Scenes give you more control over how your students are using their Chromebooks. You can use Scenes to filter websites during your classroom sessions. This article will specifically cover the filtering component of Scenes. 

You can also send websites to students and limit the number of open tabs at a given time. For more information about what Scenes has to offer, please read Components of a Scene. 

Filter Mode

Scenes can be created in Block Mode or Allow Mode. 

Block Mode, by definition, is extremely restrictive. A Block Mode Scene will block any web page except for URLs added to the exceptions list. The exceptions list for a Block Mode Scene is a whitelist. Adding general URLs, such as domains, will allow the entirety of the site, whereas more specific folder or page URLs will allow content in only in those sections. A Block Mode Scene must have at least one exception before any content will be blocked.  

Allow Mode is the opposite of Block Mode. The exceptions list for an Allow Mode Scene is a blacklist. Adding general URLs, such as domains, will block the entirety of the site, whereas more specific folder or page URLs will block content in only in those sections.

Exceptions and URL types

There are a few types of URLs that you can add to your exceptions list. Adding an exception will exclude the site from the selected filtering mode. Below are a few examples how the filtering rules are applied. 

Base URL

Adding a Base URL will allow or block the entirety of a website. 

Example: google.com

When added as Block Mode Exception, this would block all websites, but allow all Google related services at google.com including Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Google Search.

When added as Allow Mode Exception, this would block all Google related services at google.com including Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Google Search.

Subdomain URL

Adding a subdomain URL will allow or block a subsection of a website. 

Example:  docs.google.com 

When added as Block Mode Exception, this would block all websites, but allow only docs.google.com and any pages starting with docs.google.com/.

When added as Allow Mode Exception, this would block any pages starting with docs.google.com/.

Folder URL

Adding a folder URL would allow or block content within a specific section of a site. 

Example:  docs.google.com/a/goguardian.com/

When added as Block Mode Exception, this would block all websites, but allow only Google Docs that are in the goguardian.com domain.  

When added as Allow Mode Exception, this would block any pages starting with docs.google.com/a/goguardian.com/.

Page URL

Adding a specific URL would allow or block only that page. 

Example: docs.google.com/a/goguardian.com/document/d/123456edit?usp=sharing

When added as Block Mode Exception, this would block all websites, but allow only this specific Google Document.  

When added as Allow Mode Exception, this would block this specific Google Document.

Block or Allow sites with *Wildcards*

Depending on which Scene mode is selected, websites can be blocked or allowed using *wildcards*, another term for * (asterisks). To block by keyword, add a word with a * immediately before and after the word to your exceptions list. This feature is more useful when using allow mode, as you can block undesirable content by keyword. 

Example: *games* 

When added as Block Mode Exception, this would block all websites, but allow all URLs that contain the word games. 

When added as Allow Mode Exception, this would block all URLs that contain the word games. 

The exceptions list only accepts secure URLs that start with https://. If you are trying to add an unsecured http URL, you'll need to add the URL with wildcards immediately before and after the URL. 

Example: *http://unsecuredsite.com*