---
description: WAF rule execution phases and their order of evaluation.
title: WAF phases
image: https://developers.cloudflare.com/og-docs.png
---

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# WAF phases

Last updated Aug 24, 2026|Copy as Markdown|[View as Markdown](https://e8aee267.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/waf/reference/phases/index.md)|[Agent setup](https://e8aee267.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/agent-setup/)

The Web Application Firewall provides the following [phases](https://e8aee267.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/ruleset-engine/about/phases/) where you can create rulesets and rules:

* `http_request_firewall_custom`
* `http_ratelimit`
* `http_request_firewall_managed`

These phases exist both at the account level and at the zone level. Considering the available phases and the two different levels, rules will be evaluated in the following order:

| Security feature                                                                                                  | Scope   | Phase                            | Ruleset kind                 | Location in the dashboard                                                                                               |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- | -------------------------------- | ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Custom rulesets](https://e8aee267.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/waf/account/custom-rulesets/)               | Account | http\_request\_firewall\_custom  | custom (create)root (deploy) | [Go to **WAF** ↗](https://dash.cloudflare.com/?to=/:account/application-security/waf) \> **Custom rulesets** tab        |
| [Custom rules](https://e8aee267.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/waf/custom-rules/)                             | Zone    | http\_request\_firewall\_custom  | zone                         | [Go to **Security rules** ↗](https://dash.cloudflare.com/?to=/:account/:zone/security/security-rules)                   |
| [Rate limiting rulesets](https://e8aee267.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/waf/account/rate-limiting-rulesets/) | Account | http\_ratelimit                  | root                         | [Go to **WAF** ↗](https://dash.cloudflare.com/?to=/:account/application-security/waf) \> **Rate limiting rulesets** tab |
| [Rate limiting rules](https://e8aee267.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/waf/rate-limiting-rules/)               | Zone    | http\_ratelimit                  | zone                         | [Go to **Security rules** ↗](https://dash.cloudflare.com/?to=/:account/:zone/security/security-rules)                   |
| [Managed rulesets](https://e8aee267.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/waf/account/managed-rulesets/)             | Account | http\_request\_firewall\_managed | root                         | [Go to **WAF** ↗](https://dash.cloudflare.com/?to=/:account/application-security/waf) \> **Managed rulesets** tab       |
| [Managed rules](https://e8aee267.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/waf/managed-rules/)                           | Zone    | http\_request\_firewall\_managed | zone                         | [Go to **Security rules** ↗](https://dash.cloudflare.com/?to=/:account/:zone/security/security-rules)                   |

To learn more about phases, refer to [Phases](https://e8aee267.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/ruleset-engine/about/phases/) in the Ruleset Engine documentation.

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