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How Edge Rules Are Ordered

Edge Rules execute in the order defined by the OrderIndex. Rules are always processed from the smallest to the largest OrderIndex value:
  • A rule with OrderIndex = 1 will execute before a rule with OrderIndex = 2.
  • All rules are executed sequentially based on their index.
This allows you to control which rules should apply first, which is especially important when multiple rules affect the same headers or behaviors.

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Default Behavior: What Happens if No OrderIndex Is Set?

If you do not specify an OrderIndex for your Edge Rules:
  • Rules will execute in the order they were created.
Because of this, we strongly recommend setting an explicit OrderIndex for all rules to ensure predictable and consistent execution order.

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Short-Circuiting vs. Multi-Action Execution

Edge rules process actions differently depending on the action type. Some actions follow a short-circuiting model, where only the first matching action is executed, and further actions of that same type are ignored. This behavior applies when executing multiple actions of the same kind would cause conflicts or unintended side effects. Other actions support multi-action execution, meaning all matching actions of that type are processed, in sequence. This is typical for additive behaviors like setting response headers or appending cookies, where multiple values can coexist. We will add either the 🛑(short-circuiting model) or 🔁(multi-action execution) icon to the action list below to indicate how each action is processed.

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Example Behaviors

If multiple rules modify the same request or response header, all matching actions will be executed, allowing cumulative changes. If multiple rules attempt to rewrite the URL or redirect, only the first matching action is executed, and subsequent conflicting actions are skipped. Example:
OrderIndexConditionAction
1If Request URL equals /imagesOverride Browser Cache Time -> 3600
2if Request URL equals /imagesSetResponseHeader -> hello=world
3If Request Header -> User-Agent contains GooglebotOverride Browser Cache Time -> 5
4if Request Header -> User-Agent contains GoogleSetResponseHeader -> hello2=world2
If a request matches both conditions, the Cache-Control header will ultimately be set to 3600 because the rule with OrderIndex = 1 executes first and short circuits, while they’ll be two new response headers, hello and hello2.

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Cached vs Non-Cached Edge Rule Execution

You also need to factor into your edge rule creation and execution whether the content will become cached or not, below is our list of Edge Rules that will execute upon CACHE: HIT and additionally, CACHE: MISS. Executing Rules on a CACHE HIT (Cache Layer):
  • ForceSSL (Enum Value: 0) 🛑
  • Redirect (Enum Value: 1) 🛑
  • OverrideCacheTime (Enum Value: 3) 🛑 Note: if set to0 it will bypass edge cache, if we don’t already have the content cached on our edge.
  • BlockRequest (Enum Value: 4) 🛑
  • SetResponseHeader (Enum Value: 5) 🔁
  • ForceDownload (Enum Value: 7) 🛑
  • DisableTokenAuthentication (Enum Value: 8) 🛑
  • EnableTokenAuthentication ( Enum Value: 9) 🛑
  • OverrideCacheTimePublic (Enum Value: 10) 🛑
  • IgnoreQueryString (Enum Value: 11) 🛑
  • DisableOptimizer (Enum Value: 12) 🛑
  • ForceCompression (Enum Value: 13) 🛑
  • SetStatusCode (Enum Value: 14) 🛑
  • OverrideBrowserCacheTime (Enum Value: 16) 🛑
  • SetNetworkRateLimit (Enum Value: 18) 🛑
  • SetConnectionLimit (Enum Value: 19) 🛑
  • SetRequestsPerSecondLimit (Enum Value: 20) 🛑
  • OverrideBrowserCacheResponseHeader (Enum Value: 25) 🛑
  • RemoveBrowserCacheResponseHeader (Enum Value: 26) 🛑
  • DisableShieldChallenge (Enum Value: 27) 🛑
Additionally, Executing Rules on a CACHE MISS (Origin Layer):
  • OriginUrl (Enum Value: 2) 🛑
  • OverrideCacheTime (Enum Value: 3) 🛑
  • SetResponseHeader (Enum Value: 5) 🔁
  • SetRequestHeader (Enum Value: 6) 🔁
  • BypassPermaCache (Enum Value: 15) 🛑
  • OriginStorage (Enum Value: 17) 🛑
  • RunEdgeScript (Enum Value: 21) 🛑
  • OriginMagicContainers (Enum Value: 22) 🛑
  • DisableWAF (Enum Value: 23) 🛑
  • RetryOrigin (Enum Value: 24) 🛑
  • DisableShieldChallenge (Enum Value: 27) 🛑
  • DisableShieldBotDetection (Enum Value: 29) 🛑
  • BypassAwsS3Authentication (Enum Value: 30) 🛑

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Setting the Execution Order

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Method 1: Dashboard (Drag & Drop)

You can reorder your Edge Rules visually:
  1. Go to your Pull Zone > Edge Rules tab.
  2. Click “Reorder” badge at the top of the page.
  3. Drag rules to change their order.
  4. The order you set will automatically adjust the OrderIndex behind the scenes.

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Method 2: API (Set OrderIndex Directly)

If you manage rules programmatically via our API, you can set the execution order by adjusting the OrderIndex value when creating or updating an edge rule.

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Best Practices

  • Plan rule priorities carefully, especially when multiple rules affect the same property or header.
  • Keep related rules grouped and ordered for easier maintenance.
  • Use the dashboard for visual management and the API for bulk or automated updates.