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Create and manage Rule Lists

Updated

Add Rule Lists to your Rules Library to reuse rules across your classes.

Before you begin

This article is for teachers who use Classroom Manager. Before you create a list, keep these limits in mind:

  • You can create up to 30 lists in your Rules Library.
  • Each list can hold up to 200 rules.
  • Rule Lists can only be applied to the whole class, not to individual students.

You can open the Rules Library from the My Classes toolbar, or from inside a class. In a class, select Rules in the class toolbar, then select the Rules Library tab.

Create a rule list

To create a rule list:

  1. In the My Classes toolbar, select Rules Library. The Rules Library panel appears.
  2. Select New List. The New Rule List panel appears.
  3. In the List name field, enter a name of up to 30 characters, for example Year 7 Science.
  4. In the Add items field, enter a website URL, or select an app or category from the Signatures and Categories list that appears.
  5. Select Block or Allow.
  6. Select Add Rule. The rule appears in the Rules in this list section.
  7. Repeat steps 4–6 for each rule you want to add.
  8. Select Save. Your new list appears in the Rules Library panel.

  Note

You can't save a list until you give it a name.

Image 1: Create a rule list.

Add suggested categories to your library

The Rules Library suggests categories that teachers commonly block during class. Each suggestion blocks a whole category of websites and apps, not a single website.

To add a suggested category:

  1. In the My Classes toolbar, select Rules Library.
  2. In the Suggested categories to block section, select Add (plus icon) next to the category.

Classroom Manager adds a Block rule for that category to the Quick Block: Category Rules list and removes it from the suggestions.

Image 2: Suggested categories in the Rules Library.

Edit a rule list

  Important

Changes to a list apply to every class where that list is active.

To edit a rule list:

  1. In the My Classes toolbar, select Rules Library.
  2. Next to the list, select Edit (pencil icon).
  3. Change the list:
    • To rename the list, update the List name field.
    • To add a rule, follow steps 4–6 in Create a rule list.
    • To remove a rule, select Delete (trash icon) next to it.
    • To switch a rule between Block and Allow, select Block or Allow next to it.
  4. Select Save.

When a rule isn't added

Classroom Manager checks each rule as you add it to a list:

  • Duplicate rule: If the list already has the same rule, it isn't added again. A Rule cannot be created message tells you the rule already exists in this list.
  • Opposite rule: If you add the opposite rule for something already in the list, the new rule replaces the old one. For example, adding a Block rule for Facebook replaces an Allow rule for Facebook.
  • Dependency conflict: Some apps need another website to work. For example, IXL needs ABCya. If you try to block one of these while the other is allowed in the same list, the rule isn't added. A Rule cannot be created message explains which app needs the other.
  • Rule limit: You can't add more rules once a list has 200 rules. Remove a rule first.

Delete a rule list

  Warning

Deleting a list from your Rules Library removes it from every class where it's active. To stop using a list in one class only, remove it from that class instead.

To delete a rule list:

  1. In the My Classes toolbar, select Rules Library.
  2. Next to the list, select Delete (trash icon). The Delete this list? window appears.
  3. Select Delete.

The list is removed from your Rules Library and from every class where it was active.

Rule lists in Block Only mode

If your school uses Block Only mode, rules show as On or Off instead of Block or Allow. Only rules that are turned on can be saved to a list. You can turn off a list rule only while the list is active in a class.

For more about this mode, see Use block rules only.