Trigger Path Setup

Learn how to correctly configure Edge Rule trigger paths using wildcards and pattern matching.

Edge Rules use a powerful wildcard matching system for trigger paths. Understanding how to properly configure these patterns helps you create precise rules that trigger only when needed.

Wildcard basics

The * wildcard matches any sequence of characters. You can use it anywhere in the trigger path:

Pattern	Matches	Does Not Match
*.jpg	/image.jpg, /photos/sunset.jpg	/image.png, /image.jpg.bak
/images/*	/images/logo.png, /images/photos/cat.jpg	/img/logo.png
*://example.com/*	https://example.com/page, https://example.com/file.css	https://sub.example.com/page

Common patterns

Matching by file extension

To match all files with a specific extension, use *.extension:

*.mp4

This matches any .mp4 file regardless of path depth.

Matching subdomains

Use wildcards to match all subdomains or exclude them:

Pattern	Description
*://*.example.com/*	Matches all subdomains
*://example.com/*	Matches only the root domain (no subdomain)
*://*example.com/*	Matches root domain and all subdomains

Matching specific paths

Pattern	Matches
/api/*	All paths starting with /api/
*/admin/*	Any URL containing /admin/
/v1/*/users	Paths like /v1/api/users, /v1/service/users

Important considerations

Query parameters are not matched

Trigger paths do not match query strings or any data after the filename. Only the absolute URL path is evaluated.

For example, if your trigger path is *.jpg, it will match:

• /image.jpg
• /image.jpg?width=100

Both URLs match because the query string (?width=100) is ignored during pattern matching.

HTTP vs HTTPS scheme matters

The trigger path is compared as a complete string, including the scheme. Make sure to account for both protocols:

Pattern	Matches
http://example.com/*	Only HTTP requests
https://example.com/*	Only HTTPS requests
*://example.com/*	Both HTTP and HTTPS requests

Use *:// to match both HTTP and HTTPS if your rule should apply regardless of protocol.

Trailing slashes are required for root paths

Due to HTTP protocol design, the trigger path always contains a trailing slash when accessing a root path.

A trigger path of http://example.com will never match because requests to the root always include a trailing slash. Use http://example.com/ instead.

Trigger Path	Will Match Root?
http://example.com	No
http://example.com/	Yes
*://example.com/*	Yes

Examples

Block access to admin paths

Trigger path: */admin/*

This blocks access to any URL containing /admin/ in the path, such as:

• https://example.com/admin/dashboard
• https://example.com/app/admin/users

Match all image files

Trigger path: *.jpg (repeat for each extension)

Or use the File Extension condition type instead, which allows you to specify extensions like jpg, png, gif without wildcards.

Match a specific hostname

Trigger path: *://cdn.example.com/*

This matches all requests to cdn.example.com regardless of protocol, path, or query string.

Match paths starting with /api but not /api/public

You’ll need two rules:

1. First rule (higher priority): Allow /api/public/* - use Disable action or skip
2. Second rule (lower priority): Apply your action to /api/*

See Rule Ordering for more on rule priority.

Related

• Rule Ordering - Control which rules execute first
• Dynamic Variables - Use variables in your rule actions
• Custom Cache Time - Example using file extension matching