Create a rule via API

Use the Rulesets API to create a cache rule via API. To configure Cloudflares API refer to the API documentation.

When creating a cache rule via API, make sure you:

• Set the rule action to set_cache_settings.
• Define the parameters in the action_parameters field according to the settings you wish to override for matching requests.
• Deploy the rule to the http_request_cache_settings phase entry point ruleset.

1. Use the List zone rulesets method to obtain the list of rules already present in the http_request_cache_settings phase entry point ruleset.
2. If the phase ruleset does not exist, create it using the Create a zone ruleset operation. In the new ruleset properties, set the following values:
   • kind: zone
   • phase: http_request_cache_settings
3. Use the Update a zone ruleset operation to add a cache rule to the list of ruleset rules. Alternatively, include the rule in the Create a zone ruleset request mentioned in the previous step.
4. (Optional) To update an existing cache rule, use the Update a zone ruleset rule operation. For an example, refer to the section below.

These examples are setting all the Cache Rules of a zone to a single rule, since using these examples directly will cause any existing rules to be deleted.

Example: Cache everything for example.com

curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/rulesets/$RULESET_ID" \
	--request PUT \
	--header "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN" \
	--json '{
		"rules": [
				{
						"expression": "(http.host eq \"example.com\")",
						"description": "cache everything for example.com",
						"action": "set_cache_settings",
						"action_parameters": {
								"cache": true
						}
				}
		]
	}'

Example: Extend read timeout for Android clients

curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/rulesets/$RULESET_ID" \
	--request PUT \
	--header "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN" \
	--json '{
		"rules": [
				{
						"expression": "(http.user_agent contains \"Android\")",
						"description": "extend read timeout for android clients",
						"action": "set_cache_settings",
						"action_parameters": {
								"cache": true,
								"read_timeout": 300
						}
				}
		]
	}'

Example: Disable Cache Reserve for frequently updated assets

curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/rulesets/$RULESET_ID" \
	--request PUT \
	--header "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN" \
	--json '{
		"rules": [
				{
						"expression": "(starts_with(http.request.uri, \"/feed/\"))",
						"description": "disable cache reserve for frequently updated assets",
						"action": "set_cache_settings",
						"action_parameters": {
								"cache": true,
								"cache_reserve": {
										"enabled": false
								}
						}
				}
		]
	}'

Example: Turn off default cache TTLs

curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/rulesets/$RULESET_ID" \
	--request PUT \
	--header "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN" \
	--json '{
		"rules": [
				{
						"expression": "(http.host eq \"example.com\")",
						"description": "turn off default cache ttls",
						"action": "set_cache_settings",
						"action_parameters": {
								"cache": true,
								"edge_ttl": {
										"mode": "bypass_by_default"
								}
						}
				}
		]
	}'

Example: Cache expected Vary responses

curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/rulesets/phases/http_request_cache_settings/entrypoint" \
	--request PUT \
	--header "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN" \
	--json '{
		"rules": [
				{
						"expression": "(http.host eq \"example.com\")",
						"description": "cache expected vary responses",
						"action": "set_cache_settings",
						"action_parameters": {
								"cache": true,
								"vary": {
										"default": {
												"action": "bypass"
										},
										"headers": {
												"accept": {
														"action": "normalize",
														"media_types": [
																"text/html",
																"application/json"
														]
												},
												"accept-language": {
														"action": "normalize",
														"languages": [
																"en",
																"fr",
																"de"
														]
												}
										}
								}
						}
				}
		]
	}'

Example: Update the position of an existing rule

curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/rulesets/$RULESET_ID/rules/$RULE_ID" \
	--request PATCH \
	--header "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN" \
	--json '{
		"expression": "(http.host eq \"example.com\")",
		"description": "cache everything for example.com",
		"action": "set_cache_settings",
		"action_parameters": {
				"cache": true
		},
		"enabled": true,
		"position": {
				"before": "da5e8e506c8e7877fe06cdf4c41add54"
		}
	}'

The API token used in API requests to manage Cache Rules must have the following permissions:

• Zone > Cache Rules > Edit
• Account Rulesets > Edit
• Account Filter Lists > Edit