Using Web Limiting

Using Web Limiting

Overview

Web Limiting allows teachers to control which websites students can access during a LanSchool Air class.

You can use Web Limiting to:

  • Block specific websites while allowing students to access other websites.
  • Allow only specific websites and block all other websites.
  • Restrict all websites to prevent students from accessing the internet.
  • Apply web restrictions to all students or only selected students.

Web Limiting settings are configured separately for each class.

Watch this quick video demonstration of how to use Web Limiting with students in LanSchool Air:  LanSchool Air Feature - Limit Web

What Web Limiting Can and Cannot Do

Web Limiting is designed to control website access based on website addresses (URLs). It is not a general-purpose browser, application, extension, or AI-service blocking tool.

Web Limiting can:

  • Block specific websites or website addresses.
  • Allow only specific websites or website addresses.
  • Restrict access to all websites.
  • Apply website restrictions to all students or selected students.
  • Use wildcards to match multiple website addresses.
  • Copy Web Limiting settings from one class to another.

Web Limiting cannot:

  • Block or disable browser extensions. Web Limiting requires the LanSchool Air browser extension to be installed and enabled in the supported browser.
  • Bulk upload or mass import websites into an Allow Only or Block Only list.
  • Download or export Allow Only or Block Only lists as a file.
  • Block Google Lens as a browser feature or service.
  • Block Microsoft Copilot as an AI feature or service.
  • Block browser features, browser extensions, or other applications based solely on their functionality.
  • Disable private/incognito browsing or Chrome Guest Mode.
  • Control websites accessed through private/incognito browsing or Chrome Guest Mode.

If your organization needs to prevent students from using browser extensions, AI tools, private browsing, or other browser/application features, use your organization's device management, browser management, or application control policies.

Before You Begin

Web Limiting requires the LanSchool Air browser extension on the student's device. LanSchool Air supports Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Safari.

The browser extension must be installed and enabled for Web Limiting restrictions to be applied.

If you are experiencing problems with Web Limiting, see Troubleshooting Web Limiting.

AlertImportant: Web Limiting does not manage or block browser extensions. The LanSchool Air browser extension is required for Web Limiting to function; however, Web Limiting itself cannot be used to disable other browser extensions.

Choose a Web Limiting Policy

LanSchool Air provides three Web Limiting options:

Restrict All Websites

Use Restrict All Websites when students should not have access to websites.

Example: Prevent internet access during a test or classroom activity.

Block Only

Use Block Only when students should be able to browse the internet normally except for specific websites you want to block.

Example: Block YouTube, gaming websites, or other distracting websites during class.

Allow Only

Use Allow Only when students should be able to access only specific websites.

Example: During a test, allow students to access only the testing website and approved reference materials.

Any website that is not included in the Allow Only list will be blocked.

Configuring Web Limiting

Step 1: Open Class Settings

  1. Open the class where you want to configure Web Limiting.

  2. Select the Settings icon on the top navigation bar.



  3. Under Classroom Settings, select Web Limiting.


Step 2: Select a Web Limiting Policy

Choose one of the following:
  1. Restrict All Websites
  2. Block Only
  3. Allow Only

Add Websites to a Block List

Use Block Only to prevent students from accessing specific websites.
  1. Select Block Only.

  2. Select Edit.
  3. Select Add Web Addresses.
  4. Enter the website address you want to block.
  5. Select Add Another to add additional websites.
  6. Select Add To List.



  7. Select Finish Editing.


You can toggle websites between blocked and unblocked without removing them from the list.

There is currently no arbitrary limit on the number of websites that can be added to the list.

Alert
Important: Websites must currently be added individually through the Web Limiting interface. LanSchool Air does not support bulk or mass uploading of website addresses into the Allow Only or Block Only lists.

Add Websites to an Allow List

Use Allow Only when students should be able to access only specific websites.
  1. Select the Allow Only.



  2. Select Edit
  3. Select Add Web Addresses.
  4. Enter the website address you want students to access.
  5. Select Add Another to add additional websites.
  6. Select Add To List.



  7. Select Finish Editing.

Any website that is not included in the Allow Only list will be blocked while Web Limiting is active.

You can toggle websites between allowed and not allowed without removing them from the list.

There is currently no arbitrary limit on the number of websites that can be added.

Alert
Important: LanSchool Air does not currently support bulk or mass uploading of website addresses into the Allow Only list.

Copy Web Limiting Settings

Web Limiting settings are specific to each class. You can create a unique list for each class or copy Web Limiting settings from another class.

To copy web limiting settings from another class:
  1. Open the class where you want to apply the settings.
  2. Open Class Settings.
  3. Select Web Limiting.
  4. Under Replace current web limiting with settings from, select the class you want to copy. 



  5. Select Apply Change.



  6. Select which list to use:
    1. Allow Only
    2. Block Only
    3. Restrict All Websites

  7. Select Done.
Idea
Tip: To share the same Web Limiting lists with another teacher, add the teacher as a co-teacher to the class. For more information about co-teaching see Using Co-Teaching.

Using Wildcards

You can use an asterisk (*) as a wildcard when adding websites to a Block Only or Allow Only list.

Wildcards can be useful when you want to include multiple pages or variations of a website.

Examples

Block an entire website:

https://*youtube.com/

This blocks YouTube pages that match the pattern.

Block websites containing a specific word:

https://*.*games*

This blocks URLs containing the word games.

Allow websites containing a specific word:

https://*.*london*

This allows URLs containing the word london.

Allow a specific section of a website:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenovo*

This allows URLs matching the specified Lenovo Wikipedia section.

Idea
Tip: If a website redirects students to a different domain, the new domain may also need to be added to the Allow Only or Block Only list.

For example, a student may start on an organization's Student Information System (SIS) website and then be redirected to a different school domain. If the redirected domain is not included in the Allow Only list, it may be blocked.

Apply Web Limiting to Students

After configuring the Web Limiting settings:

  1. Start the class.
  2. Select the Limit student websites icon.
  3. Choose one of the following:
    • Limit Websites for All — applies Web Limiting to all students in the class.
    • Limit Websites for Selected — applies Web Limiting only to the students you select.
When Web Limiting is active, the Web Limiting icon indicates that website restrictions are enabled and will display the number of students being restricted.



What students see

  • With Block Only, students are redirected to a block page when they visit a blocked website.
  • With Allow Only, students are redirected to a block page when they visit a website that is not on the allowed list.
  • With Restrict All Websites, students are redirected to a block page when they attempt to access a website.
 

Turn Off Web Limiting

To stop restricting student websites:

  1. Select the Limit student websites icon.
  2. Select:
    • Unlimit Websites for All, or
    • Unlimit Websites for Selected.

Web access will return to normal for the students selected.


Web Limiting Troubleshooting

If Web Limiting is enabled but students can still access restricted websites:

  1. Verify that the student's browser is supported.
  2. Verify that the LanSchool Air browser extension is installed and enabled.
  3. Verify that Web Limiting is active for the student.
  4. Check whether the student is using private/incognito browsing or Chrome Guest Mode.
  5. Check whether the website redirects to another domain that is not included in the Web Limiting list.
  6. Verify that the URL or wildcard pattern was entered correctly.

For additional troubleshooting steps, see Troubleshooting Web Limiting.