Web Use Categories

The Barracuda Web Security Gateway URL filtering engine uses one of the most extensive content definition databases, covering some of the highest risk websites on the Internet.

WCS is a Barracuda Networks website categorization service that organizes domains into content categories (subcategories) which are grouped below by supercategories. When you create rules that block categories of websites, you can choose a supercategory to block, or you can drill down and block websites at the subcategory level.

WCS provides very granular categorization so that you can create fine-grained browsing policies for content, and create granular reports on user browsing activity.

WCS version 3.3 is shown below. This latest version contains four new categories: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Code Repositories, Hosted Payment Gateways, and Cheating (school cheating). You can find older WCS versions here.

Super Categories	Categories	Description

Super Categories	Categories	Description
Adult Material
	Adult Magazines or News	Sites containing sexually explicit content in an image based or textual form. Any other form of adult/sexually oriented material is also listed here.
	Adult Search or Links	Adult-related search engines, links, rankings, or portal sites.
	Adult Porn	Sites containing sexually explicit content in an image-based or textual form. Any other form of adult/sexually-oriented material is also listed here.
	Dating	Sites that enable users to meet and interact with each other for the purposes of dating or making friends.
	Fetish	Sites containing sexually explicit content in an image-based. Any other form of adult/sexually oriented material is also listed here.
	Nudity	Sites containing bare images of the human body which are not suggestive or explicit.
	Sexual Expression(text)	Sites that contains sexually suggestive, explicit or erotic content.
	Sexual Services	Sex and sexually related information such as adult goods or merchandise, adult videos, adult game software, love hotels, brothels, escort services, models, etc.
	Swimsuits & Lingerie	Sites containing revealing images such as swimsuits and modeling, but not nudity.
Adult Recreation
	Fireworks	Sites that sell, promote, or enable people to use fireworks.
	Gambling in General	All online and offline gambling, and sites that promote gambling skills and practice.
	Lottery	Information related to lotteries issued by public institutions, such as state lotteries, and charity raffles.
	Paintball	Sites that sell or promote paintball game or equipment. This includes air guns.
	Smoking	Manufacturers and distributors of tobacco products, as well as websites that promote their use.
	Drinking	Restaurants and bars that primarily serve alcoholic drinks as well as websites that promote the use of alcohol.
	Alcoholic Products	Manufacturers and distributors of products that contain alcohol. This category also contains websites that promote the use of alcohol.
Business
	Agriculture	Sites providing information about, or promoting, the agricultural industry. This includes farms, seeds, supplies, etc., as well as agricultural news.
	Architecture	Architecture company websites, architectural news and review sites, sites supporting the architecture industry.
	Business & Commercial	Sites that provide business-related overview, planning and strategy information.
	Home & Family	Sites that deal with life issues and services including parenting, foster care, adoption, raising children, senior citizen related, etc.
	Law	Sites for law firms, attorneys, legal resources and materials, news, etc. Does not include government websites and legal information provided by those governments.
	Life Events	Sites that discuss or provide services for special life events such as marriage, divorce, bereavement, “coming of age” ceremonies (e.g. bar & bat mitzvah, shinbyu, Dawoodi Bohra, etc.).
	Miscellaneous	Sites that provide business content, but cannot easily be classified in one of the other categories.
	Mobile Operators	Sites that are owned by Mobile Operators. These sites include the promotion, sale, or administration of mobile services.
	Photography & Film	All photography companies, professional photographers, studios, filmmakers, cinematographers, and related companies, camera manufacturers, camera and equipment sales, and associated businesses.
	Private IP Addresses	Internet Protocol addresses that are commonly used for home, office, and enterprise local area networks.
	Side Business	Sites that provide information for careers.
	Transport Services & Freight	Sites of companies focused on providing cargo, freight and package transportation services, information related to the cargo and freight industry, news, etc.
	Unsupported URL	Malformed URLs that are not valid and cannot resolve to a web server. For example, `google.com google` would be considered an unsupported URL
Commerce & Shopping
	Auctions	Sites that allow bidding and selling of items and services. Does not include non-selling related advertising.
	Career Advancement	Sites that provide information for careers and side business information.
	Financial Products	All aspects of personal and corporate finance are included here. Sites that provide price comparisons between financial products, and sites that report or comment on financial matters.
	Hosted Payment Gateways	Services that handle payment processing.
	Insurance	Businesses and commercial organizations that provide insurance, insurance information, and so forth, as well as sites that provide information related to insurance, the insurance industry, etc.
	IT Online Shopping	Any site that meets the following criteria is listed here, especially IT products. Sites that offer goods for sale, represent a non-online retailer, provides comparisons between goods, preferential purchase schemes.
	Market Rates	All aspects of personal and corporate finance are included here. Sites that provide price comparisons between financial products, and sites that report or comment on financial matters.
	Online Trading	Sites that discuss, promote, or enable the user to trade online.
	Real Estate	Sites that provide residential and commercial property sales and rental information, listings and services.
	Shopping or Retail	Sites or order pages from which it is possible to purchase various products. Also includes websites of brick-and-mortar shops.
	Sweepstakes or Prizes	Information and sites concerning online or offline competition, money, or prizes that can be won by participants.
	Cryptocurrency	Sites that enable, distribute, trade, mine, or promote cryptocurrencies.
Cultural
	Weddings or Matrimony	Information and sites concerning services offered by matchmaking agencies designed to introduce members of the opposite sex for the purpose of marriage.
	Local Communities	Sites for law firms, attorneys, legal resources and materials, news, etc. Does not include government websites and legal information provided by those governments.
Education
	Education	Colleges, universities, primary and secondary schools are all included here. Online educational resources, such as exam syllabuses and example questions, are also included. Support organizations such as admissions bodies and research councils.
	eLearning	Includes online learning products, technologies, and services that promote online learning. Sites that are not associated with traditional education (e.g. grade schools, high schools, college/university) as described in the Education category, but provide online learning services.
	Reference	Online encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauruses, atlases and other information resources available for research purposes all belong to this category.
	Science	Sites focused on the various disciplines of science, research papers, companies and government agencies focused on scientific research and development.
	Sex Education	Sites that discuss sex and sexuality in an informative and non-voyeuristic way. Topics that fall under this category include: education about human reproduction and contraception, advice on preventing infection from sexual diseases such as HIV, and advice to the LGB communities on sexual health matters.
Entertainment
	Art and Cultural Events	Sites that promote or provide information about the Arts. These can include art galleries, art instruction, and art information, theater, symphonies, orchestras, operas, etc.
	Books or eBooks	Sites promoting printed and eBook publications, as well as sites distributing these publications.
	Costume Play or Enjoyment	Sites containing costume play content.
	Dining or Gourmet	All sites relating to restaurants (whether eat-in or takeaway) and pubs/bars. All recipes and cuisine related sites are listed in this category. Farms and other foodstuff manufacturers.
	Downloads	Any site whose primary function is to allow users to download media content except computer programs and mobile apps. This includes computer wallpaper, icons, fonts, etc.
	Entertainer or Celebrity	Sites that provide information about entertainers and famous people.
	Entertainment, Venues or Activities	Cinema, live entertainment, entertainment venues, social venues, meeting places, party/event venues, amusement parks, comedy clubs, etc.
	Fandom	Online resources based on interest in a popular entity in pop culture. These entities are usually fictional characters, fictional settings, performers, artists, movies, or television shows.
	Games	Information about the sale of game software and hardware, game downloads, game cheat codes, or games in general.
	Horoscope, Astrology, or Fortune Telling	Sites that provide, or promote, horoscopes, fortune telling, astrology, etc.
	Museums & History	Sites promoting museums, providing virtual online museums, historical information ,historical societies, and related clubs, etc.
	Music	Sites that provide downloadable music data, music, and movie-related music.
	Online games	All sites relating to video, computer or online games. All sites that support gaming through hosting online services, cheat information, general advice etc.
	Online Magazines	Sites that provide online versions of magazines that cannot be easily classified in another category, or provide multiple online magazines that would individually be classified differently from one another.
	Pets or Veterinarian	Websites for veterinarians, veterinarian clinics, animal adoption agencies, pet care, products and services for pets, information about pets, and news about pets.
	Professional Sports	Professional sport websites, except those related to gambling.
	Recreation & Hobbies	This category covers all activities or interests, other than sports, that someone might pursue for their own pleasure and not as a main occupation. This includes clubs and groups that pursue or meet for specific interests.
	Social Networks in General	This category contains social networking sites (SNS) focused on both personal and professional services that are not contained within other categories with more granular controls.
	Society & Culture	Social organizations and cultural sites that are not related to local communities, business or philanthropy. These sites include societal and cultural views and create awareness about topics related to heritage, activism, and history in various ethnicities, countries or regions.
	Sports in general	All sport websites - whether media-related or fan-related - are placed in this category, except those related to gambling.
	Streaming Media	Any site whose primary function is to allow users to watch streaming media.
Health & Medicine
	Abortion	Sites that refer to abortion information, legal issues, and organizations.
	Child Safety and Government Help Lines	Websites that assist children, youth, and families seeking help. These sites include helplines to promote well-being, and hotlines to report cases of neglect or abuse.
	Medication	Sites offering drugs (OTC or Prescription drugs) or common medicines, natural products, prescription medications, etc.
	Marijuana	Sites offering information, discussion, and/or resale of marijuana and associated products and/or services.
	Health	All sites related to personal health, hospitals, clinics, legally prescribed medication and related services.
	Self Help	Websites for self help including mental health, spiritual well-being, life coaching, or wellness. Sites dedicated to job and career development are categorized as Career Advancement.
	CBD Hemp Products	Websites that sell CBD or hemp products without THC and do not promote marijuana use. Example: CBD oil.
Illegal/Improper
	Child Abuse	Sites or images that include child pornography or abuse. This category is not entirely inclusive of all child abuse sites and may contain adult pornography.
	Cyberbullying	URLs that contain abusive and/or threatening messages towards other users or groups.
	Cheating	Sites that may facilitate school cheating by providing academic content, test answers, or essays. AI sites such as ChatGPT, and sites for answering questions such as Ask.com are not included.
	Grotesque