Get Started
STEP 1: Log in to your dashboard with a Bark Super Admin account.
STEP 2: Click the top right drop-down menu and select Web Filtering Settings.
STEP 3: Under the Chrome category, select Create new Chrome filter.
STEP 4: Understand each section.
4a. The first section provides information needed for setting up your custom Chrome extension in Google Workspace. The Extension ID and Extension URL fields will need to be copied into the extension details page within Google Workspace in Steps 9-11 of this guide.
4b. The second 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 (*.google.com), middle (sites.google.com/*game*), or end (.google.com/game*) of a domain to fit your use-case. Please note that it does not support IP addresses. You'll need to enter the actual domain / site into the exception box instead.
The exceptions entered here are prioritized over category settings below.
4c. The third 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. There are sites that may not fall into these categories that need to be added as exceptions using instructions in the section above.
Bark groups websites into the categories shown below. Toggle each category to the appropriate setting for your use-case.
STEP 5: In a new tab, click the three-line menu on the top left of the Admin console.
STEP 6: Click on Devices > Chrome management > Apps & extensions > Users & Browsers.
STEP 7: 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.
Also, keep in mind that the web filter will be properly deployed if you're selecting OUs that have student Gmail accounts within them. The extension will not work properly if you're deploying to OUs that only contain devices.
7a. Click on the yellow + symbol on the bottom right.
7b. Select Add Chrome app or extension by ID.
7c. Select From a custom URL.
STEP 8: To find the Extension ID and Custom URL, visit your Bark web filters and view Section 1.
Then, copy and paste the Extension ID and Custom URL found in Section 1 of your Bark web filters into each section below and click Save:
STEP 9: Locate the Bark Chrome extension you have recently added to Google Workspace for that OU. It will be named a series of unique letters and numbers with a grey icon on the left. Click the Installation policy and select Force Install.
This will allow you to forcibly install the extension across all students in that OU.
STEP 10: 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.
STEP 11: Consider using some of the following Google Workspace tools.
These settings are found in the Google Admin Console under Devices > Chrome Management > User & Browser Settings:
- Incognito Mode - you can disable this setting and students will not have the option to use incognito browsing on Chrome.
- Developer Tools - you can select "Never Allow the use of built-in developer tools" to prevent students from disabling Chrome extensions needed for school.
- SafeSearch - if you enable this setting, students will have explicit results filtered from their Google searches.
- Youtube Restricted Mode - if you enable this setting, students will have explicit results filtered from their Youtube searches and will not be able to view many explicit videos.
- Task Manager - you can select "Block users from ending processes with the Chrome task manager" to prevent students from disabling Chrome extensions, apps, etc. needed for school.
If you manage Chromebooks, there is also another useful G Suite setting under Devices > Chrome Management > Device Settings > Sign-in Settings > Guest Mode. We highly recommend disabling Guest Mode so that students have to use their school-issued email address to log into the Chromebook.
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."
Additional Resources for Schools
Need help ensuring that your students are set up for success while they’re using their devices? Bark for Schools has created helpful resources so you can fully optimize your Google Workspace (G Suite) settings for remote and classroom learning. Check out our Google Workspace Remote Readiness Guide to find out what you can do to promote a safer and more productive educational environment. Complete with a set of Chromebook resources for schools, this comprehensive guide will help you deploy your technology. Whether your school has been using Chromebooks for a while or you’re brand new to them, Bark for Schools has got your back.
For information on Google's available tools for managing users on your organizational units and preventing the removal of the Bark web filtering extension (and unauthorized adding of others), check out this resource.
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.
