Managing Web Links vs Global Allow Lists in Securly Classroom

In Securly Classroom, managing access to specific websites effectively can help avoid disruptions and maximize student engagement. It’s important to understand when to use Web Links versus adding sites to the Global Allow List. This guide will walk you through scenarios, strategies, and key points to help you manage website access for your classroom.

Step 1: Identifying the List of Domains

Before making any changes, you’ll first need to gather the list of domains that should be either allowed or blocked. There are several ways to identify domains:

1. Prior Knowledge: If you already know the required domains, you can directly apply them.
2. Session History: After class, review the Session History to see what sites students attempted to access.
3. Most Blocked Sites Report: Use the report in your Securly Dashboard to identify frequently blocked domains.
4. Securly Support: Reach out to Securly Support for assistance in identifying necessary domains.

Step 2: Determine if the Site Contains Content

Once you have your list of domains, ask yourself if the site contains content that could be misused, such as test answers or lesson plans. For example:

• Content Site: myschool.schoology.com contains lesson plans and should not be added to the Global Allow list.
• Non-Content Site: accounts.google.com or idp.myschool.org are safe to be globally allowed since they don’t contain content that could be misused.

Tip: When in doubt, it's often better to add a site to the Global Allow List and monitor its use. If students misuse it, you can audit activity in Session History and adjust access accordingly.

Web Links vs Global Allow Lists

• Global Allow List: This is the best option when dealing with non-content sites that students need regular access to, such as login pages or external resources.
• Web Links: Use Web Links for content-specific sites. This allows you to add dependencies (like login pages or embedded resources) and control when and how students access the content.

Creating and Managing Web Links

If a site contains content and cannot be globally allowed, follow these steps to create a Web Link:

1. Create the Web Link: Name the Web Link following your school's naming conventions (see "Name Conventions" below).
2. Add Dependencies: Ensure all necessary dependencies (e.g., login pages, embedded resources) are included in the Web Link. Note that by default, if you add a root domain, all subdomains are automatically allowed.
3. Communicate: Inform teachers about the new Web Link and how it should be used in the classroom.

Naming Conventions for Web Links

To maintain clarity and consistency, it's important to follow naming conventions for Web Links. Teachers and administrators can search Web Links by name, so a standardized approach helps ensure they find the right one:

• Example naming convention: 00 - Schoology Assignment: Exercise Name Here.
• Avoid using special characters as they are ignored in sorting.
• Numbers (e.g., 00 - Plan A) are sorted above letters.

Cloning Web Links

Teachers may often want to use a specific Web Link for assignments. Instead of creating new Web Links each time, teachers can:

1. Search for the Web Link.
2. Clone the Web Link.
3. Update the URL to point to their specific exercise.
4. Rename the Web Link to match the new assignment.

Blocking Plans vs Site Lock

In Securly Classroom, you have two key tools for managing access:

1. Blocking Plans: These are your class rules that are always enforced. Use Blocking Plans to control which websites are allowed or blocked during class.
2. Site Lock: This tool locks students into a specific URL during class. It's used in scenarios where students need to be restricted to one site, such as during tests.

Example Scenarios

• Scenario: Blocking distracting websites

  • In Classroom, create a Blocking Plan before class, add distracting websites to the block list, and start the plan during class.

• Scenario: Lock down browsing to a single site

  • Use the Site Lock tool to restrict students to a specific URL. Add dependencies if needed (e.g., SSO login pages).

• Scenario: Release students individually from Site Lock

  • Select the students’ checkbox and use the release icon to allow them to exit the locked site.

• Scenario: Combining allow-only and block-only plans for testing

  • Use Blocking Plans to allow specific sites during the test, and switch students to a block-only plan as they finish the test.

Important Notes on Dependencies

Wildcards can only be used with Dependencies and Org Allow Lists.  They cannot be used with regular Allow Lists.  Dependencies are URLs that must be allowed for other sites to work properly (e.g., APIs or embedded videos). When adding dependencies:

• Wildcards can be used (e.g., *.googleapis.com will allow all subdomains of googleapis.com).
• Wildcards can only be used at the beginning of the URL.
• URLs can be added without the http:// or https:// prefix.

Summary of Key Differences Between Blocking Plans and Site Lock

• Blocking Plans: Always active class rules that define which sites are allowed or blocked.
• Site Lock: Temporary restriction to one or more specific sites, typically used during tests or focused classroom activities.