In today's digital landscape, organizations need robust solutions to control web access on enterprise macOS devices. Scalefusion UEM simplifies this by allowing IT administrators to whitelist specific websites, block unwanted URLs, and enforce web content filtering policies seamlessly across macOS devices. This ensures better security, compliance, and productivity. 

In this guide, we will walk through how to configure web content filtering and block URLs in Chrome on macOS devices using Scalefusion UEM. 

Step 1: Allow Websites 

1. Navigate to the Scalefusion Dashboard: 
   
   

   • Go to Device Profiles & Policies > Allowed Websites. 
2. Create a New Website Entry: 
   
   
   • Click on Allow A Website to open the website creator dialog.
     
     
      
   • Fill in the DETAILS section: 
     
     

     • Website Name: Name of the Web-Clip when placed in the Dock. 
     • Website Link: Complete URL of the website (no wild characters). 
     • Visible on Home Screen: Enable to place a visual web-clip on the Dock. 
   • Click NEXT.
     
     
      
3. Configure Apple Settings (Optional): 
   
   
   • Choose a logo for your Web-Clip under the APPLE SETTINGS section. 
   • Click SAVE once done.
     
     
      
4. Publish to Device Profile: 
   
   
   • Once added, the website will appear in the list. 
   • Use the action options to publish it directly to a Device Profile.

Step 2: Enabling Content-Filtering in Mac (macOS) Device Profile 

1. Access Device Management: 
   
   

   • Navigate to Device Profiles & Policies > Device Profiles. 
2. Create or Edit a Profile: 
   
   
   • Click on CREATE NEW PROFILE or select an existing Mac Device Profile to edit.
     
     
      
3. Enable Content Filtering: 
   
   

   • Click on the Content Filtering option. 
   • Configure settings: 

   • Disable the use of Siri and Dictation: Optional. 

   • Hide Profanity in Dictionary & Dictation: Optional. 

   • Configure Allowed Websites: Enable to select allowed sites. 

   • Allow Access to Allowed Sites Only: Restrict access to only allowed sites. 

   • Limit Access to Adult Websites: Use Safari’s default algorithm. 

   • Add Web-Clips to Dock: Optional for placing web-clips without filtering. 

4. Save Changes: 
   
   
   • Click SAVE at the top right to apply changes.
     

Step 3: Block URLs in Chrome on Mac Devices 

• Prepare the Custom Payload: 
  
  
  • Use the provided XML template:
     

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> 

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> 

<plist version="1.0"> 

<dict> 

  <key>PayloadContent</key> 

  <array> 

    <dict> 

      <key>PayloadDisplayName</key> 

      <string>Google Chrome</string> 

      <key>PayloadIdentifier</key> 

      <string>com.google.Chrome.9F99EA6A-1A29-423F-91CD-94A58C46E918</string> 

      <key>PayloadType</key> 

      <string>com.google.Chrome</string> 

      <key>PayloadUUID</key> 

      <string>9F99EA6A-1A29-423F-91CD-94A58C46E918</string> 

      <key>PayloadVersion</key> 

      <integer>1</integer> 

      <key>URLBlocklist</key> 

      <array> 

        <!-- Replace with URLs to block --> 

        <string>https://www.example.com</string> 

        <string>example.com</string> 

      </array> 

    </dict> 

  </array> 

  <key>PayloadDescription</key> 

  <string>Configures the block list urls for Chrome on macOS</string> 

  <key>PayloadDisplayName</key> 

  <string>Chrome config for macOS</string> 

  <key>PayloadIdentifier</key> 

  <string>com.promobitech.scalefusion.4B505397-5F71-43A6-897F-DDB6AE76D431</string> 

  <key>PayloadOrganization</key> 

  <string>Scalefusion</string> 

  <key>PayloadRemovalDisallowed</key> 

  <true/> 

  <key>PayloadScope</key> 

  <string>System</string> 

  <key>PayloadType</key> 

  <string>Configuration</string> 

  <key>PayloadUUID</key> 

  <string>A64A4724-7351-4026-8B68-C042C46DBAAE</string> 

  <key>PayloadVersion</key> 

  <integer>1</integer> 

</dict> 

</plist> 

1. Customize the Payload: 
   
   

   • Replace placeholder URLs in the URLBlocklist array with the URLs you want to block. 
2. Add Payload to Device Profile: 
   
   

   • Within the profile settings, locate the Custom Settings section. 
3. Input the Custom Payload: 

   • Paste the XML content of your custom payload into the editor provided. 
   • Alternatively, use the IMPORT FILES option to upload the payload if saved as an XML file. 
4. Configure Additional Options: 
   
   

   • Send Payload on User Channel: Enable this setting if the payload should apply at the user level. 
   • Conflict Resolution Method: Decide whether the custom payload or device profile settings take precedence in case of conflicts. 
5. Validate the Payload: 
   
   

   • Click the VALIDATE button to ensure there are no syntax errors in the payload. 
   • A green checkmark indicates a valid payload; a red cross signifies errors that need correction. 
6. Save and Deploy: 
   
   

   • After validation, click SAVE to apply the changes. 
7. Deploy and Test: 
   
   
   • Quit and relaunch Chrome on the device to apply the blocklist. 
   • Validate the changes on a test machine before deploying to all devices.

• Deployed Settings on Client-Device:

Conclusion 

By implementing these steps, organizations can effectively manage web content and block unwanted URLs on macOS devices using Scalefusion UEM. This approach enhances security, ensures compliance, and maintains a productive work environment by controlling access to specific websites and blocking malicious or distracting content.