A four-part series on setting up a Child Account / Family Safety for a user in Windows 8

Part 2: Adjusting Web Filtering in Family Safety

In yesterday’s post, we explained the basics behind Family Safety, and how to start setting up Family Safety on a user’s account in Windows 8.  Today, we’ll be focusing on how to adjust the Web Filtering settings in Family Safety.  Read after the jump to find out how!

Once you’ve clicked on “Web Filtering” in the User Settings screen, the following screen will appear.  First, change the first option to the second choice, “Fred Flagstaff (obviously, this will be the user you’re setting up Family Safety for) can only use the websites I allow.”

From there, you will to choose the Web Filtering level.  This allows the administrator to allow or block websites by rating and content types.  Click on “Set web filtering level” to adjust these settings.

A screen will appear allowing you to choose which types of websites the user can visit.  There are five levels of settings, from “Allow list only” (the administrator designates each website a user can visit) to “Warn on Adult,” which will allow all websites, but will send a warning when a website is believed to have adult content.  The default is the fourth choice, which basically only blocks adult sites.  For my five year old, I picked the second choice.  Your needs will vary.

A rather neat side effect of the second choice is that, if your child attempts to view a blocked website, a list of approved websites will automatically appear for them to choose from.

Additionally, at the bottom of the list of choices is a box “Block File Downloads.”  Checking this box will block the user from downloading any type of file, whether a picture, program, or virus.  I checked this box for my daughter, as there is no need for her to download files, but your child may need to download and save files for school work.

To allow or block specific sites, rather than a category of sites, click on “Allow or Block Websites” on the screen.  The following screen will appear.  Type the name of each site that you would like to add, then click either “Allow” or “Block.”  A list of sites that you have designated will appear in the two columns.  Note that if you do not designate any sites, and chose the first “Allow list only” option in the previous screen, the user will not be able to visit any websites.

If you change your mind regarding a website, come back to this screen, click on the site, and then click the “Remove” button at the bottom of the screen.

Once you have set all of the Web Filtering settings, click on “User Settings” to return to the first screen, where you can then set up the other Family Safety settings.

Previously:

Part 1: Introduction to Family Safety.

Next:

Part 3: Adjusting Time Limits in Family Safety

Part 4: Adjusting Windows store and game restrictions, and app restrictions in Family Safety