Validate rule changes before deployment

import { APIRequest, DashButton } from "~/components";

Cloudflare can validate a rule or ruleset before deployment. Validation checks the complete configuration without persisting or publishing changes.

Validation includes:

• Expression syntax and the availability of fields, functions, and operators
• Actions, action parameters, and phase compatibility
• Permissions, plan entitlements, and rule quotas
• References to resources used by the rule

Dashboard validation

The Cloudflare dashboard automatically validates supported rule changes before deployment. If validation fails, the dashboard displays the error without publishing the change.

Dashboard validation is available for custom rules and rate limiting rules under Security > Security rules.

It is also available when you create or update rules under Rules > Overview.

API validation

Supported Rulesets API mutation endpoints accept the dry_run=true query parameter. You can use this parameter with POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE operations at the account or zone level.

A dry run performs the same authorization and server-side validation checks as the requested operation. It does not create, update, delete, or publish any configuration.

Only true and false are valid values for dry_run. An omitted value defaults to false. Any other value returns a 400 response.

Example

The following request validates a rule update without applying it:

<APIRequest path="/zones/{zone_id}/rulesets/{ruleset_id}/rules/{rule_id}" method="PATCH" parameters={{ dry_run: "true", }} json={{ action: "block", expression: 'ip.src.country eq "GB"', description: "Block requests from the United Kingdom", enabled: true, }} />

The API returns the same errors and status codes as the corresponding write operation. A successful operation that normally returns 200 returns result: null. An operation that normally returns 204 No Content continues to return 204.

For supported operations and request schemas, refer to the Rulesets API reference.