Introduction

This blog explains why and how to block Stock and Web image options in Google Slides to maintain a safe, appropriate, and distraction-free environment in educational settings. In classrooms, students may use these image sources to insert off-topic, inappropriate, or irrelevant visuals into their presentations, diverting attention from academic goals and creating management challenges for teachers.

By disabling access to Stock and Web images, educators can better control the content students include in their assignments, ensuring it aligns with lesson objectives and school policies. Additionally, this blog will explore how Safe Doc can help administrators remove these image options from the Insert Image menu in Google Slides, helping to foster a more focused, respectful, and productive learning experience for all students.

Block Stock and Web in Google Slides
xFanatical Safe Doc removes the Insert > Image > Stock & web menu in Google Slide

Why Block Stock and Web in Google Slides for Education?

In a classroom setting, whether physical or virtual, maintaining focus and limiting distractions is essential to delivering an effective learning experience. In Google Slides, the option to insert images directly from Stock and Web sources can sometimes lead to students using unrelated, inappropriate, or distracting images in their presentations instead of focusing on academic content.

Let’s understand the scenario through a user story:

  • Problem: Teacher Eliza, who teaches middle school students, assigned a history project where students had to create presentations in Google Slides. However, she soon noticed that several students were inserting flashy, unrelated images sourced from the Web or Stock options—such as memes, celebrity photos, or unrelated artwork. This not only disrupted the purpose of the assignment but also led to giggling and side conversations among students during presentations. In some cases, students even searched for and included inappropriate content, violating school guidelines and causing disciplinary concerns.
  • Solution: To address this, Eliza worked with her IT administrator to block the Stock and Web image options in Google Slides using the Safe Doc extension. This ensured that students could only upload teacher-approved images or use content stored in their Google Drive, which helped them stay on-topic and focused on the learning material.
  • Result: With the Stock and Web options removed, students began using more relevant images and took greater responsibility for the content they included. Class time became more productive, and presentations aligned better with the curriculum. Eliza also noted a decrease in disruptive behavior during project work, as students were no longer browsing off-topic image content.

By blocking Stock and Web image options in Google Slides for Education, administrators and teachers can guide students toward more responsible use of digital tools, reduce distractions, and create a more controlled, curriculum-focused learning environment.

What is a xFanatical Safe Doc?

xFanatical Safe Doc is a comprehensive solution for maintaining a focused and secure online environment for Google Workspace admins and users. In the context of Google Slides, xFanatical Safe Doc empowers administrators to block the Stock and Web image options, helping reduce distractions and misuse during student presentations. It provides robust tools to manage and restrict access to various online content, ensuring a safe and productive digital environment. xFanatical Safe Doc integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace, offering administrators the ability to customize content filtering policies according to their needs.

Block Stock and Web in Google Slides with xFanatical Safe Doc

Google Slides makes it easy for students to insert images by offering several options like uploading from their computer, using the camera, or searching the web and stock image libraries. While that sounds great for creativity, it can quickly become a problem in the classroom. Students often get distracted searching for funny or irrelevant images from the web or stock collection, and sometimes even add inappropriate content that doesn’t belong in a school setting.

That’s where xFanatical Safe Doc comes in. By implementing the BlockStockAndWeb policy, you can block the Stock and Web image options in Google Slides. Once this policy is set to true, students will no longer be able to accessStock and Web options when adding images to their slides.

This promotes a more focused classroom experience, reduces distractions caused by irrelevant or inappropriate imagery, and helps educators maintain a productive and respectful learning atmosphere.

xFanatical Safe Doc removes  the Insert data-src= Image > Stock & web menu in Google Slide">xFanatical Safe Doc removes  the Insert > Image > Stock & web menu in Google Slide

xFanatical Safe Doc removes the Google images dropdown menu in Google SlidexFanatical Safe Doc removes the Google images dropdown menu in Google Slide

xFanatical Safe Doc removes the Stock and web icon button from the right navigation bar in Google SlidexFanatical Safe Doc removes the Stock and web icon button from the right navigation bar in Google Slide

How to Block Stock and Web in Google Slides using xFanatical Safe Doc

Step 1: Install Safe Doc: 

The first step is to install Safe Doc in your Google Workspace environment. Safe Doc is a browser extension that seamlessly integrates with Google workspace, providing enhanced control and security features.

Step 2: Configure Safe Doc settings: 

Once Safe Doc is installed, you can configure its settings to prevent students from inserting images using the Stock and Web options in Google Slides.

Step 3: Access Google Admin Console: 

Now, navigate to the Google Admin Console. In the Google Admin Console, click on Devices followed by Chrome. Then, select Apps & Extensions and click on Users & Browsers.

Step 4: Save the Policy: 

After applying the policy, click the Save button to apply it.

The policy will display in a specific format similar to the example provided below:

"BlockStockAndWeb": {
  "Value": true
}

How to configure Safe Doc?

Ensure the deployment of Safe Doc on your students' Chrome browsers, and review the xFanatical Safe Doc Configuration document for detailed instructions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, blocking the Stock and Web image options in Google Slides is an important step toward creating a more focused and distraction-free learning environment. By limiting students to approved image sources, educators can reduce off-topic behavior, prevent the use of inappropriate visuals, and ensure that class presentations stay aligned with academic goals. This not only improves the quality of student work but also helps maintain classroom discipline. With xFanatical Safe Doc, schools can easily enforce this restriction, fostering a more secure, controlled, and productive space for digital learning.

To learn more about how xFanatical Safe Doc can help enhance online safety in your educational institution, visit our website  xFanatical Safe Doc

If you have yet to install Safe Doc, please get a 30 days trial.