policies.json WebsiteFilter does not block website properly
Suppose I have a "policies.json" file in the "distribution" subdirectory of my Firefox installation.
And suppose "policies.json" file contains this:
{
"policies": {
"WebsiteFilter": {
"Block": [
"youtube.com",
"www.youtube.com",
"http://www.youtube.com",
"https://www.youtube.com",
]
}
}
}
Now if I type "youtube.com" in the address bar, it shows "Your organisation has blocked access to this page or web site." It means firefox blocks "youtube.com" correctly. Meanwhile the url in the address bar is "https://www.youtube.com/."
But if I remove "https://www." from "https://www.youtube.com/" in the address bar (Not retype), I can actually visit "youtube.com." It means somehow the webfilter is not working properly.
This issue exists in ubuntu and macos with version 92.0(64-bit).
Does anyone have the same problem? Any help would be appreciated.
Chosen solution
The Policies page (https://github.com/mozilla/policy-templates#websitefilter) refers to the following page for the format of the URL match patterns:
https://developer.mozilla.org/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/Match_patterns
It looks like you need all three parts (scheme, host, path). The * character matches both http and https, and any path, so try:
{
"policies": {
"WebsiteFilter": {
"Block": [
"*://youtube.com/*",
"*://www.youtube.com/*"
]
}
}
}
Does that work on yours?
All Replies (3)
Chosen Solution
The Policies page (https://github.com/mozilla/policy-templates#websitefilter) refers to the following page for the format of the URL match patterns:
https://developer.mozilla.org/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/Match_patterns
It looks like you need all three parts (scheme, host, path). The * character matches both http and https, and any path, so try:
{
"policies": {
"WebsiteFilter": {
"Block": [
"*://youtube.com/*",
"*://www.youtube.com/*"
]
}
}
}
Does that work on yours?
It works. Thank you very much for your help.
PS: Reboot may be required for the updated policies to take effect.
Before rebooting, you also could try the special "Clear Startup Cache" restart button on the right side of the Troubleshooting Information page. That sometimes is needed if startup configuration isn't working correctly.
More info: Use the Troubleshooting Information page to help fix Firefox issues