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Use these 12 authenticated GET requests to inspect a Cloudflare zone without changing its configuration. They cover zone status, TLS, HSTS, security settings, rulesets, DNSSEC, origin authentication, and client-side security. A response shows configuration at the time of the request; it is not a penetration test or proof that every request receives the expected protection.
Set ZONE_ID to the zone ID and CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN to a narrowly scoped, zone-restricted token with read permissions for the endpoints you plan to query. Use the bearer-token header shown below. Do not grant edit permissions just to run these requests, and avoid exposing a live token in shared terminal transcripts.
Run the checks safely
Each command is a template, not a request tested against a live zone. Cloudflare documents separate read and edit permissions, and uses GET for retrieving settings while a separate PATCH endpoint changes a setting. A permission error points to token scope or endpoint availability to investigate; it does not show that a control is disabled. Permission names can vary between current and legacy product terminology, so confirm the read permission in Cloudflare’s live token permission picker.
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Check the zone and its HTTPS protections
1. Zone status and paused state
curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID"
-H "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN"Inspect result.status and result.paused. Cloudflare says a paused zone receives no Cloudflare security or performance benefits. An active status by itself does not confirm that every hostname is proxied or that traffic is routed as intended.
2. SSL/TLS encryption mode
curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/settings/ssl"
-H "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN"Read the returned value. The mode describes encryption between the visitor and Cloudflare and between Cloudflare and the origin. Flexible can leave the origin leg unencrypted. Full encrypts the origin connection when the visitor uses HTTPS but does not validate the origin certificate. Strict requires a valid origin certificate. Confirm the origin’s certificate and TLS configuration before changing modes. Cloudflare describes Flexible as common for origins that do not support TLS, while recommending an origin upgrade whenever possible in its SSL/TLS encryption modes documentation.
3. Minimum TLS version
curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/hostnames/settings/min_tls_version"
-H "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN"Inspect the returned TLS value and deployment status. Cloudflare documents values including 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3. Raising the minimum can exclude older clients, so choose a protocol floor based on compatibility requirements rather than treating one value as universally correct.
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4. TLS 1.3 setting
curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/settings/tls_1_3"
-H "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN"Record value and, if present, editable and modified_on. Documented values include on, off, and zrt. The configured value does not establish that every client negotiated TLS 1.3.
5. HSTS configuration
curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/settings/security_header"
-H "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN"Review the strict_transport_security object, especially enabled, max_age, include_subdomains, preload, and nosniff. Include subdomains or enable preload only after confirming HTTPS works throughout the affected scope. The response does not verify that every application endpoint is deployed correctly.
6. Security level
curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/settings/security_level"
-H "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN"Record the returned profile value. Cloudflare documents values ranging from off through under_attack; the profile adjusts security settings. The appropriate setting depends on audience, traffic, and operational needs, so under_attack is not a default recommendation.
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Inspect application, DNS, and origin controls
7. WAF and ruleset configuration
curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/rulesets"
-H "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN"Inspect the listed rulesets and phases, particularly HTTP request firewall managed rules. A ruleset’s presence alone does not establish effective coverage. Review its phase, rule contents, enabled state, and deployment context. Cloudflare labels the older waf zone setting as a previous or deprecated setting, so do not use it as the sole WAF check.
8. DNSSEC status
curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/dnssec"
-H "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN"Read the DNSSEC fields, including DS or digest information and DNSSEC options, in the context of the zone’s setup. Cloudflare documents this as a DNSSEC details endpoint and lists DNS Read among accepted permissions. To establish end-to-end DNSSEC validity, also validate the parent-side delegation and DS record through an appropriate DNS validation method.
9. Authenticated Origin Pulls
curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/origin_tls_client_auth/settings"
-H "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN"This endpoint reports whether zone-level Authenticated Origin Pulls is enabled. Cloudflare documents it as false by default and lists SSL and Certificates Read as accepted permissions. Interpret the result alongside origin exposure and certificate configuration; it is not a universal pass-or-fail measure.
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Review browser-side security visibility
10. Client-side security status
curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/page_shield"
-H "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN"Cloudflare’s current documentation calls this feature Client-side security; it was previously called Page Shield. The GET response provides enablement status. Use a read permission—the separate PUT example in the API documentation changes the setting, so it does not belong in a read-only audit.
11. Detected client-side scripts
curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/page_shield/scripts?hosts=example.com&page=1&per_page=15"
-H "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN"Replace example.com with a hostname in the zone. Cloudflare documents this endpoint for listing detected scripts; if no status filter is supplied, results include active-status scripts by default. Treat the response as feature-detected scripts, not a complete inventory of browser code across every page and user flow.
Check TLS cipher configuration
12. TLS ciphers
curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/$ZONE_ID/hostnames/settings/ciphers"
-H "Authorization: Bearer $CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN"Inspect configured ciphers and deployment status. Cloudflare documents ciphers as a hostname TLS setting. Check the accepted permission and response shape for the account before running the request. Do not infer an ideal cipher list without considering current Cloudflare guidance and client compatibility.
Compare zones without reducing security to a score
For a two-zone review or change comparison, keep distinct controls distinct. Compare encryption on the visitor-to-edge and edge-to-origin legs; the protocol floor and cipher configuration; application firewall and ruleset coverage; DNSSEC and origin authentication; browser-side script visibility; and the account or plan availability and token permissions behind each setting. These checks describe configuration and visibility, not whether every control is effective for every request.
Official endpoint and setting references: zone details, zone settings, SSL/TLS modes, minimum TLS version, zone rulesets, DNSSEC, Authenticated Origin Pulls, and Client-side security.
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