Sophos Home allows you to control access to certain types of websites on every computer, based on the site's category. This article describes how to allow, warn, or block browsing websites based on their category. 

Setting category filters
Filtering options and messages
Adding website exclusions

Instructions

Note: Web filtering is not currently compatible with IPv6.

1. Sign in to your Sophos Home Dashboard
2. Click the name of the device you would like to configure.
3. Go to WEB FILTERING tab.
   
   
4. Select the website category that you would like to control/block access to
   Click on the image to open it in full size in a new tab
    
   

   Select one of the following filtering options:

   • Allow - allow the websites in the category to be fully accessed. (No log in the dashboard) 
   • Warn - users are warned when accessing sites on HTTP web pages (users can choose to bypass the warn, which will log it in the dashboard).
     If using HTTPS secure sites, there will not be a warning shown on the browser, but the log will appear on the dashboard: 
     Controlled website -Warn bypassed by user <url>
     
     
     
   • Block - does not allow the websites in the category to be fully accessed. If browsing HTTPS websites, users will see the site as unavailable instead of Website Blocked.  These attempts will be logged on the Dashboard:
     Controlled website - Block - <TypeOfCategoryBlocked>
      
     

Adding website exclusions

Blocking a category will prevent access to any sites belonging to it. Depending on the category, exclusions may be added to allow access to specific sites. See this article for more details:
Sophos Home blocks access to specific websites  

Note: If you believe a website has been incorrectly categorized, please submit a sample to Sophos Labs for review: Submit a website sample 

Related information

• Sophos Home blocks access to specific websites
• Setting scan exceptions