Block All Websites Except Approved Sites on Windows 11

When a Windows 11 computer is used by a young child for homework, reading, or a small set of approved games, category filtering may allow more of the web than you intend. An approved-site browser uses a simpler rule: every destination is blocked unless a parent has added its domain.

How to allow only one website on Windows 11

Inside Kidsplorer, keep just one approved domain on the child’s profile to allow only that website. This restricts navigation in Kidsplorer; other Windows browsers and applications need separate controls. If you need broader coverage, first compare Windows parental-control options .

1. Set up the child’s browser. Follow the Kidsplorer setup guide to install the Windows app and create the child’s profile. Use a standard, non-administrator Windows account.
2. Review the profile’s existing list. New profiles include 10 age-range starter sites. Remove those starter rules and any custom rules you do not want available, so the list contains only the domain you intend to allow.
3. Add the chosen domain. In the dashboard, open the profile’s Whitelist page, choose Add site, and enter the reviewed domain. The approved-site instructions explain how to add and remove rules. A domain rule permits multiple pages within that domain; it does not restrict the child to a single page.
4. Wait for the device to sync, then test. Keep the Windows device online. After it receives the saved rules, open the approved site in Kidsplorer and try an unapproved destination to check that the block page appears.
5. Test the full activity. Complete the lesson or sign-in flow. Some sites need additional domains for authentication or media. Review those domains before adding them; an activity with these dependencies may need more than one approved domain.

To allow several websites, keep the same process and add each reviewed domain to the profile. The Kidsplorer product page explains the Free starter sites and the features available on Family.

Know where the boundary sits

Kidsplorer limits its own browser only. It does not sign the child out of Windows, hide other browsers, or manage other apps. The child’s Windows account is the layer that decides whether Chrome, Edge, Firefox or a VPN can be opened at all, so set that up deliberately:

• Create a separate standard (non-administrator) Windows account for the child; keep the administrator account’s password with an adult.
• Check whether Microsoft Family Safety or another Windows control is needed for apps and other browsers. Microsoft also documents an allowed-websites-only mode in Edge, so Kidsplorer is one option among several.
• Remember that a user with administrator rights can change or remove restrictions on that computer.

Decide whether allow-listing fits

An allow-list, also called an approved-site list, works best when the computer has a defined purpose and the child needs a predictable set of resources. It is useful for an elementary-age homework computer, or a homeschool learning station. It is less convenient for a teenager who needs to search broadly across new sources every day.

Blocking all websites except one is useful for a single-purpose activity, but it may be too narrow for an ordinary school day. A child might need a class portal, a reading service, and a library reference to finish the same assignment. Write down those tasks first so you can distinguish a necessary learning resource from an unrelated destination requested along the way.

If you need broad research access, compare this approach with content filtering for children on Windows . The important choice is whether the default should be “allow unless blocked” or “block unless approved.”

Build the approved-site setup

1. Use a standard Windows account. Keep administrative credentials with the adult responsible for the device. This is a foundation for controlling which applications can be installed or used; it is separate from the browser’s site rules.
2. Install and pair the approved-site browser. Follow the setup instructions to create the guardian account, connect the Windows device, and choose the profile that should receive the rules.
3. Start with the sites the child actually needs. Add the school platform, library resources, curriculum publishers, and a small number of reviewed entertainment sites. Use domains such as learn.example.org, not search phrases or a single page title. See how to add approved domains for the dashboard steps and domain scope.
4. Test the complete activity. Open a lesson, sign in, play any required media, and follow one link. If a page uses separate hosts for authentication, video, fonts, or images, review those hosts individually before adding them.
5. Set a schedule when the plan supports it. A schedule can define when the approved-site browser is available, but it is not a Windows-wide screen-time control. See the browse schedule guide for the boundary.

When an approved website is still blocked

First check that the intended profile is assigned and the online Windows device has received its latest rules. Compare the destination with the domain you added: a lesson link, a redirect, and a sign-in service may use different hosts even when they look like one website.

For example, a reviewed lesson at learn.example.org might send a child to accounts.example.net to sign in. Those example domains represent separate decisions. Check the learning provider’s current requirements and review the sign-in service before adding it. Approving a wider parent domain just to clear a block can also open sections that the lesson does not require.

If a video or activity remains incomplete, note the blocked destination and test the same activity in an adult’s browser. A site may have a compatibility problem, an account requirement, or a separate resource dependency; adding more domains will not necessarily fix it. Avoid treating an unfamiliar domain as educational simply because it appeared during a lesson.

Maintain the list deliberately

An approved domain can expose more than one page and may change after you add it. Review new requests yourself, especially for services with user-uploaded videos, comments, public search, or recommendations. Remove domains that no longer support the child’s work.

Keep a short reason for each site in your planning notes, such as “weekly reading assignment” or “science reference for this unit.” Review those reasons when the term changes or a subscription ends. Explain the request process to your child so a blocked link can be discussed instead of becoming a reason to use another browser.

For multiple children, use separate profiles when their age, curriculum, or approved resources differ. On Family, a template code can reduce repetitive entry when you set up another child’s profile, but you should still review the copied list and test it on the child’s device.

Test the boundary before handing over the computer

Sign in as the child and run this short checklist:

• An approved lesson loads, including its sign-in and media.
• An unapproved domain shows the block page.
• A new tab or a pasted address does not get around the list.
• Another browser, such as Edge or Chrome, is either unavailable or you have decided to accept it.
• You cannot install software or change settings from the child’s account.
• On Family, the schedule starts and ends when you expect.

Try an approved lesson, an unapproved domain, a new tab, a sign-in flow, and the schedule boundary. Also check whether Chrome, Firefox, a VPN, a messaging app, or another installed program remains available. The approved-site browser controls browsing inside that browser; it does not replace Windows account restrictions, application management, or network controls.

The result is a focused Windows 11 setup with a clear default: new websites stay unavailable until an adult has decided they belong on the list.