4.11 Exclude Directories from Protection

📘 Overview

The Exclude Directory from Protection module allows you to bypass all active ShieldsGuard security mechanisms (WAF, rate limiting, filtering, etc.) for a specific directory path.

This is useful for public, static, or third-party resources that may not function properly under strict protection.

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🛠️ How It Works

You define:

• Directory Path (e.g., /uploads, /public/images, https://yourdomain.com/assets/)

Once added, all requests to that path and its subpaths are excluded from protection and forwarded directly to your origin server.

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⚙️ How to Add an Excluded Directory

1. Navigate to Security Rules > Exclude Directory

2. Click Specify Directory to Exclude from Protection

3. Enter the full path of the directory

4. Click Exclude from Protection

5. All traffic to that directory will now bypass ShieldsGuard security logic

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✅ Example Use Cases

• Static file directories (JS, CSS, fonts, images)

• File upload areas with large payloads

• Public folders for client download access

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⚠️ Important Notes

• No security filtering will apply to excluded directories

• Use only for safe, public, and static content

• Avoid excluding sensitive areas such as /admin, /api, or dynamic logic handlers

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🎯 This feature is designed for performance and compatibility — only use it where security impact is minimal.