Web content filter settings

4 min

Starting with iOS 7, supervised iOS devices support web content filtering. Web content filtering restricts the web sites that any browser on a supervised device can access. This feature is useful, for example, in fleet-based lock down environments, such as retail stores or schools.

Ivanti EPMM supports configuring web content filters on the Admin Portal. You can do one of the following:

Block access to sites containing adult content.

Configure the device’s set of accessible sites.

This setting does not apply to tvOS devices.

Configuring the web content filter

Procedure

In the Admin Portal, go to Policies and Configs > Configurations.

Select Add New > iOS / tvOS > Web Content Filter. The New Web Content Configuration dialog box opens.

Use the following guidelines to create or edit a web content configuration:

Table: Web Content Filter Configuration Settings

Item	Description
Name	Enter brief text that identifies this web content configuration.
Description	Enter additional text that clarifies the purpose of this web content configuration.
Allowed Websites	Limit Adult Content - Select this option if you want to block access to web sites based on iOS automatic filters. These filters attempt, with a high degree of accuracy, to block websites with inappropriate content. Specific Web Sites Only - Select this option if you want to manually list the accessible web sites.
Permitted URLs	Available only if you selected Limit Adult Content. These URLs are accessible even if the iOS automatic filters block them.
	To add a permitted URL, select +. To delete a permitted URL, select -. You can add up to 50 permitted URLs.
URL	Enter the permitted URL. The URL must begin with either: http:// https:// If you want to permit both http:// and https:// for the same site, include a row for each URL. All URLs for which the initial characters match the given permitted URL are accessible. Example: http://www.someCompanySite.com permits access to the following: http://www.someCompanySite.com http://www.someCompanySite.com/jobs http://www.someCompanySite.com/products
Description	Enter additional text that clarifies the purpose of this permitted URL.
Blacklisted URLs	Available only if you selected Limit Adult Content. These URLs are blocked even if the iOS automatic filters allow them.
	To add a blacklisted URL, select +. To delete a blacklisted URL, select -. You can add up to 50 blacklisted URLs.
URL	Enter the blacklisted URL. The URL must begin with either: http:// https:// If you want to block both http:// and https:// for the same site, include a row for each URL. All URLs for which the initial characters match the given Blocklisted URL are blocked. Example: http://www.someCompanySite.com blocks access to the following: http://www.someCompanySite.com http://www.someCompanySite.com/jobs
Description	Enter additional text that clarifies the purpose of this blacklisted URL.
Specific Websites	Available only if you selected Specific Web Sites Only. These URLs are the only accessible sites. Any existing bookmarks on Safari are disabled.
	To add an accessible URL, select +. To delete an accessible URL, select -.
URL	Enter the URL of a website you want to make accessible. The URL must begin with either: http:// https:// If you want to make both http:// and https:// for the same site accessible, include a row for each URL. If you are using the Apps@Work or Secure Sign-in web clips, include an entry for the URL of Ivanti EPMM. Otherwise, these web clips will not work.
Name	The title of the bookmark in Safari.
Bookmark	Optionally enter the folder into which the bookmark should be added in Safari. Example: /Sales/Products/ If absent, the bookmark is added to the default bookmarks directory.
Description	Optionally enter additional text that clarifies the purpose of this URL.

Select Save.

Select the web content configuration you just created.

Select Actions > Apply To Label.

Select the labels to which you want to apply this web content configuration.

Select Apply.

Browser impact

The web content filter feature impacts all browsers and web views on the device including:

Safari When using the option “Specific Web Sites Only”, only Safari displays the bookmarks that you specify. Other browsers do not.

Ivanti Web@Work

Apps@Work

the Secure Sign-in web clip

other browsers and web views

Therefore, if you use the option “Specific Web Sites Only”, be sure to include the URL for your Ivanti EPMM so that the Apps@Work and Secure Sign-in web clips work.

Removing a Web content configuration from a device

A web content configuration is removed from a device when:

You remove the label associated with the device from the setting, and the device checks in.

You remove the web content configuration, and the device checks in.

You retire the device.

Multiple web content configurations on a device

If you apply multiple web content configurations to a device, web access works as follows:

The URL is accessible only if all of the web content configurations on the device allow it and none of the web content configurations block it.

The URL is blocked if any of the web content configurations block it.