Manual URL filtering

Manual URL filtering is a URL filtering capability that

  • supplements or selectively overrides category and reputation-based URL filtering by manually filtering individual URLs, groups of URLs, or URL lists and feeds in access control and QoS rules, and

  • enables URL filtering without requiring a special license when manually permitting or blocking URLs through Allow or Block rules within an access control policy.

Manual URL filtering implementation examples

Examples:

  • You might use access control to block a category of websites that are not appropriate for your organization. However, if the category contains a website that is appropriate, and to which you want to provide access, you can create a manual Allow rule for that site and place it before the Block rule for the category.

  • If you prefer not to use category-based URL filtering, you can manually permit or block a URL or a group of URLs by creating an Allow or Block rule within an access control policy. You can perform this type of URL filtering without a special license.

Manual URL filtering is not supported in SSL rules. Use distinguished name conditions instead.

Caution

Depending on how you implement manual URL filtering, URL matching may not be what you intend. Refer to Manual URL filtering options.