Sometimes users are blocked from seeing search results because the content filtering on the Smoothwall Filter matches search result pages to a blocked category. When users perform simple searches using a word with double meaning, like 'chicks', for example, the search results might contain material that causes the search results page to be categorised as adult content.
You can allow access to the search results for some categories, without allowing the entire category. You do this with a separate allow policy for the Web Search category. However, allowing Web Search would enable users to perform searches for all types of content. Therefore, you must apply the allow policy selectively.
Divide your blocked categories into two groups. Categories we do not want to allow search results for, and categories we do want to allow search results for. Once done, we then implement the block policies and insert an allow policy for the web search between them.
Procedure
- Create a block web filter policy to block all categories that you do not want to see search results for, see our help topic, Creating web filter policies:
- Who: "Everyone, or the relevant user or groups to apply this policy to."
- What: "All the categories that you DO NOT want to see search results for."
- Where: "Everywhere, or the relevant location to apply this policy to."
- When: "Always, or the relevant time slot to apply this policy to."
- Action: "Block"
- Create an allow web filter policy to allow (not whitelist) the Web Search category, see our help topic, Creating web filter policies:
- Who: "Everyone, or the relevant user or groups to apply this policy to."
- What: "Web Search"
- Where: "Everywhere, or the relevant location to apply this policy to."
- When: "Always, or the relevant time slot to apply this policy to."
- Action: "Allow" - Note: Whitelist would bypass the HTTPS inspection, content modification and antimalware rules.
- Create a block web filter policy to block categories that you do want to see search results for, see our help topic, Creating web filter policies:
- Who: "Everyone, or the relevant user or groups to apply this policy to."
- What: "All the categories that you DO want to see search results for."
- Where: "Everywhere, or the relevant location to apply this policy to."
- When: "Always, or the relevant time slot to apply this policy to."
- Action: "Block"