for OUs that were not part of the first tree, please repeat steps 7-9. 

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

1. Enter the name of the domain/site into the exception box
   
   
2. Toggle the drop down to allowed or blocked depending on your needs
   
   
3. Click Add

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 on the network, it will display the activity on the web filter reports on the super admin's Bark dashboard, as seen below and described in this article.

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."

How to Remove the Chrome Web Filter

1. Click the three-line menu on the top left of the Admin console.
   
   
2. Click on Devices > Chrome > Apps & extensions > Users & Browsers.
   
   
3. 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.
   
   
4. 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.)
   
   

Removing the Filter Policy/Rules (optional)

If applicable, you can remove the filtering rules/policies on your dashboard by following the instructions below. However, if you'd like to keep your rules saved for whenever you re-install the web filter in the future, then skip this section.

1. Click on the top right menu >  Web Filters > See All Filters.
   
   
   Please Note:: Only users with Bark Super Admin status can access the Web Filter policies page.
2. On this screen, you'll see all filters that had been previously set up. Within each window, you'll see an option to Delete this filter. This will delete that particular ruleset from the account.

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.