Configure YouTube restricted mode

This article is for Google Workspace administrators.

As a Google Workspace administrator, you can restrict access to YouTube videos for your organization.

In your Google Admin console, you can:

• Restrict YouTube access to safe videos by VIP, HTTP headers, a Chrome device policy, or signed-in Google Workspace for Education users.
• Restrict access to all YouTube videos for your network.
• Manage school permissions for YouTube.
• Allowlist video content by domain.

The settings apply to users on their Google Workspace for Education accounts, school networks, and signed-in devices. To also apply restrictions to signed-out users, follow the instructions in Restrict YouTube content on your network to update your network configuration.

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Configure content settings and permissions

Step 1: Configure content settings for signed-in users

1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

   Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

2.  In the Admin console, go to Menu  AppsAdditional Google ServicesYouTube.
3. Click Content settingsSetup.
4. Check the Signed in users can only watch restricted and approved videos box.
5. (Optional) To learn how to configure your network to restrict access to YouTube videos, click Set up your network.
6. Click Save.
7. Click Special approverscheck the Verified Google Classroom teachers can approve teachers box.
8. Click Save.

Tip: To restrict access to videos on managed devices, go to URL blocking.

Step 2: Configure user permissions

After you configure content settings, you can set the same access for everyone. Or, set different rules for groups or departments.

1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

   Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

2.  In the Admin console, go to Menu  AppsAdditional Google ServicesYouTube.
3. Click Permissions.
4. To apply the setting to everyone, leave the top organizational unit selected. Otherwise, select a child organizational unit or a configuration group.
5. Choose an option:
   • Strict restricted YouTube access
   • Moderate restricted YouTube access
   • Unrestricted YouTube access
   • Can approve videos
6. Click Save. If you configured an organizational unit or group, you might be able to either Inherit or Override a parent organizational unit, or Unset a group.

Manage approved videos and channels

Approve a video or channel

1. Go to YouTube and sign in with your Google Workspace account.
2. At the top, enter your search query and click Search .
3. From the list, click the video or channelApprove.

View approved videos list

1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

   Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

2.  In the Admin console, go to Menu  AppsAdditional Google ServicesYouTube.
3. Click Content settingsSee approved videos.
4. (Optional) To go to a video or channel, click the link.
5. (Optional) To email an approver, click the approver’s name.
6. (Optional) To remove a video from the list, click Remove Remove to confirm.

Allow embedded YouTube videos in Google Workspace for Education services

If your organization allows or blocks YouTube videos in Google Workspace for Education services, you must add "www.youtubeeducation.com" to either the allowlist or blocklist. This addition preserves how your organization uses YouTube videos in Google Classroom and other Google Workspace for Education services. Learn more about controlling YouTube content.