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Create a URL Rewrite Rule via API

Use the Rulesets API to create URL Rewrite Rules via API. Define the rewrite configuration in the action_parameters field. Refer to URL rewrite examples for examples of rule definitions.

When creating a URL Rewrite Rule via API, make sure you:

  • Set the rule action to rewrite
  • Define the URL rewrite parameters in the action_parameters field according to the type of URL rewrite (static or dynamic)
  • Deploy the rule to the http_request_transform phase at the zone level

Follow this workflow to create a URL Rewrite Rule for a given zone via API:

  1. Use the List existing rulesets method to check if there is already a ruleset for the http_request_transform phase at the zone level.

  2. If the phase ruleset does not exist, create it using the Create ruleset method with the zone-level endpoint. In the new ruleset properties, set the following values:

    • kind: zone
    • phase: http_request_transform

  3. Use the Update ruleset method to add a URL Rewrite Rule to the list of ruleset rules (check the examples below). Alternatively, include the rule in the Create ruleset request mentioned in the previous step.

​​ Required API token permissions

The API token used in API requests to manage URL Rewrite Rules must have at least the following permissions:

  • Transform Rules: Edit
  • Account Rulesets: Read

​​ Examples

Example: Add a rule that performs a static URL rewrite

The following example sets the rules of an existing phase ruleset (<RULESET_ID>) to a single URL Rewrite Rule — performing a static rewrite of the URI path — using the Update ruleset method:

Request
curl -X PUT \
"https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/<ZONE_ID>/rulesets/<RULESET_ID>" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <API_TOKEN>" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
  "rules": [
    {
      "expression": "(http.request.uri.query contains \"eu\")",
      "description": "My first static URL Rewrite Rule",
      "action": "rewrite",
      "action_parameters": {
        "uri": {
          "path": {
            "value": "/emea.html"
          }
        }
      }
    }
  ]

}'

The response contains the complete definition of the ruleset you updated.

Response
{
  "result": {
    "id": "<RULESET_ID>",
    "name": "Zone-level Transform Ruleset",
    "description": "Zone-level ruleset that will execute Transform Rules.",
    "kind": "zone",
    "version": "2",
    "rules": [
      {
        "id": "<RULE_ID>",
        "version": "1",
        "action": "rewrite",
        "action_parameters": {
          "uri": {
            "path": {
              "value": "/emea.html"
            }
          }
        },
        "expression": "(http.request.uri.query contains \"eu\")",
        "description": "My first static URL Rewrite Rule",
        "last_updated": "2021-04-14T14:42:04.219025Z",
        "ref": "<RULE_REF>"
      }
    ],
    "last_updated": "2021-04-14T14:42:04.219025Z",
    "phase": "http_request_transform"
  },
  "success": true,
  "errors": [],
  "messages": []

}
Example: Add a rule that performs a dynamic URL rewrite

The following example sets the rules of an existing phase ruleset (<RULESET_ID>) to a single URL Rewrite Rule — performing a dynamic rewrite of the URI path — using the Update ruleset method:

Request
curl -X PUT \
"https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/<ZONE_ID>/rulesets/<RULESET_ID>" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <API_TOKEN>" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
  "rules": [
    {
      "expression": "starts_with(http.request.uri.path, \"/news/2012/\")",
      "description": "My first dynamic URL Rewrite Rule",
      "action": "rewrite",
      "action_parameters": {
        "uri": {
          "path": {
            "expression": "concat(\"/archive\", http.request.uri.path)"
          }
        }
      }
    }
  ]

}'

The response contains the complete definition of the ruleset you updated.

Response
{
  "result": {
    "id": "<RULESET_ID>",
    "name": "Zone-level Transform Ruleset",
    "description": "Zone-level ruleset that will execute Transform Rules.",
    "kind": "zone",
    "version": "2",
    "rules": [
      {
        "id": "<RULE_ID>",
        "version": "1",
        "action": "rewrite",
        "action_parameters": {
          "uri": {
            "path": {
              "expression": "concat(\"/archive\", http.request.uri.path)"
            }
          }
        },
        "expression": "starts_with(http.request.uri.path, \"/news/2012/\")",
        "description": "My first dynamic URL Rewrite Rule",
        "last_updated": "2021-04-14T14:42:04.219025Z",
        "ref": "<RULE_REF>"
      }
    ],
    "last_updated": "2021-04-14T14:42:04.219025Z",
    "phase": "http_request_transform"
  },
  "success": true,
  "errors": [],
  "messages": []

}