SafeSearch and YouTube Restricted Mode, forced for a whole network
Category blocking stops whole websites. Search results and videos need a finer tool. Our managed DNS filter can switch on the search engines' safe modes and YouTube Restricted Mode for every device that uses a profile, with no settings on the devices themselves.
SafeSearch
Google, Bing and DuckDuckGo always show their safe results on the network. A user cannot turn it off in the browser or in an account setting.
YouTube Restricted Mode
Off, moderate or strict. YouTube stays usable while videos it marks as possibly mature are hidden, in browsers and in the app.
Who switches these on
Both settings sit in a profile, so they apply only where you want them. Most customers use them for younger users and leave adult networks alone.
Libraries with a children's area
The Children's PCs preset turns on SafeSearch and strict Restricted Mode, together with extra blocked categories.
Schools
Student networks get safe search and filtered video for research and lessons, while staff networks keep full results.
Family and youth Wi-Fi
Youth centres, residences and family rooms add a safety layer that works for visitors' devices too.
Why set safe modes at the network instead of on each device
Safe search can also be switched on in a browser, a user account or a device policy. Those settings are useful, but each one covers only the device or account where it is set.
Covers devices you do not manage
Visitors' phones, patron laptops and new machines get the same safe results the moment they join the network, with nothing to install or configure.
Cannot be undone by the user
A browser or account setting can be changed by whoever is using it. A network setting stays on for everyone on that network.
One place to change it
Turning a setting on or off is one switch in a profile, applied to every network using that profile within seconds.
On machines you own, keeping the device settings as well adds a second layer for when a laptop leaves the building without the encrypted link.
How to turn them on, step by step
Three clicks per profile. The change reaches the filter within seconds; browsers may keep an earlier answer for about a minute.
Open the profile
Go to Policy and pick the profile tab, for example Children's PCs. Or create a profile from the Children's PCs preset, which has both settings on.
Set both options
Under SafeSearch and YouTube, switch SafeSearch on and pick Moderate or Strict for YouTube Restricted Mode.
Save and test
Press Save profile. On a device on that network, search for a sensitive word and open YouTube to see the restricted notice.
What the filter does behind the scenes
The search engines and YouTube publish safe versions of their services for networks like yours. When a profile asks for them, the filter points the right lookups at those safe versions.
| Service | Names the filter redirects | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search | The search host on google.com and its country domains, with and without www | Results always filtered; mail, documents and other services untouched |
| Bing | bing.com and www.bing.com | Strict safe results |
| DuckDuckGo | duckduckgo.com, www and start hosts | Safe results |
| YouTube | The web and mobile site hosts, the app's service hosts and the privacy-enhanced embed host | Restricted Mode at the level you chose, in browsers, the app and embedded players |
Because the browser ends up at the provider's own safe service, it gets that provider's valid certificate. There is no security warning, unlike a block page on a secure site. More background in our SafeSearch enforcement guide.
Safe modes and category blocking do different jobs
People often ask whether SafeSearch replaces category filtering, or the other way round. They work at different levels and are strongest together.
| Question | Category blocking | SafeSearch and Restricted Mode |
|---|---|---|
| What it acts on | Whole websites, by category | Results and videos inside search engines and YouTube |
| Who decides what is filtered | Your profile, using our category data | The search engine or YouTube, using their own ratings |
| What the user sees | A block page or browser warning | Normal pages with fewer mature results |
| Typical gap | Cannot filter inside a large mixed site | Cannot stop someone opening a site directly |
| Best combined with | Safe modes for search and video | Adult, gambling and VPN categories blocked |
That is why the Children's PCs preset turns on both: categories close the direct routes, and the safe modes clean up what search and video show. Read more on the adult content category.
A layered children's profile
This is the shape of the Children's PCs preset and the reasoning behind each layer. Adjust it to your policy; every switch can be changed.
Adult and VPN / Proxy blocked
Closes adult websites and the tools used to get around the filter. Same as the CIPA standard preset.
Gambling and Dating blocked
Two categories that rarely belong on a children's machine, added on top of the standard preset.
SafeSearch on
Search engines hide explicit results, including in their image tabs, for every child on the network.
YouTube strict
The most cautious Restricted Mode level for younger viewers.
Optional schedules
Gaming or social networking closed at homework time, as in our time schedules guide.
Always allowed learning sites
Learning platforms the children's staff rely on, so no label ever blocks them.
Answers for parents and staff
When safe modes go live, people ask why search or YouTube look different. Short, honest answers help.
"Why are some results missing?"
Safe search is switched on for this network. The search engine hides results it rates as explicit.
"Why can I not turn it off?"
The setting comes from the network, not from your browser, so it applies to every device here.
"A school video is hidden"
YouTube's restricted mode hid it. Ask a member of staff; the setting is chosen per network.
"Does this watch my child?"
No. It changes which results appear. It does not record searches, videos watched or messages.
Choosing a YouTube level
YouTube decides which videos each level hides. The levels are about how cautious the filtering is, not about specific channels.
Normal YouTube
No change. Use it for staff and adult networks. YouTube's own sign-in settings still apply.
Fewer hidden videos
Hides videos YouTube marks as possibly mature while keeping more general content. A fit for teens and secondary schools.
Most hidden videos
The most cautious level. Used by the Children's PCs preset and suited to younger children.
Restricted Mode also hides comments on videos. Some educational videos can be hidden too; if a teacher needs one, the reliable fix is a different network or profile for that class, because single videos cannot be allowed at DNS level.
How these settings combine with the rest of your policy
SafeSearch and Restricted Mode are the last step in the filter's checks. Everything earlier in the order still applies, and one rule can switch them off by accident.
Do not put search sites on always allowed
Always allowed beats everything, including SafeSearch. If google.com or youtube.com is on an allowed list, the safe version is skipped for that network.
Block YouTube fully with the block list
YouTube stays reachable even when Streaming Media or Social Networking is blocked, so a schedule cannot take it down by accident. To close it, add youtube.com to always blocked.
Categories still apply to results
A filtered search can still list a site in a blocked category. Clicking it shows the block, as anywhere else.
Staff bypass does not change them
A PIN bypass opens adult categories only. SafeSearch and Restricted Mode stay as the profile sets them.
Per network through profiles
Give the children's network a profile with both on, and staff a profile with both off. See profiles and networks.
Not on a timer
The settings apply all day for the profile. Time schedules add blocked categories, not safe modes.
Checking that it works
A two-minute test from one device on the network confirms the settings. Use a new private window so old answers do not interfere.
| Test | Expected result with the setting on |
|---|---|
| Google search for a mature term | Filtered results; the SafeSearch setting shows as locked or cannot be turned off |
| Bing search for the same term | Strict results |
| DuckDuckGo search | Safe results |
| Open YouTube and check the account menu | Restricted Mode shown as on, and the switch cannot be changed by the user |
| Open the YouTube app on a phone on the network | The app follows Restricted Mode as well |
| Open the monthly report | A line counting lookups answered with SafeSearch and YouTube Restricted Mode |
The counts appear in the monthly filtering reports, so you can see the settings at work without testing by hand every month.
How it behaves on different devices
Because the change happens in the network's DNS answers, it reaches almost any device that uses the filter. The details differ a little by device.
| Device or app | SafeSearch | YouTube Restricted Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Library or school PC, any browser | Applies | Applies |
| Visitor phone on public Wi-Fi | Applies in the browser and search apps that use the same search hosts | Applies in the browser and the YouTube app |
| Laptop with the network's encrypted link, at home | Applies | Applies |
| Phone on mobile data | Not covered, the device does not use the filter | Not covered |
| Smart TV or console on the network | Applies where the device uses the network's DNS | Applies to the YouTube app where it uses the network's DNS |
| Device with a VPN app running | Not covered while the VPN is on | Not covered while the VPN is on |
The filter blocks the VPN / Proxy / Anonymizers category and public encrypted DNS services by default, which closes the easiest ways around these settings.
Device management covers the rest on machines you own. The Networks page in the dashboard lists the router and browser settings that lock this down for your IT contact, step by step.
Rollout checklist
Switching safe modes on is quick. A few minutes of preparation avoids confused users on the first day.
Pick the networks
Decide which networks get the settings, usually children's PCs and student Wi-Fi, and make sure each uses the right profile.
Check the allowed lists
Remove search engine and YouTube domains from always allowed lists on those networks, or the safe modes will be skipped.
Tell the staff
Explain that search results and YouTube will look different on those networks, and how to answer questions.
Test after saving
Run the short test above from one device on each network, in a new private window.
Limits to know
These tools improve results a lot, but they are not a guarantee. Each one depends on the provider's own filtering and on devices using the filter.
Other search engines
Only Google, Bing and DuckDuckGo are switched to safe mode. Others search normally unless you put them on the always blocked list.
Provider decisions
What counts as safe is decided by each search engine and by YouTube. Their filters miss some content and hide some harmless content.
Single videos
DNS filtering sees website names, never full URLs, so one video or one search cannot be allowed or blocked on its own.
Devices that skip the filter
The filter blocks public encrypted DNS services and VPN sites. Devices with a VPN app or mobile data need device management or the encrypted link.
Results in other apps
Search inside other apps, or image results shown by other sites, may not pass through these safe services.
Caching
After switching a setting, a browser may keep its earlier answer for about a minute. Test in a new private window.
Website and search filtering is one layer. It does not monitor what children watch, type or say. Keep supervision and your safeguarding process in place; see also education safe browsing and how to block YouTube on your network.
SafeSearch and Restricted Mode questions
Which search engines are forced into SafeSearch?
Google, including its country search domains, Bing and DuckDuckGo. Only their search hosts are affected.
Can users switch SafeSearch off?
Not while they use the filtered network or its encrypted link. The engine serves its safe version whatever the browser says.
Moderate or strict for YouTube?
Strict hides the most videos; moderate hides fewer. YouTube decides which videos fall into each level.
Do these settings cause certificate warnings?
No. Browsers reach the provider's own safe service with a valid certificate.
Can I turn them on for children's PCs only?
Yes. Both belong to a profile. Turn them on in the children's profile and off for staff.
Does Restricted Mode block YouTube completely?
No. Mature videos are hidden. To block YouTube entirely, add youtube.com to always blocked.
Do signed-in users escape Restricted Mode?
On a network where it is enforced, users cannot turn it off in their account settings. Test with the accounts your users actually have, as YouTube can change its behaviour over time.
Does SafeSearch affect image and video search tabs?
Yes, within Google, Bing and DuckDuckGo the safe mode applies to their search results, including the image and video tabs.
Will staff notice anything?
Only if their network's profile has the settings on. Staff profiles normally leave both off, so staff search and watch as usual.
Can I use moderate YouTube with SafeSearch off?
Yes. The two settings are independent. Any combination works, for example moderate YouTube for teens with SafeSearch on, or YouTube restricted on a lab network with SafeSearch off.
What if a provider changes its safe service?
The filter is built on the providers' published guidance for networks, and we review that guidance and adjust the filter when it changes. Your profile settings stay the same, so nothing needs doing on your side.
If you notice search or YouTube behaving differently on a filtered network, tell us and we will check it against the current guidance.
Do the settings slow down search?
No noticeable change. The safe services are run by the providers themselves, on the same kind of servers as their normal services.
Does it work for embedded videos?
Embeds that use YouTube's standard or privacy-enhanced players are covered, because their lookups go through the same redirected names.
Set up a children's profile with us
Tell us which machines or Wi-Fi networks children use. We set up the profile with SafeSearch, Restricted Mode and the right categories during onboarding.
Talk to usManaged DNS filterRelated: time schedules · staff bypass PIN · library web filtering
Google, YouTube and SafeSearch are trademarks of Google LLC. Bing is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. DuckDuckGo is a trademark of Duck Duck Go, Inc. They are used here only to identify the services discussed.
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