---
description: Build sequence-based rules within WAF custom rules.
title: Build a sequence rule within custom rules
image: https://developers.cloudflare.com/og-docs.png
---

[Skip to content](#main-content)

> Documentation Index  
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developers.cloudflare.com/waf/llms.txt  
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Build a sequence rule within custom rules

Last updated Aug 24, 2026|Copy as Markdown|[View as Markdown](https://docs-durable-objects-instance-replaced-errors.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/waf/custom-rules/use-cases/sequence-custom-rules/index.md)|[Agent setup](https://docs-durable-objects-instance-replaced-errors.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/agent-setup/)

You can build an [API sequence rule](https://docs-durable-objects-instance-replaced-errors.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/api-shield/security/sequence-mitigation/custom-rules/) via the Cloudflare dashboard.

1. In the Cloudflare dashboard, go to the **Security rules** page.  
[Go to **Security rules** ↗](https://dash.cloudflare.com/?to=/:account/:zone/security/security-rules)
2. To create a new empty rule, select **Create rule** \> **Custom rules**.
3. Enter a descriptive name for the rule in **Rule name**.
4. Under **When incoming requests match**, use the **Field** drop-down list to filter by **Sequences** and select from:

  * Current Operation
  * Previous Operations
  * Elapsed time
5. Under **Value**, select the edit icon to use Builder and build a sequence on the side panel.
6. Under **Select a hostname for this sequence**, choose all or a specific hostname from the dropdown list. Optionally, you can use the search bar to search for a specific hostname.
7. From the **Methods** dropdown list, choose all methods or a specific request method.
8. Select the checkbox for each endpoint in the order that you want them to appear in the sequence.
9. Set the time to complete.
10. Select **Save**.
11. Under **Then take action**, select the rule action in the **Choose action** dropdown. For example, selecting _Block_ tells Cloudflare to refuse requests that match the conditions you specified.
12. (Optional) If you selected the _Block_ action, you can configure a custom response.
13. Under **Place at**, select the order of when the rule will fire.
14. To save and deploy your rule, select **Deploy**. If you are not ready to deploy your rule, select **Save as Draft**.

Note

The fields in the custom rule are populated as a grouped sequence based on the values that you entered on Builder.

Was this helpful?

YesNo

## On this page

[![](https://docs-durable-objects-instance-replaced-errors.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/_astro/logo.te5VL_aD.svg)Docs](https://docs-durable-objects-instance-replaced-errors.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/)

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","@id":"https://developers.cloudflare.com/waf/custom-rules/use-cases/sequence-custom-rules/#page","headline":"Build a sequence rule within custom rules · Cloudflare Web Application Firewall (WAF) docs","description":"Build sequence-based rules within WAF custom rules.","url":"https://developers.cloudflare.com/waf/custom-rules/use-cases/sequence-custom-rules/","inLanguage":"en","image":"https://developers.cloudflare.com/og-docs.png","dateModified":"2026-08-24","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Cloudflare","description":"One platform for your apps, agents, and workforce. Build, secure, and scale without managing infrastructure","url":"https://www.cloudflare.com/","sameAs":["https://github.com/cloudflare","https://www.linkedin.com/company/cloudflare","https://x.com/cloudflare"],"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://developers.cloudflare.com/logo.svg"},"address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"101 Townsend St","addressLocality":"San Francisco","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"94107","addressCountry":"US"},"contactPoint":[{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactType":"Customer Support","url":"https://support.cloudflare.com/","availableLanguage":["English"]},{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactType":"Sales","url":"https://www.cloudflare.com/contact/","availableLanguage":["English"]}]},"isPartOf":{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://developers.cloudflare.com/#website","name":"Cloudflare Docs","url":"https://developers.cloudflare.com/"}}
```