The YouTube page gives you fine-grained control over YouTube access. You can allow or block individual videos, whole channels, and keywords, analyze a video before deciding, and strip distracting elements such as the sidebar, live chat and comments. Rules are scoped to an Organizational Unit, and you can import entries in bulk or configure notifications.
What this guide covers
Before you begin: open the Content Filter console and select Policy › YouTube from the top navigation. The page opens on the Videos tab, with Configure Notification and Import tools above a row of tabs.
The YouTube page: page tools, the tab row (Videos, Channels, Keywords, Analyze Video, Settings) and the active tab content.
Scoping and page tools
Use the two Organizational Unit selectors at the top right to choose the OU whose YouTube rules you are managing. The Configure Notification and Import buttons at the top left apply across the YouTube tabs—see the dedicated sections below.
The Configure Notification and Import tools, the tab row, and the Organizational Unit selectors on the right.
Videos tab
The Videos tab manages individual YouTube videos. Paste a video URL into the Video Url field, then choose Allow or Block. A separate Block All Videos control blocks YouTube videos wholesale. Existing entries appear in the table below with their status, and rows can be selected and removed with Delete Items.
The Videos tab: the Video Url field, the Allow / Block / Block All Videos controls, and the entries table.
Control | Description |
Video Url (required) | The YouTube video address to act on. e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkjizCfEw1Q |
Allow | Adds the video to the allow list so it can be viewed. |
Block | Adds the video to the block list so it cannot be viewed. |
Block All Videos | Highly destructive: blocks YouTube videos across the board. Use with caution. |
Delete Items | Destructive: removes the selected rows from the list. Cannot be undone. |
Channels tab
The Channels tab works the same way for entire YouTube channels. Paste a channel URL into the Channel Url field (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/@managedmethods) and choose Allow or Block. Existing channels are listed in the table with their status, and can be removed with Delete Items.
The Channels tab: the Channel Url field, Allow / Block controls, and the channels table.
Keywords tab
The Keywords tab lets you allow or block YouTube content by keyword (for example, Adult). Enter a term in the Keyword field and choose Allow or Block. Listed keywords show their status and can be removed with Delete Items.
The Keywords tab: the Keyword field, Allow / Block controls, and the keywords table.
Analyze Video tab
The Analyze Video tab lets you check a video before deciding. Paste a canonical YouTube URL into the Video Url field and select Analyze to review the results. The URL must be valid and canonical, e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkjizCfEw1Q.
The Analyze Video tab: the Video Url field and the Analyze button, with a results area below.
Settings tab
The Settings tab strips distracting or interactive elements from YouTube. Each option is a simple on/off toggle.
The Settings tab: the Block Sidebar, Block Live Chat and Block Comments toggles.
Setting | Description |
Block Sidebar | Removes the Up Next sidebar from videos. |
Block Live Chat | Removes the chat functionality from live videos. |
Block Comments | Removes the comments sections from videos. |
Importing in bulk
Select Import (top of the page) to add many entries at once from a CSV. Use Download template to get the correct format, fill it in, choose whether the items are Allow or Block, then upload the CSV. Invalid and duplicate rows are skipped, and a summary is shown before you submit.
The Import dialog: Download template, the step-by-step instructions, the Allow / Block toggle and the CSV upload area.
Step | Description |
1. Download template | Use type: video, channel, or keyword. For video/channel, content must be a YouTube URL; for keyword, content is the keyword text. |
2. Allow / Block | Select Allow or Block for all items in the file. |
3. Upload CSV | Invalid and duplicate rows are skipped; a summary is shown before you submit. |
Configuring notifications
Select Configure Notification to set who is alerted about YouTube policy activity. Add the email recipients, toggle whether notifications are Active and whether to Notify Immediately, and set a per-day Schedule. Each day can inherit another day’s settings or be overridden, with an Alert Period or a Daily Specific Time, and an optional Frequency.
The Configure Notification dialog: recipients, Active and Notify Immediately toggles, and the per-day schedule with Alert Period, Frequency and Daily Specific Time.
Setting | Description |
Email(s) (required) | The recipients alerted about YouTube activity. Use + Add Email to add more. |
Active | Turns the notification on or off. |
Notify Immediately | When enabled, sends an alert as soon as activity occurs rather than batching it. |
Schedule | Per-day alert windows. Each day has its own toggle, an Inherit From selector and an Override option. Set an Alert Period (start/end) or a Daily Specific Time, plus an optional Frequency. |
Related guides
Overview – Policy Risks
Overview – Policy Allow List
Overview – Policy Block List
Overview – Policy Schedules
Overview – Policy Settings