Filter Management

How do I temporarily allow or deny all internet access?
How can I customize the deny page?
How do I deny certain search engine keywords?
How do I add websites or keywords to the deny list?
What is the deny list?
How can I view a blocked site if I know it’s acceptable?
How do I add websites or keywords to an allow list?
What is the allow list?
Time Zone Settings
Why is my profile manager password different than my Freedom Web Filter account password?
How do I change/retrieve my profile manager password?
How do I access my Profile Manager?
How do I decide which protocols to block?
How do I know which categories to block?
How do I know what a selecting to block a certain category will filter?
Why is there a parent profile when I first install the filter?
What are time restrictions and how do I configure them?
How can I select a profile to use automatically when I start my computer?
How do I password protect my profiles?
How do I restrict users from logging out of their profile?
How to create a new profile
Why am I not receiving the reports in my email?
How do I add a second email address to my reports?
Why is there a yellow exclamation point on the Freedom Web Filter Filter icon?
What is the remote access feature and how do I use it to manage my profiles?

How do I temporarily allow or deny all internet access?

    • To temporarily allow unfiltered access to the Internet (Allow All) or to block all access (Deny All), open the profile manager and select the profile you want to modify.

    • Go to the General tab and select either Allow All o­r Deny All, choose a time period, then click Save Changes.

    • These settings override all other filter settings. However, activity is logged and reports can still be generated during this time.

    • Note: If you do not desire to have access to this feature freedomwebfilter.com will change and hold your profile manager password at no charge.

How can I customize the deny page?

    • In the profile manager, go to the Preferences tab, and choose how much information should be displayed when a page is denied.  The deny page is used to notify the user that they have tried to access a website that is not allowed by their profile.

    • If you select Detailed deny page, the user is shown all relevant information, including the profile name, the URL of the denied website, the website’s category, and the status screen information.

    • If you select Minimal deny page, only the profile name, and the website’s category are displayed to the user.

    • If you select No deny page, the user will be shown an unauthorized access error by the browser. The user does not see any freedomwebfilter.com logo or information about why they were blocked. (Note: You cannot enable Quick Allow Access Link or Include Admin Email link when this option is selected.)

    • If you select the Quick Allow Access Link option and enter a password, users are shown a Click here to Quick Allow this URL link after being denied access to a page. Anyone can then select this link, enter the password that you chose, and view the content on the page. If you decide that users should always have access to it, you can enter it into the Allow List. (Note: Any page that loads other files or sites or may not be fully displayed or may appear “broken”. This is expected since the page is trying to load more than just the site you’ve allowed. Sites that redirect you to another web site will be denied again.)

    • If you select the Include Admin Email Link option and enter your email, users are shown a Click here to request a review of the denied URL link. If the user selects this link, an email will be sent to the address you provide requesting a review of the website. This allows you to review the website and, if necessary, adjust the profile settings to allow future access to this web site. Remember, adjustments can be made from anywhere by remote accessing the profile manager.

How do I deny certain search engine keywords?

To block a keyword, choose the profile you wish to add the keyword to, click the Deny tab, and simply enter any word without http://www. at the beginning.  After you Save Changes, all search engine searches using that word will be denied.

How do I add websites or keywords to the deny list?

    • ­If you want to block one particular page of a web site, copy the URL string of the page into the Deny List along with a description of why you want to deny it. Example: http://www.example.com/path/example.html

    • If you want to deny every page at the example.com web site, remove the “http://www.” and the path to deny the entire domain. Example: example.com

    • To block a keyword, simply enter any word without http://www. at the beginning.

    • Once you click Save Changes, the denied site’s name and your reason for denying it will be displayed.

What is the deny list?

The deny tab enables you to enter the URL of a website that you want to be denied (or blocked) for a Profile – even if it’s in an allowed category. You can deny one particular page, an entire domain, or any page with a certain keyword present in the URL string.

How can I view a blocked site if I know it’s acceptable?

    • To allow access to blocked site all the time, you can add the website to the allow list for each profile.

    • To allow temporary access to a blocked site, open the profile manager and click the Preferences tab.  Under the Deny Page Settings category, check the box to Include Quick Allow Access Link.  Enter the password you would like to use to override the denied page, then choose the amount of time you would like to allow the blocked site to be viewed.  Once the time limit expires the sites will be blocked again.

    • With the quick allow access feature enabled, when the deny page is shown, you can now click on the Quick Allow link shown on the deny page  To override the denied page, you must enter the password you entered when you enabled the quick allow access feature.

    • Note: If pages seem to be denied frequently that you know to be ok, you may want to check your profile settings to see if you need to make an adjustment to the categories. You may have a category selected that you don’t want blocked.  On the deny page, it will show the reason why the page was denied. This will help you determine what category or protocol or any other reason why it is blocked.

    • If you feel a page was blocked by categorization mistake and not by your settings, use the Submit for Review tab in the profile manager and your request will be sent to our categorization department.  You can also email support@freedomwebfilter.com with the URL lettings us know that you think it should be allowed.

How do I add websites or keywords to an allow list?

    • If you want to allow one particular page of a web site, copy the URL of the page into the allow list along with a description of why you want to allow it. Example: http://www.example.com/path/example.html

    • If you want to allow all the pages at a particular web site. If you want to allow every page at the examp­le.com web site, remove the “http://www” and the path to allow the entire domain. Example: example.com

    • If you want to allow a keyword, simply enter any word without http://www. at the beginning.

    • Once you click Save Changes, the allowed site’s name and your reason for allowing are displayed.

What is the allow list?

The Allow tab allows you to enter a keyword or the URL of a web site that you want to be allowed for that profile, even if it’s in a blocked category. You can allow one particular page, an entire domain, or any page with a certain keyword present in the URL string.

Time Zone Settings

  • It is important to select the correct timezone for your filter so that if you choose to use the time restriction feature it will filter during the correct times.

  • To set your correct timezone, open the profile manager, select the Preferences tab on the left, then click on the Time Zone dropdown box, and select the proper time zone for your area. Please allow for daylight savings time, and if using a laptop with the time restriction feature, remember to account for time zone changes when traveling.

Why is my profile manager password different than my Freedom Web Filter account password?

    • Upon signup you were given the option to sync your usernames and passwords for both your Freedom Web Filter account and your Profile Manager. If you chose not to sync your username/password you will have two separate sets, one to manage your Freedom Web Filter account and another for your profile manager.

    • At the beginning of the signup process, you first entered a username/password for your Freedom Web Filter account access (use this to login to  www.freedomwebfilter.com and click on My Account.

    • The second username/password you entered at signup is for your profile manager.

    • The reason we offer two sets of usernames and passwords is for your filtering security.  Experience has shown us not syncing the profile manager username and password with your account username and password enhances the integrity of your filter security.

How do I change/retrieve my profile manager password?

    • Open your profile manager page and select Change Password. Type in the new password and confirm.

    • Note: If you change your password from your profile manager page, this change will NOT show on your Freedom Web Filter account profile. This is for an accountability system, as you need to keep the profile manager password private with no way to retrieve it.

    • If you changed your password from the profile manager page and you need it for any reason, simply contact us requesting we change your profile ­manager password. If you want to specify what to change it to you can, or we can generate a secure password for you. You MUST include your security question and answer or we will email you back requesting these before we will make any changes. We must know the person requesting the password change is the actual account holder. We will then email you to confirm the change.

How do I access my Profile Manager?

    • You can open the P­rofile Manager by clicking in the Wheel Icon  (located by the clock at the bottom right of your screen for Windows users, or in the top menu on a Mac. Then click Manage Profiles.  This will take you to the profile manager page.

    • Windows users can also access the Profile Manager page by going to the Control Panel, opening Filter Settings (Vista users please select the classic view in your control panel).  Enter your profile manager password, then click Manage Profiles.

    • Mac users can access the Profile Manager page by going to System Preferences, click Client Filter, enter your profile manager password and click Sign In, then choose Manage Profiles.

    • Accessing the Profile Manager remotely.

How do I decide which protocols to block?

      • In general, we recommend that you accept the default settings for these protocols. However, there may be changes you want to make, such as the instant messaging and email selections.

      • Instant messaging applications, such as Windows Messenger, allow users to chat between computers. This category does not include web based chat sites and forums. If you also want to block web based chat, select Web Chat/Forums from the Categories tab.

      • Email allows users to send messages and files. If you want to block web-based email, such as Hotmail or Gmail, you must select Web E-mail from the Web Categories.

      • ­To block or unblock a protocol, select the profile you wish to modify. In Go to the Protocols tab and click which group of protocols to modify.

      • Check the box to block the protocol. Boxes that already have a check mark are currently blocked. If you wish to unblock a protocol simply uncheck the box next to that protocol.

      • For a description of the categories and protocols, place your cursor over each item. The description will appear at the bottom left of your screen.­

      • While there are hundreds of file sharing applications available, they generally all use one of the protocols listed. For example, Morpheus and Limewire currently use the Gnutella protocol. If you have a file sharing application you want to block but don’t see it in the list, try searching the web for information about the application and what protocol it uses. Chances are it can be blocked by selecting one of the protocols in the Protocols tab.

How do I know which categories to block?

      • To block certain categories of web content, select the profile you wish to modify then go to to the Categories tab and click an option button on the left to select which type of web categories to modify.

      • For a description of the categories, place your cursor over the item. The description will appear at the bottom left of your screen.­

      • Check the box next to each category you wish to block. Boxes that already have a check mark are currently blocked.  If you wish to unblock a category simply uncheck the box next to the category.

      • Note: In most cases, starting out with too little filtering is a better choice than too much filtering. Choose the categories that you are certain you want blocked, test the filtering, and then adjust as necessary. This reduces the likelihood of preventing users from accessing acceptable content.

How do I know what a selecting to block a certain category will filter?

Most items in the Profile Manager interface have helpful mouse-over descriptions associated with them. To view a description of the categories, place your cursor over the item. The description will appear at the bottom left of your screen.­

Why is there a parent profile when I first install the filter?

    • When the filter is first installed and set up, before anyone using this computer accesses the internet, there must be a filtering profile selected. The Profile will determine what restrictions the filter applies, as well as the level of monitoring and reporting.

    • Upon installation an initial preconfigured profile model is created and applied, which we call the Parent profile. In the profile manager, you can rename this profile and customize any settings to make sure this profile is set to your personal preferences.

What are time restrictions and how do I configure them?

    • The time restrictions feature allows you to block a profile user’s internet access at certain times of the day.

    • Select the profile you would like to add time restrictions to, then select the Time tab. Click on a grid for a particular day and time to block all access to the internet during that period. Be sure your timezone settings are correct for the computer that you desire to have time restrictions on. The time zone settings are located within the Preferences menu tab­.

How can I select a profile to use automatically when I start my computer?

    • Login to your Profile Manager.

    • Click on the Preferences tab on the left side of the page.

    • Under Active Profile Settings, select Use this profile on restart, and select which profile you want to use from the dropdown menu.

    • Click Save Changes and upon your next restart, this profile will automatically be used.

    • Note: This setting will have the profile you select start up on every computer on which you have the filter installed.

How do I password protect my profiles?

    • New Profiles

      • When you first make a profile you will see the Password and Confirm boxes to the right of the the New Profile name box.

      • Enter in the password for this profile (remember each profile should have it’s own password).  Make sure the No Password box is unchecked. Complete this New profile area then select Add new profile

    • Existing Profiles

      • Go into the Profile Manager and click on the profile you would like to add a password to.

      • Under the General tab you will see a section which says Change password for profile. Uncheck the No Password box, then enter the password you want for this profile in the New Password box, and then type it again in the Confirm Password box.

      • When you are finished, click Save Changes at the top of the page.

How do I restrict users from logging out of their profile?

    • In the Preferences menu tab, you can choose to restrict users from logging out of their Profile.

    • In most cases, requiring a password to log into a Profile provides strong enough security. However, the logout options can increase security, should you require it. There are four options available:

      • No password required: Users do not need to enter a password to log out of their current profile. This is the recommended option.

      • Require profile password: To log out of a profile, users or their administrators must enter the same password that was used to login. (If a Profile has the “No password” option enabled for login in the General tab, they do not need a password to log out even if Require Profile Password is selected.)

      • Require Profile Manager password: With this option enabled, users must have their administrator enter the Profile Manager password to leave any Profile.

      • Require this password: To choose a custom logout password that is different from both the profile password and the Profile Manager password, select this option and enter the custom password. Users must enter this password before they can log out of a profile.

How to create a new profile

    • In the profile manager, click on New Profile, enter a name for this profile, and an optional description.

    • Enter a password and re-enter it to confirm. Passwords are case sensitive and may contain both letters and numbers. If you want to allow anyone to use this profile without entering a password, select No Password instead.

    • Select the basic filter settings you want for this profile.  You can adjust or reset the settings of this profile at any time.

    • Select the picture you want to associate with this profile.

    • Click Add Profile.

Why am I not receiving the reports in my email?

    • Be sure you add support@freedomwebfilter.com to your approved address list to make sure that your reports aren’t being sent to your spam folder.

    • Note: Filter Reports are generated and emailed every night at 12 AM

How do I add a second email address to my reports?

    • You can add additional email addresses to your reports by adding a comma “,” after the first email address, then click to save changes.

    • Click the test button then check both email address to verify you have received the test email at both address.

    • If you did not get the test email at the second address, check to be sure you placed the comma right after the first email address.

    • Example: address1@freedomwebfilter.com, address2@freedomwebfilter.com

Why is there a yellow exclamation point on the Freedom Web Filter Filter icon?

This means the filter is not receiving an internet connection.

What is the remote access feature and how do I use it to manage my profiles?

  • There may be times when you need to use the Profile Manager, but do not have physical access to the computer where the freedomwebfilter.com Filter is installed. Our remote access feature allows you to manage your profiles from anywhere over the Internet.

  • To begin remote access, go to freedomwebfilter.com, and log in with your Freedom Web Filter username and password (not the same as profile manager unless you chose to sync them when you signed up).

  • Click on the My Account tab and then select the Remote Access Your Filter.  You will then be directed to your profile manager page where you can log in and manage your profiles from anywhere.

  • Note: If the filter is installed on a computer, you cannot remote access and manage any profiles other than the profiles of the filter installed on that computer.