Web Filter Categories
Sites that pose a potential threat to users or their devices, including websites that distribute malicious software, attempt to steal personal or financial information, or are associated with suspicious or fraudulent online activity.
Category Name | Description |
|---|---|
Malicious Websites | Sites that host software covertly downloaded to a user's device to collect information and monitor activity, or sites infected with destructive software specifically designed to damage, disrupt, or manipulate computer systems without the user's consent (e.g., viruses or trojan horses). |
Phishing | Counterfeit web pages that replicate legitimate business websites for the purpose of obtaining financial, personal, or other private information from users. |
Spam URLs | Websites whose URLs are found in spam emails. These pages often advertise inappropriate content, fraudulent products, or other potentially offensive material. |
Newly Registered Domain | Domains that have been very recently registered. |
Newly Observed Domain | Domains that are newly configured or newly active, but not necessarily newly registered. |
Dynamic DNS | Sites that use dynamic DNS services to map a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) to a specific IP address or set of addresses controlled by the site owner. These are often associated with cyber attacks and botnet command and control servers. |
Sites that promote, facilitate, or depict illegal, harmful, or morally objectionable activities, including drug abuse, hacking, discrimination, violence, extremism, and the exploitation of minors, as well as sites that enable users to circumvent internet controls or engage in academic dishonesty.
Category Name | Description |
|---|---|
Drug Abuse | Sites that feature information on illegal drug activities, including drug promotion, preparation, cultivation, trafficking, distribution, and solicitation. |
Hacking | Sites that depict illicit activities surrounding the unauthorized modification of or unauthorized access to programs, computers, equipment, and websites. |
Illegal or Unethical | Sites that feature information, methods, or instructions on fraudulent or unlawful non-violent conduct, such as scams, counterfeiting, tax evasion, petty theft, and blackmail. |
Discrimination | Sites that promote the identification, denigration, or subjection of racial or other groups, or that advocate the superiority of any group over another. |
Explicit Violence | Sites that depict offensive material involving brutality, death, cruelty, abuse, or mutilation. |
Extremist Groups | Sites that feature radical militia groups or movements with aggressive anti-government convictions or beliefs. |
Proxy Avoidance | Sites that provide information or tools for bypassing internet access controls and browsing the web anonymously, including anonymous proxy servers. |
Plagiarism | Sites that provide, distribute, or sell school essays, projects, or diplomas. |
Child Abuse | Sites verified by the Internet Watch Foundation to contain or distribute images of non-adult children depicted in a state of abuse. For more information, visit iwf.org.uk. |
Sites that feature content intended for adult audiences, including material of a sexual, violent, or otherwise sensitive nature. This encompasses sites promoting or depicting nudity, pornography, dating, gambling, weapons, alcohol, tobacco, and other age-restricted products or activities, as well as sites related to controversial topics such as abortion, alternative beliefs, and advocacy organizations.
Category Name | Description | Example URLs |
|---|---|---|
Alternative Beliefs | Sites that provide information about or promote religions not covered under Traditional Religions, as well as unconventional, cultic, or folkloric beliefs and practices. Includes sites that promote or offer methods, instructions, or resources for influencing real events through the use of spells, curses, magic, or supernatural beings. | wicca.com churchofsatan.com creepyhollows.com |
Abortion | Sites pertaining to abortion data, information, legal issues, and organizations. | plannedparenthood.org prochoice.org nrlc.org |
Other Adult Materials | Mature content sites (18+) that feature or promote sexuality, strip clubs, or sex shops, excluding sex education, without the intent to sexually arouse. | scarlettscabaret.com pinkcherry.com lovehoney.com |
Advocacy Organizations | Sites belonging to organizations that campaign or lobby for a cause by building public awareness, raising support, or influencing public policy. | aclu.org amnesty.org hrw.org |
Gambling | Sites that cater to gambling activities such as betting, lotteries, and casinos, including gaming information, instructions, and statistics. | bet365.com pokerstars.com draftkings.com |
Nudity and Risqué | Mature content sites (18+) that depict the human body in full or partial nudity without the intent to sexually arouse. | charhub.ai tapas.io janitorai.com |
Pornography | Mature content sites (18+) that present or display sexual acts with the intent to sexually arouse. | pornhub.com xvideos.com xnxx.com |
Dating | Sites that allow individuals to make contact and communicate with each other over the internet, usually with the objective of developing a personal, romantic, or sexual relationship. | match.com tinder.com bumble.com |
Weapons (Sales) | Sites that feature the legal promotion or sale of weapons such as handguns, knives, rifles, and explosives. | ajsarchery.com brownells.com reliks.com |
Marijuana | Sites that provide information about or promote the cultivation, preparation, or use of marijuana. | weedmaps.com cookies.co florprohibida.com |
Sex Education | Educational sites that provide information about or discuss sex and sexuality without utilizing pornographic materials. | scarleteen.com sexetc.org ashasexualhealth.org |
Alcohol | Sites that legally promote or sell alcohol products and accessories. | budweiser.com jackdaniels.com heineken.com |
Tobacco | Sites that legally promote or sell tobacco products and accessories. | marlboro.com juul.com altria.com |
Lingerie and Swimsuit | Sites that use images of semi-nude models in lingerie, undergarments, or swimwear for the purpose of selling or promoting such items. | victoriassecret.com agentprovocateur.com speedo.com |
Sports Hunting and War Games | Sites that feature sport hunting, war games, paintball facilities, and related clubs, organizations, and groups. | paintball.com huntinfool.com gohunt.com |
Sites that involve transfer, streaming, or sharing of data over the internet, including file downloads, media streaming, peer-to-peer sharing, and internet-based communication services. These sites can consume significant network bandwidth and may impact the performance of other network activities.
Category Name | Description | Example URLs |
|---|---|---|
Freeware and Software Downloads | Sites whose primary function is to provide freeware and software downloads, including cell phone ringtones, images, games, and free computer software updates. | download.com softonic.com fosshub.com |
File Sharing and Storage | Sites that allow users to store personal files on internet servers or share them with others, such as photo sharing platforms. | dropbox.com drive.google.com wetransfer.com |
Streaming Media and Download | Sites that allow the downloading of MP3 or other multimedia files. | youtube.com spotify.com soundcloud.com |
Peer-to-peer File Sharing | Sites that allow users to share files and data directly with one another. | bittorrent.com utorrent.com qbittorrent.org |
Internet Radio and TV | Sites that broadcast radio or TV communications over the internet. | iheart.com tunein.com pandora.com |
Internet Telephony | Sites that enable telephone communications over the internet. | skype.com voice.google.com kids.justalk.com |
Sites related to professional, organizational, and commercial activities, including business firms, financial services, government and legal institutions, information technology, computer security, and web-based tools and services. This category encompasses the broad range of sites that support professional work, organizational operations, and business functions across both the public and private sectors.
Category Name | Description | Example URLs |
|---|---|---|
Finance and Banking | Sites that offer news and quotations on stocks, bonds, and other investment vehicles, as well as investment advice, banking, credit unions, credit cards, insurance, and mortgage and insurance brokers. Does not include online trading, which falls under Brokerage and Trading. | chase.com bankofamerica.com wellsfargo.com |
Search Engines and Portals | Sites that support searching the web, newsgroups, or indices and directories. Sites of search engines that provide information exclusively for shopping or comparing prices fall under Shopping and Auction. | google.com bing.com duckduckgo.com |
General Organizations | Sites that cater to groups, clubs, or organizations of individuals with similar professional, social, humanitarian, or recreational interests, including sites devoted to socializing or common interests other than philanthropy or professional advancement. Not to be confused with Political Organizations. | rotary.org kiwanis.org un.org |
Business | Sites sponsored by or devoted to business firms, business associations, industry groups, or business in general. Information technology companies are excluded and fall under Information Technology. | jacquielawson.com inc.com |
Information and Computer Security | Sites that provide information about or free downloadable tools for computer security, excluding general freeware and software downloads. | urldefense.com cybernut-k12.com welivesecurity.com |
Government and Legal Organizations | Sites sponsored by branches, bureaus, or agencies of any level of government, excluding the armed forces, including courts, police institutions, and city-level government institutions. Also includes sites that discuss or explain laws of various government entities. | usa.gov europa.eu gov.uk |
Information Technology | Sites related to information technology peripherals and services, cell phone services, cable TV and internet suppliers. Most artificial intelligence sites also fall into this category. | cisco.com oracle.com ibm.com |
Armed Forces | Sites related to organized military and armed forces, excluding civil and extreme military organizations. | army.mil navy.mil af.mil |
Web Hosting | Sites of organizations that provide hosting services, or top-level domain pages of web communities. | godaddy.com bluehost.com hostgator.com |
Secure Websites | Sites that implement security measures such as authentication, passwords, and registration. | myaccount.google.com wbte.drcedirect.com dsp.360yield.com |
Web-based Applications | Sites that provide web-based equivalents of desktop applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and slide-show presentations. | docs.google.com canva.com canvas.apps.chrome |
Online Meeting | Sites that enable the hosting of meetings, screen sharing, and document collaboration over the internet. | zoom.us teams.microsoft.com meet.google.com |
Remote Access | Sites that facilitate authorized remote access to computers or private networks over the internet. | teamviewer.com anydesk.com logmein.com |
Web Analytics | Sites used to collect and assess web traffic data. | analytics.tiktok.com ups.analytics.yahoo.com cs.admanmedia.com |
Charitable Organizations | Sites for philanthropic organizations that serve a public purpose, excluding advocacy or political organizations. | womenaware.net worldanimalprotection.org paws4thecause.com |
Sites that encompass a broad range of everyday personal interests, activities, and information needs, including entertainment, education, health, shopping, travel, social networking, news, and communication. This category covers the wide variety of content that individuals typically seek out for personal use, leisure, or self-improvement, as distinct from content that is restricted for security, ethical, or age-related reasons.
Category Name | Description | Example URLs |
|---|---|---|
Advertising | Sites that provide advertising graphics or other ad content, including ad servers. Also includes pay-to-surf and affiliated advertising programs. | doubleclick.net googleadservices.com s.amazon-adsystem.com |
Brokerage and Trading | Sites that support active trading of securities and management of investments. Does not include real estate brokers, which fall under Shopping and Auction. | etrade.com robinhood.com interactivebrokers.com |
Games | Sites that provide information about or promote electronic, video, computer, role-playing, or online games, including sweepstakes and giveaways. Does not include sport games, but includes time-consuming mathematics game sites that serve little educational purpose. | steampowered.com epicgames.com roblox.com |
Web-based Email | Sites that allow users to access electronic mail services via a web browser. | gmail.com outlook.com mail.yahoo.com |
Entertainment | Sites that provide information about or promote motion pictures, non-news radio and television, music, programming guides, books, humor, comics, movie theatres, galleries, artists, entertainment reviews, and magazines. | imdb.com rottentomatoes.com wattpad.com |
Arts and Culture | Sites that cater to fine arts, cultural behaviors, and backgrounds, including conventions, artwork, paintings, music, languages, and customs. Also includes institutions such as museums, libraries, and historic sites. | metmuseum.org louvre.fr tate.org.uk |
Education | Sites sponsored by schools, educational facilities, and non-academic research institutions, as well as sites that provide or sell curriculum materials, direct instruction, academic journals, and similar publications. | harvard.edu mit.edu khanacademy.org |
Health and Wellness | Sites that provide information or advice on personal health, medical services, procedures, or devices, excluding drugs. Includes self-help groups and cosmetic surgery providers. | mayoclinic.org webmd.com healthline.com |
Job Search | Sites that offer information about or support the seeking of employment or employees, including career agents and consulting services that provide job postings. | indeed.com glassdoor.com careeronestop.org |
Medicine | Sites that provide information about approved prescribed medications and their medical use, as well as sites that promote or sell supplements and unregulated compounds not regulated by the FDA. Also includes online shopping for medicine. | drugs.com rxlist.com goodrx.com |
News and Media | Sites that offer current news and opinion, including those sponsored by newspapers, general-circulation magazines, TV and radio outlets, and online equivalents of fringe publications. Excludes academic journals. | nytimes.com bbc.com reuters.com |
Social Networking | Sites that aid in the coordination of relationships and companionship, including legal and non-sexual sites related to online dating, personal ads, dating services, and clubs. | facebook.com instagram.com tiktok.com |
Political Organizations | Sites sponsored by or providing information about political parties and interest groups focused on elections or legislation. Not to be confused with Government and Legal Organizations. | democrats.org gop.com greenparty.org |
Reference | Sites that provide general reference data in the form of libraries, dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, maps, directories, and standards. | wikipedia.org britannica.com merriam-webster.com |
Global Religion | Sites that provide information about or promote Buddhism, Bahai, Christianity, Christian Science, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Mormonism, Shinto, Sikhism, and atheism. | vatican.va islamicity.org buddhanet.net |
Shopping and Auction | Sites that feature the online promotion or sale of general goods and services, excluding real estate. Also includes online auction services. | amazon.com ebay.com etsy.com |
Society and Lifestyles | Sites that deal with everyday life issues and preferences such as passive hobbies, gardening, stamp collecting, pets, journals, and blogs. | goodhousekeeping.com marthastewart.com my-personality-test.com |
Sports | Sites that pertain to recreational sports and active hobbies such as fishing, hunting, jogging, canoeing, and archery, as well as organized, professional, and competitive sports. | espn.com nba.com fifa.com |
Travel | Sites that feature travel-related resources such as accommodations, transportation, agencies, resort locations, tourist attractions, and travel advisories. | booking.com expedia.com tripadvisor.com |
Personal Vehicles | Sites that contain information on the private use or sale of automobiles, boats, planes, and motorcycles, including parts and accessories. | cars.com autotrader.com kbb.com |
Dynamic Content | URLs that are dynamically generated by a web server. | speedtest.net creative-beast.com live.polaris.me |
Meaningless Content | URLs that cannot be definitively categorized due to a lack of or ambiguous content. | measureadv.com pbs.intergient.com sync.pmbmonetize.live |
Folklore | Sites related to UFOs, fortune telling, horoscopes, feng shui, palm reading, tarot reading, and ghost stories. | horoscope.com tarot.com uranai.nosv.org |
Web Chat | Sites that host web chat services or provide information about chat via HTTP or IRC. | umingle.com chatlet.com web.groupme.com |
Instant Messaging | Sites that allow users to communicate in real time over the internet. | whatsapp.com telegram.org signal.org |
Newsgroups and Message Boards | Sites for online personal and business clubs, discussion groups, message boards, and list servers, including blogs and mail magazines. | reddit.com forums.somethingawful.com avsforum.com |
Digital Postcards | Sites for sending and viewing digital postcards. | bluemountain.com americangreetings.com greetingsisland.com |
Child Education | Sites developed for children aged 12 and under, including educational games, tools, organizations, and schools. | pbskids.org starfall.com abcmouse.com |
Real Estate | Sites that promote the sale or renting of real estate properties. | zillow.com realtor.com redfin.com |
Restaurant and Dining | Sites related to restaurants and dining, including locations, food reviews, recipes, and catering services. | opentable.com allrecipes.com global.kfc.com |
Personal Websites and Blogs | Private web pages that host the personal information, opinions, and ideas of their owners. | blogger.com neal.fun wordgy.com |
Content Servers | Sites that host servers distributing content for subscribing websites, including image and web servers. | cloudfront.net storage.googleapis.com creativecdn.com |
Domain Parking | Sites that serve as placeholders for domains without meaningful content. | shoprwe.com dictonary.com getpulse.click |
Personal Privacy | Sites containing personal privacy information, including online banking, trading, and healthcare platforms. |