How to Force SafeSearch on Windows

Learn how to force SafeSearch on Windows using the Hosts file, Command Prompt, or your Content Policy.

Tech Lockdown Team

Updated August 2, 2024

If you've connected your Windows device to your Content Policy, one step you've probably considered taking is making sure that SafeSearch is enforced on your device. There are rules that you can set on your Content Policy that are a great start, but this guide will take a look at other ways that a Content Policy can be enforced.

We'll go ahead and assume that you've already connected your Windows computer to your Content Policy. If you've not done this yet, some of these techniques will still work.

Important SafeSearch Considerations

Before enforcing SafeSearch, you should be aware Microsoft's Copilot Chat may not work properly depending on how you access it.

If SafeSearch is enforced, you'll see this message when trying to access bing's copilot feature:

Here are some possible work-arounds:

Assign a schedule to the content policy SafeSearch rule to turn off bing safesearch during productive hours, then turn it back on during leisure time.
Omit the bing entries and commands discussed later on.

Enable a SafeSearch Rule on Your Content Policy

This step only applies if you've connected your Windows device and have connected it to the Tech Lockdown content policy. This allows you to enforce SafeSearch on the network-layer of the Windows.

Create a SafeSearch Rule for Supported Search Engines

On the Tech Lockdown dashboard, go to Content Policy, and create a new rule:

Choose SafeSearch from the Create a New Rule screen:

By default, this rule should apply to all search engines that support SafeSearch for all devices connected to your Content Policy.

Bing Chat is disabled by SafeSearch

Like we mentioned previously, Bing's copilot chat may not work while SafeSearch is enabled for Bing.

Here are some workarounds if you need to use Bing chat on the device with SafeSearch enforced.

Create an allow rule

Go to the Content, edit Applications, then select Bing

Add a schedule to choose when Bing is excluded from SafeSearch (like during work or productive hours).

Save the rule then go to the content policy page. Confirm that the Allow rule where bing is selected is higher up in the list above the SafeSearch rule. You can click edit and re-order if it is not.

Block Search Engines that Don't Support SafeSearch

Following the instructions above won't block search engines that don't have a SafeSearch option. You can instead block all but a select group of search engines that you know support SafeSearch.

Create a new Block rule on your Content Policy

Block the category Search Engines. This will now block all search engines, but you'll exclude specific search engines later on.

Edit your existing SafeSearch rule or create a new one.

Uncheck the two categories: News, Portal, & Search and Search Engines

Add the following Domains to the rule instead:

google.com
google.co.uk
bing.com
duckduckgo.com
search.yahoo.com
yandex.com

Important note about rule order

On the Content Policy page, the SafeSearch rule needs to be ordered above the block search engines rule.

Use Commands to Force SafeSearch on your Browser

Some browsers let you manually set SafeSearch through the Command Prompt. In many cases, this is much harder to disable than turning on SafeSearch from within your browser's settings.

First, open Command Prompt, and make sure to run as administrator.

In Command Prompt, copy/paste the following commands for your browsers

If you have Google Chrome installed:

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome" /v ForceGoogleSafeSearch /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

If you have Microsoft Edge installed:

reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Edge /v ForceBingSafeSearch /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f

Restart your computer for the policy to take effect. Now, if you search for "safesearch", you can see if filtering is enabled.

Edit the Hosts File Manually

It may be possible, either intentionally or unintentionally, that the VPN app becomes disabled on your Windows computer.

To prevent this, you can edit the Hosts file on your Windows device to manually add entries for specific search engines.

Edit the Hosts file

Open Notepad as an administrator. If you don't open it as an administrator, you won't be able to save the file.

In notepad, click File > Open, then navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc

Select "all files" then open the hosts file.

Add SafeSearch Entries

Copy and paste these entries at the bottom of your Hosts file in NotePad:

# Google SafeSearch
216.239.38.120 google.com
216.239.38.120 www.google.com
216.239.38.120 google.co.uk
216.239.38.120 www.google.co.uk

# Bing SafeSearch
204.79.197.220 www.bing.com
204.79.197.220 bing.com

# DuckDuckGo SafeSearch
52.149.247.1 duckduckgo.com

# Yahoo SafeSearch
98.137.11.163 search.yahoo.com
98.137.11.163 www.search.yahoo.com

# Yandex SafeSearch
77.88.55.80 yandex.com
77.88.55.80 www.yandex.com

## Youtube Safe Search ##
216.239.38.119 www.youtube.com
216.239.38.119 m.youtube.com
216.239.38.119 youtubei.googleapis.com
216.239.38.119 youtube.googleapis.com
216.239.38.119 www.youtube-nocookie.com

Block Non-SafeSearch Search Engines

Not all search engines support the SafeSearch feature. You can block most of them by added these entries to the end of your Hosts file:

0.0.0.0 a.searx.space
0.0.0.0 beezboo.com
0.0.0.0 boomle.com
0.0.0.0 darmarit.org
0.0.0.0 dogpile.com
0.0.0.0 dynabyte.ca
0.0.0.0 ecosia.org
0.0.0.0 engo.mint.lgbt
0.0.0.0 eulie.de
0.0.0.0 fireball.de
0.0.0.0 gibiru.com
0.0.0.0 gigablast.com
0.0.0.0 go.mail.ru
0.0.0.0 haku.ahmia.fi
0.0.0.0 haku.lelux.fi
0.0.0.0 hmsearx.h0meserver.com
0.0.0.0 jsearch.pw
0.0.0.0 lite.qwant.com
0.0.0.0 lukol.com
0.0.0.0 metacrawler.com
0.0.0.0 metager3.de
0.0.0.0 metager.de
0.0.0.0 metager.org
0.0.0.0 metasearch.nl
0.0.0.0 mijisou.com
0.0.0.0 mojeek.com
0.0.0.0 neeva.com
0.0.0.0 nibblehole.com
0.0.0.0 nigma.eu
0.0.0.0 nova.rambler.ru
0.0.0.0 null.media
0.0.0.0 openworlds.info
0.0.0.0 oscobo.com
0.0.0.0 peekier.com
0.0.0.0 ransack.i2p
0.0.0.0 recherche.aol.fr
0.0.0.0 recherche.catmargue.org
0.0.0.0 results.excite.com
0.0.0.0 roteserver.de
0.0.0.0 search.0xcb.dev
0.0.0.0 search.activemail.de
0.0.0.0 search.anonymize.com
0.0.0.0 search.aol.ca
0.0.0.0 search.aol.co.uk
0.0.0.0 search.aol.com
0.0.0.0 search.azkware.net
0.0.0.0 search.biboumail.fr
0.0.0.0 search.bluelock.org
0.0.0.0 search.brave.com
0.0.0.0 search.disroot.org
0.0.0.0 search.ethibox.fr
0.0.0.0 search.gougeul.org
0.0.0.0 search.jigsaw-security.com
0.0.0.0 search.jpope.org
0.0.0.0 search.lgbtq.cool
0.0.0.0 search.mdosch.de
0.0.0.0 search.modalogi.com
0.0.0.0 search.nebulacentre.net
0.0.0.0 search.opentunisia.org
0.0.0.0 search.paulla.asso.fr
0.0.0.0 search.privacytools.io
0.0.0.0 search.seds.nl
0.0.0.0 search.snopyta.org
0.0.0.0 search.spaeth.me
0.0.0.0 search.st8.at
0.0.0.0 search.stinpriza.org
0.0.0.0 search.yahoo.com
0.0.0.0 searchencrypt.com
0.0.0.0 searchx.mobi
0.0.0.0 searx.32bitflo.at
0.0.0.0 searx.alec.ninja
0.0.0.0 searx.bar
0.0.0.0 searx.bbaovanc.com
0.0.0.0 searx.be
0.0.0.0 searx.canox.net
0.0.0.0 searx.ch
0.0.0.0 searx.com.au
0.0.0.0 searx.decatec.de
0.0.0.0 searx.deepak.pro
0.0.0.0 searx.devol.it
0.0.0.0 searx.dojocasts.com
0.0.0.0 searx.dresden.network
0.0.0.0 searx.elukerio.org
0.0.0.0 searx.everdot.org
0.0.0.0 searx.feneas.org
0.0.0.0 searx.fmac.xyz
0.0.0.0 searx.foo.li
0.0.0.0 searx.forked.io
0.0.0.0 searx.fossencdi.org
0.0.0.0 searx.gnu.style
0.0.0.0 searx.gotrust.de
0.0.0.0 searx.guillaumea.fr
0.0.0.0 searx.handskemager.xyz
0.0.0.0 searx.hardwired.link
0.0.0.0 searx.info
0.0.0.0 searx.ir
0.0.0.0 searx.kvch.me
0.0.0.0 searx.lambda.li
0.0.0.0 searx.laquadrature.net
0.0.0.0 searx.lavatech.top
0.0.0.0 searx.lelux.fi
0.0.0.0 searx.libmail.eu
0.0.0.0 searx.likkle.monster
0.0.0.0 searx.linux.pizza
0.0.0.0 searx.lnode.net
0.0.0.0 searx.louifox.house
0.0.0.0 searx.lwhr.xyz
0.0.0.0 searx.lynnesbian.space
0.0.0.0 searx.mastodontech.de
0.0.0.0 searx.maxxblow.de
0.0.0.0 searx.monicz.pl
0.0.0.0 searx.mxchange.org
0.0.0.0 searx.nakhan.net
0.0.0.0 searx.netzspielplatz.de
0.0.0.0 searx.nevrlands.de
0.0.0.0 searx.nightmare.life
0.0.0.0 searx.ninja
0.0.0.0 searx.nixnet.services
0.0.0.0 searx.nulltime.net
0.0.0.0 searx.olymp.to
0.0.0.0 searx.openhoofd.nl
0.0.0.0 searx.openpandora.org
0.0.0.0 searx.operationtulip.com
0.0.0.0 searx.org
0.0.0.0 searx.ouahpiti.info
0.0.0.0 searx.pofilo.fr
0.0.0.0 searx.privatenet.cf
0.0.0.0 searx.prvcy.eu
0.0.0.0 searx.pwoss.org
0.0.0.0 searx.rasp.fr
0.0.0.0 searx.ro
0.0.0.0 searx.ru
0.0.0.0 searx.run
0.0.0.0 searx.rxyz.rocks
0.0.0.0 searx.semipvt.com
0.0.0.0 searx.simonoener.com
0.0.0.0 searx.slash-dev.de
0.0.0.0 searx.solusar.de
0.0.0.0 searx.sp-codes.de
0.0.0.0 searx.sulu.me
0.0.0.0 searx.sunless.cloud
0.0.0.0 searx.thegreenwebfoundation.org
0.0.0.0 searx.tuxcloud.net
0.0.0.0 searx.tyil.nl
0.0.0.0 searx.vitanetworks.link
0.0.0.0 searx.wegeeks.win
0.0.0.0 searx.win
0.0.0.0 searx.xyz
0.0.0.0 searx.zapashcanon.fr
0.0.0.0 searx.zdechov.net
0.0.0.0 searxzh.cn
0.0.0.0 seeks.hsbp.org
0.0.0.0 skyn3t.in
0.0.0.0 spot.ecloud.global
0.0.0.0 startpage.com
0.0.0.0 suche.aol.de
0.0.0.0 suche.dasnetzundich.de
0.0.0.0 suche.mexmail.de
0.0.0.0 suche.uferwerk.org
0.0.0.0 suchfeuer.de
0.0.0.0 timdor.noip.me
0.0.0.0 tromland.org
0.0.0.0 trovu.komun.org
0.0.0.0 unmonito.red
0.0.0.0 webcrawler.com
0.0.0.0 websearch.excite.co.jp
0.0.0.0 wtf.roflcopter.fr
0.0.0.0 www.finden.tk
0.0.0.0 www.gruble.de
0.0.0.0 www.perfectpixel.de
0.0.0.0 www.searxs.eu
0.0.0.0 yep.com
0.0.0.0 yippy.com
0.0.0.0 you.com
0.0.0.0 zoek.anchel.nl

Save Changes and Flush DNS

After adding your desired host entries, save the file in NotePad.

To see your changes, flush your Windows computer's DNS first.

Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run the following command:

ipconfig /flushdns