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 embedded videos.
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.

Important: 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

Open the class where you want to configure Web Limiting.
Select the Settings icon on the top navigation bar.
Under Classroom Settings, select Web Limiting.

Step 2: Select a Web Limiting Policy

Choose one of the following:

Restrict All Websites
Block Only
Allow Only

Add Websites to a Block List

Use Block Only to prevent students from accessing specific websites.

Select Block Only.
Select Edit.
Select Add Web Addresses.
Enter the website address you want to block.
Select Add Another to add additional websites.
Select Add To List.
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.

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.

Select the Allow Only.
Select Edit
Select Add Web Addresses.
Enter the website address you want students to access.
Select Add Another to add additional websites.
Select Add To List.
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.

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

Copy Web Limiting Settings to Another Class

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:

Open the class where you want to apply the settings.
Open Class Settings.
Select Web Limiting.
Under Replace current web limiting with settings from, select the class you want to copy.
Select Apply Change.
Select which list to use:

Allow Only
Block Only
Restrict All Websites

Select Done.

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.

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:

Start the class.
Select the Limit student websites icon.
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. They will see a list of websites they are permitted to go to.
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:

Select the Limit student websites icon.
Select:
- Unlimit Websites for All, or
- Unlimit Websites for Selected.

Web access will return to normal for the students selected.

Web Limiting List Is Missing or Appears to Have Been Reset

If a Web Limiting Allow Only or Block Only list is missing, appears empty, or suddenly appears to have been reset, first confirm that the class still exists.

If the class still exists

If the class has not been deleted, the Web Limiting list may still be available but not displaying correctly in the browser.

Try the following steps:

Refresh the browser page.
If the Web Limiting list is still missing, clear your browser's cache and cookies.
Sign back in to LanSchool Air.
Open the class again and check the Web Limiting list.

Important: Do not delete the class to try to resolve a missing Web Limiting list. Web Limiting lists cannot be recovered after the associated class is deleted.

If the class still exists and the Web Limiting list remains missing after refreshing the browser and clearing the browser cache and cookies, contact LanSchool Air Support for assistance.

If the class was deleted

If the class was deleted, the Web Limiting lists associated with that class cannot be recovered.

For more information, see Web Limiting Lists and Class Deletion.

Web Limiting Lists and Class Deletion

The availability of a Web Limiting list depends on how the class was created.

Manually created classes

Web Limiting lists created in a manually created class will remain available as long as the class itself is not deleted.

If the manually created class is deleted, the Web Limiting lists associated with that class cannot be recovered.

Imported classes

Web Limiting lists created in an imported class are associated with that class.

This includes classes imported from:

Google Classroom
Clever
ClassLink
CSV

If an imported class is removed from the Student Information System (SIS) or the source system and the class is subsequently removed from LanSchool Air, any Web Limiting lists associated with that class will also be deleted.

Web Limiting lists cannot be recovered after the associated class has been deleted.

Important: If you need to keep a Web Limiting list, make sure the associated class is not deleted. It's recommended to build the limit web list in a manually created class.

Web Limiting Troubleshooting

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

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

For additional troubleshooting steps, see Troubleshooting Web Limiting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can LanSchool Air block browser extensions?

No. Web Limiting controls website access and cannot block, disable, install, or manage browser extensions.

Can I block Google Lens with LanSchool Air?

No. Web Limiting cannot directly disable Google Lens or other browser features. Use your organization's browser or device management policies to control these features.

Can I block Microsoft Copilot with LanSchool Air?

No. Web Limiting cannot directly disable Microsoft Copilot or other AI features. Use your organization's applicable browser, device, or application management policies.

Can I block embedded videos?

No. Web Limiting cannot block embedded videos. The LanSchool Air extension is unable to detect embedded videos to block them.

Can I bulk upload websites to the Allow Only or Block Only list?

No. LanSchool Air does not currently support bulk or mass uploading of websites to Web Limiting lists. Websites must be added through the Web Limiting interface.

Can I download or export my Web Limiting lists?

No. LanSchool Air does not currently provide a feature to download or export Allow Only or Block Only lists.

Can I block all websites?

Yes. Select Restrict All Websites and enable Web Limiting for all or selected students.

Can I allow only certain websites?

Yes. Select Allow Only, add the websites students are allowed to access, and enable Web Limiting.

Can I block specific websites?

Yes. Select Block Only, add the websites you want to restrict, and enable Web Limiting.

Can I apply Web Limiting to only one student?

Yes. When enabling Web Limiting, select Limit Websites for Selected and choose the student or students.

Can I use Web Limiting during a test?

Yes. Allow Only can be used to limit students to approved testing or reference websites. Restrict All Websites can be used when students should not have access to websites during the activity.

Can Web Limiting prevent students from using Incognito Mode?

No. LanSchool Air cannot disable private/incognito browsing or Chrome Guest Mode. These restrictions should be configured through your organization's device or browser management policies.

Can I prevent students from seeing the list of websites they're allowed to go to?

No. LanSchool Air cannot hide or block the list of permitted websites the student sees when they're redirected to the blocked website page.

How long are Web Limiting lists saved?

Web Limiting lists created in manually created classes remain available as long as the class is not deleted.

Web Limiting lists created in imported classes, such as Google Classroom, Clever, ClassLink, or CSV classes, are deleted when the associated class is removed from the SIS or source system and subsequently removed from LanSchool Air.

What happens to my Web Limiting list if I delete the class?

The Web Limiting list associated with the deleted class is also deleted.

Web Limiting lists cannot be recovered after the class is deleted.

What happens to a Web Limiting list if my imported class is removed from the SIS?

If an imported class is removed from the SIS or source system and the class is removed from LanSchool Air, any Web Limiting lists associated with that class will also be deleted.

This applies to classes imported from Google Classroom, Clever, ClassLink, and CSV.

My Web Limiting list suddenly disappeared. What should I do?

If the class still exists, do not delete the class.

First, refresh your browser and check the Web Limiting list again.

If the list is still missing:

Clear your browser's cache and cookies.
Sign back in to LanSchool Air.
Open the class again and check the Web Limiting list.

If the class still exists but the Web Limiting list remains missing, contact LanSchool Air Support.

If the class was deleted, the Web Limiting list cannot be recovered.

My Block Only list is empty, but I did not delete my class. How can I restore it?

If the class still exists, first refresh your browser. If the list is still empty, clear your browser's cache and cookies, sign back in to LanSchool Air, and check the class again.

Do not delete the class. If the class is deleted, the Web Limiting list cannot be recovered.

If the list is still missing after refreshing and clearing the browser cache and cookies, contact LanSchool Air Support.

My Allow Only list disappeared. Was it deleted?

Not necessarily. If the class still exists, refresh the browser first. If the list does not reappear, clear the browser's cache and cookies and sign back in.

If the class was deleted, the Web Limiting list cannot be recovered.

I have a manually created class that I use to store my blocked websites. Will my Web Limiting list remain?

Yes. A Web Limiting list created in a manually created class will remain as long as the class is not deleted.

If the manually created class is deleted, the Web Limiting list cannot be recovered.

I use a class to store a large list of blocked websites from year to year. Can I keep using the same list?

Yes. If the class is a manually created class, its Web Limiting lists will remain available as long as the class is not deleted.

If the class is an imported class, such as a Google Classroom, Clever, ClassLink, or CSV class, the Web Limiting list can be deleted when the associated class is removed from the SIS or source system and subsequently removed from LanSchool Air.

Can I recover a Web Limiting list from a deleted class?

No. Web Limiting lists cannot be recovered after the associated class has been deleted.

My Web Limiting list was there a few minutes ago, but now it is gone. What should I do?

If the class still exists:

Refresh your browser.
If the list is still missing, clear your browser's cache and cookies.
Sign back in to LanSchool Air.
Open the class and check the Web Limiting list again.

If the list is still missing, contact LanSchool Air Support.

Do not delete the class while troubleshooting. A Web Limiting list associated with a deleted class cannot be recovered.

Why isn't Web Limiting working?

Verify that the LanSchool Air browser extension is installed and enabled and that Web Limiting is active for the student. Also check whether the student is using an unsupported browser, private/incognito browsing, Chrome Guest Mode, or a different domain than the one configured in the Web Limiting list.

See Troubleshooting Web Limiting for additional troubleshooting steps.