---
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 Sep 1, 2026|Copy as Markdown| [View as Markdown](https://0285ca83.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/waf/reference/phases/index.md)| [Agent setup](https://0285ca83.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/agent-setup/)

The Web Application Firewall provides the following [phases](https://0285ca83.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://0285ca83.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/waf/account/custom-rulesets/)<br> | Account | `http_request_firewall_custom` | `custom` (create)<br>`root` (deploy) | [Go to **WAF** ↗](https://dash.cloudflare.com/?to=/:account/application-security/waf) > **Custom rulesets** tab |
| [Custom rules](https://0285ca83.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://0285ca83.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://0285ca83.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://0285ca83.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://0285ca83.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://0285ca83.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/ruleset-engine/about/phases/) in the Ruleset Engine documentation.

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