Enforcing YouTube Restricted Mode
The following table displays the necessary rules for enforcing YouTube Restricted Mode. These rules have been updated and should be configured for all related traffic to ensure proper restrictions.
In the WebAdmin, navigate to the desired Local List or Shared List and create the entry as follows.
Note: If the Action is set to "Add Header," you must add the following header value in the Section field:
YouTube-Restrict: Strict
| URL/Keyword | Type | Request Part | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| decrypt://youtube.com:443 | URL | URL | Deny |
| googleapis.com | URL | URL | Allow |
| googlevideo.com | URL | URL | Allow |
| gvt1.com | URL | URL | Allow |
| m.youtube.com | URL | URL | Add Header |
| www.youtube.com | URL | URL | Add Header |
| youtube-nocookie.com | URL | URL | Add Header |
| youtube.com | URL | URL | Add Header |
| youtube.googleapis.com | URL | URL | Add Header |
| youtubei.googleapis.com | URL | URL | Add Header |
| ytimg.com | URL | URL | Allow |
| yt3.ggpht.com | URL | URL | Allow |
Screenshot of the Rules:
Handling Blocked Sites due to Category
If a YouTube-related URL or domain is blocked due to its category classification, the restricted list will need to be added either as a local list for proxies or web agents, or made an Exemption list for client filtering. This ensures that YouTube traffic is appropriately allowed while maintaining Restricted Mode.
In addition, the following URLs and domains must be placed in an allowed shared list to ensure that YouTube Restricted Mode functions correctly:
By ensuring these URLs are on the shared allow list, you can manage YouTube traffic effectively, even when category-based filtering is in place.
Testing your Changes
You can verify the header injection is taking place by performing any YouTube search from a filtered machine. If configured correctly, all YouTube searches will include the disclaimer, "Some results have been removed because Restricted Mode is enabled by your network administrator" as shown in below:
If you navigate to your Account Settings and try to disable Strict Mode, the button will be grayed out and you will see the notice: Turned on by your network administrator to help hide potentially mature videos.
For more information about List Rules, please refer to our List Management Documentation.