Site Access Control – Beta

What is Site Access Control #

The Shield is an extension deployed to the end-users. This extension allows the Admins to manage and track the browsing activity of all the users where Shield is deployed.

GAT Shield can also be used as a web-filtering tool the Admins can use. The web filter in GAT Shield is called Site Access Control.

Site Access control allows the Google Workspace Admins to create different rules to block users from browsing particular websites.

Migrate to Site Access Control – BETA #

In order to migrate to the latest version of Site Access Control, navigate to GAT Shield > Site Access Control and refer to the information shown at the top of this section in the dashboard.

Click on the Run migration to new Site Access Control to trigger the migration process.

NOTE: You can switch back to the current version of Site Access Control by contacting the support team.

Use of Site Access Control – BETA version #

Navigate to GAT Shield > Configuration > Site Access Control (Beta)

When select a new tab will be opened with the Site Access Control (New).

User-defined categories #

In the “User-defined categories” we can set up a category (list) of sites that we want to Block or Allow.

When the categories are created, they can be activated as a rule to Block or Allow the category.

Upload custom category #

The Admin can upload a spreadsheet with multiple websites to be blocked or allowed

Navigate to Shield > Site Access Contol (Beta) > User-defined categories > Upload custom category

Select Upload custom category and a pop-up window will be displayed.

Fill in the details

• Category name – enter a name for the category
• Description – enter a description for the rule
• + Create a new spreadsheet – click to create the spreadsheet with the added name and description
• + Generate from recent browsing – click to create a spreadsheet and use the recent browsing records – with the added name and description
  • Generate CSV file filled with domains from the Browsing section from the last 7 days
• From the buttons on the side
  • Edit spreadsheet – open the Google sheet and edit/add sites (pen icon)
  • Open and create the spreadsheet (checkmark icon)

The spreadsheet will be opened, fill in the URLs  (websites) you want to block.

Close the sheet and click on the Create (checkmark) button.

The Custom category will be added to User-defined categories.

Click on the + button to create the rule and activate it

Add a new category #

Navigate to User-defined categories > Add a new category 

A pop-up window will be displayed.

Fill in the details required

• Category name – enter a name for the category
• Description – enter a description for the category
• Site list – enter the sites you want to add to the category
  • Match type – select the match type of the URL
    • Contains – enter part of a string that is contained within the URL
    • Starts with – enter a URL that starts with the typed URL
    • Equals – enter the URL that equals the one added
• Add a new URL – click to add more URLs to the category

• Create – click when the list is ready and you want to create the category

Activate the created category #

To activate the category and create a rule click on the + button > Create a rule (2)

A pop-up window will be displayed to add a new rule.

Fill in the details

• Rule name – enter a rule name
• Category – the selected category will be displayed
• Active – toggle to activate or deactivate the rule
• Description – enter a description for the rule
• Action – select the action to Block or Allow the category

• Redirect URL – enter a URL where the browser will redirect to
• Time restriction – select a time range during which the rule will be active. The default timezone is used.
  • You can combine and select one day. The rule can be set up to block from 9:00 to 13:00 and then on the same day from 18:00 to 23:00.
• Scope – select the users for whom the rule will be active for
  • User – select individual users
  • Group – a select group of users
  • Org. Unit – select an organizational unit of users
  • Chrome devices only – enable or disable the rule for only Chrome devices

• Create – click to create and activate the rule to block the selected users from all the selected sites in the category.

The rule will be created and saved in the Rules tab.

Result for end-user #

When the users try to visit the selected sites, they will not be allowed and will receive a blocked page message instead.

Rules #

In the Rules tab, you can view all the active rules that are set and add a new rule 

Navigate to Rules > Add a new rule

A pop-up window will be displayed to add a new rule.

Fill in the details

• Rule name – enter a rule name
• Category – click and select the category needed
  • choose from any of the custom and system categories created
• Active -toggle to activate or deactivate the rule
• Description – enter a description for the rule
• Action – select the action to Block or Allow the category

• Redirect URL – enter a URL where the browser will redirect to
• Time restriction – select a time range during which the rule will be active. The default timezone is used.
  • You can combine and select one day. The rule can be set up to block from 9:00 to 13:00 and then on the same day from 18:00 to 23:00.
• Scope – select the users for whom the rule will be active for
  • User – select individual users
  • Group – a select group of users
  • Org. Unit – select an organizational unit of users
  • Chrome devices only – enable or disable the rule for only Chrome devices

• Create – click to create and activate the rule to block the selected users from all the selected sites in the category.

The rule will be created and saved in the Rules tab.

The rules can be removed or updated from the buttons on the right side (2)

Result for end-user #

When the users try to visit the selected sites, they will not be allowed and will receive a blocked page message instead.