"We know that some of you want a more controlled experience," Jamie Davidson, an associate product manager at Google-owned YouTube, said in a blog post.
"That's why we're announcing Safety Mode, an opt-in setting that helps screen out potentially objectionable content that you may prefer not to see or don't want others in your family to stumble across while enjoying YouTube."
Activating "Safety Mode" will not return any results for a search using the keyword "naked" or "sex," for example.
"While no filter is 100 per cent perfect, Safety Mode is another step in our ongoing desire to give you greater control over the content you see on the site," Davidson said.
"Safety Mode" can be turned on or off through a link at the bottom of the YouTube page.
YouTube's guidelines already ban pornography, sexually explicit content and graphic violence.