Google Chrome Enterprise Deployment
If you manage Chrome browsers or Chromebooks with Google Admin Console (Chrome Enterprise), you can enforce Control D DNS policies using DNS over HTTPS (DoH) with identifiers. This guide walks you through choosing an endpoint strategy, configuring Control D, and pushing settings to your users.
Overview
At a high level, you will:
- Decide whether to use one Endpoint for an entire OU or one Endpoint per User Group.
- Create an Endpoint in Control D and link it to the desired Profile (policy).
- Configure DNS over HTTPS with identifiers in Google Admin Console using a template URL.
- Verify Clients in the Control D dashboard once users sign in and start browsing.
Plan your deployment
You have two main options for how to structure Endpoints in Control D:
Option 1: Single Endpoint per Organizational Unit (OU)
Use this if:
- All users in a given OU should have the same policy.
- You want a simpler setup with fewer Endpoints to manage.
Pros
- Only one Endpoint to create and maintain.
- Simple mental model: 1 OU → 1 Endpoint.
Cons
- Harder to apply different policies to different user groups within that OU.
- Less granular reporting if users from many groups share the same Endpoint.
Option 2: Separate Endpoint per User Group
Use this if:
- You want different policies for different user groups (e.g., Staff, Students, Guests).
- You want cleaner Analytics per group.
Pros
- Easy to see traffic and apply policies per User Group.
- More flexible if requirements change over time.
Cons
- You must repeat the setup once per Group.
- Slightly more effort to maintain.
RecommendationIf you need different policies for different sets of users, create one Endpoint per User Group. If everyone should share the same policy, a single Endpoint per OU is simpler.
Step 1 — Create an Endpoint in Control D
-
In the Control D dashboard, go to Endpoints.
-
Create a new Endpoint:
- Give it a meaningful name (e.g.,
Chrome – Staff,Chrome – Students, orChrome – All Users). - Link it to the Profile (policy) you want to enforce for that OU or Group.
- Give it a meaningful name (e.g.,
-
Once the Endpoint is created, locate its DoH resolver URL. It will look like this:
https://dns.controld.com/YOUR_RESOLVER_ID -
Copy this URL; you’ll need it for the Google Admin Console.
Step 2 — Configure DNS over HTTPS with identifiers in Google Admin Console
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Go to the Google Admin Console.
-
Navigate to:
Devices → Settings → DNS over HTTPS with identifiers (Exact path/label may vary slightly depending on your Admin Console version.)
-
In the DNS-over-HTTPS templates with identifiers box, enter:
https://dns.controld.com/YOUR_RESOLVER_ID/${USER_EMAIL}Replace
YOUR_RESOLVER_IDwith the ID from your Control D Endpoint URL. -
Save your changes.
Why${USER_EMAIL}?The
${USER_EMAIL}variable lets Chrome send DNS queries with a per-user identifier. In Control D, each Client will be named after the user’s email address, so you can see who generated the traffic and apply per-user troubleshooting or reporting if needed.
Step 3 — Rollout and expected behavior
After you save the policy:
-
The next time a managed Chromebook user signs in, the new DoH setting will be applied to their Chrome session.
-
As soon as they access the Internet:
- Their device will start sending DNS queries to Control D over HTTPS.
- A new Client will appear under the Clients list for the configured Endpoint in the Analytics section of the Control D dashboard.
-
Each Client entry will be named after the user’s email address (from
${USER_EMAIL}).
You can click on a Client in the Control D dashboard to:
- View that user’s DNS activity.
- Confirm that the correct Profile is being enforced.
- Troubleshoot any access or filtering issues.
Verifying the setup
To confirm everything is working:
-
Have a test user sign in to a managed Chromebook.
-
Browse to a few websites that should be allowed and a few that should be blocked based on your Profile.
-
In Control D, go to Analytics → Clients:
- Look for a Client matching the user’s email.
- Open it and confirm that their queries and blocks align with your configured rules.
If you don’t see the Client:
- Confirm the device is enrolled and receiving Chrome policies.
- Double-check the DoH template URL (resolver ID and
${USER_EMAIL}). - Verify that the Endpoint is linked to the correct Profile in Control D.
That’s it — your Chrome Enterprise environment should now be using Control D via DNS over HTTPS with per-user identifiers.
Updated about 3 hours ago
