| name | zpa-create-timeout-policy-rule |
| description | Create ZPA timeout policy rules that control session re-authentication and idle timeout behavior. Configures how long a user session remains active (reauth_timeout) and how long an idle session persists (reauth_idle_timeout) before requiring re-authentication. Supports conditions: APP, APP_GROUP, CLIENT_TYPE, SAML, SCIM, SCIM_GROUP, PLATFORM, and POSTURE. Use when an administrator asks: 'Set session timeout', 'Configure idle timeout', 'Require re-authentication after X hours', or 'Set different timeouts per app or user group.' |
ZPA: Create Timeout Policy Rule
Keywords
timeout policy, session timeout, idle timeout, reauth timeout, re-authentication, session expiry, idle disconnect, timeout rule, session duration, zpa timeout, reauth policy
Overview
Create ZPA timeout policy rules that define session re-authentication and idle timeout behavior. Timeout policies control how long a user's authenticated session remains valid and how long an idle connection persists before requiring re-authentication. Different applications and user groups can have different timeout values.
Use this skill when: An administrator asks to configure session timeouts, set idle disconnect timers, require re-authentication after a specific period, or apply different timeout rules to different applications or user groups.
Timeout Parameters
reauth_timeout (Session Timeout)
How long a user session remains valid before requiring re-authentication, regardless of activity.
| Value Format | Examples | Description |
|---|
<number> Minutes | "30 Minutes", "60 Minutes" | Session expires after N minutes |
<number> Hours | "4 Hours", "8 Hours" | Session expires after N hours |
<number> Days | "1 Days", "10 Days", "30 Days" | Session expires after N days |
Never | "Never" | Session never expires (not recommended for sensitive apps) |
Minimum: 10 minutes. Default: "172800" (seconds, i.e., 2 days).
reauth_idle_timeout (Idle Timeout)
How long an idle (inactive) connection persists before the session is terminated.
| Value Format | Examples | Description |
|---|
<number> Minutes | "10 Minutes", "30 Minutes" | Idle session expires after N minutes |
<number> Hours | "1 Hours", "2 Hours" | Idle session expires after N hours |
<number> Days | "1 Days" | Idle session expires after N days |
Never | "Never" | Idle sessions never expire |
Minimum: 10 minutes. Default: "600" (seconds, i.e., 10 minutes).
Action
The only supported action is RE_AUTH -- when the timeout is reached, the user must re-authenticate.
Baseline Values (recommended)
Reference: ZPA Baseline Recommendations v1.0 §Timeout Policies Recommendations.
Authentication timeout (reauth_timeout)
| Profile | Value | Rationale |
|---|
| Default — high-security environment | "24 Hours" | Daily MFA / SSO revalidation. |
| Default — convenience-focused | "3 Days" to "7 Days" | Lower friction for low-risk tenants. |
| Service accounts (documented exception) | "30 Days" or "Never" | Only with explicit security exception and inventory tracking. |
Apply a single global authentication-timeout rule and add narrow per-group exceptions only when justified.
Idle timeout (reauth_idle_timeout) — per app class
| App class | Value | Why |
|---|
| Non-sensitive apps | "15 Minutes" to "30 Minutes" | Frees connector resources, low security risk. |
| Sensitive apps (Finance, HR, regulated) | "10 Minutes" to "15 Minutes" | Tighter idle window for crown-jewel apps. |
| Long-lived sessions (RDP, SSH, DB) | "30 Minutes" to "60 Minutes" | Avoids dropping interactive shells mid-session. |
| Background services / API agents / monitoring | "Never" | Disable idle so automated clients don't reconnect on every poll. |
Anti-pattern: Avoid reauth_idle_timeout below "10 Minutes" — causes constant tunnel reconnects and poor user experience.
Condition Object Types
Timeout policies support a subset of condition types.
Value-Based (use values)
| Object Type | Description | Values |
|---|
APP | Application segments | Application segment IDs |
APP_GROUP | Segment groups | Segment group IDs |
CLIENT_TYPE | Client connector type | zpn_client_type_zapp, zpn_client_type_exporter, zpn_client_type_browser_isolation, zpn_client_type_ip_anchoring, zpn_client_type_edge_connector, zpn_client_type_branch_connector, zpn_client_type_zapp_partner |
Entry-Values Based (use entry_values with lhs/rhs)
| Object Type | LHS | RHS |
|---|
SAML | SAML attribute ID | Attribute value to match |
SCIM | SCIM attribute header ID | Attribute value to match |
SCIM_GROUP | Identity Provider ID | SCIM group ID |
PLATFORM | linux, android, ios, mac, windows | "true" or "false" |
POSTURE | Posture profile posture_udid | "true" or "false" |
Workflow
Step 1: Gather Requirements
Ask the administrator:
Required:
- Rule name
- Session timeout value (e.g., "8 Hours", "30 Days", "Never")
- Idle timeout value (e.g., "30 Minutes", "1 Hours", "Never")
Optional:
- Description
- Which applications or segment groups to scope to
- Which users/groups this applies to
- Platform restrictions
- Posture requirements
Common scenarios:
- "Sessions should expire after 8 hours for all apps" -> global timeout rule
- "Sensitive apps should have a 30-minute idle timeout" -> scoped to APP_GROUP
- "Contractors should re-authenticate every 4 hours" -> scoped to SCIM_GROUP
- "Mobile devices should have shorter timeouts" -> scoped to PLATFORM
Step 2: Look Up Required IDs
For application scoping:
zpa_list_segment_groups()
zpa_list_application_segments()
```text
**For identity conditions:**
```text
get_zpa_scim_group(search="<group_name>")
get_zpa_saml_attribute(search="<attribute_name>")
```text
**For posture profiles:**
```text
get_zpa_posture_profile(search="<profile_name>")
```text
---
### Step 3: Create the Rule
```text
zpa_create_timeout_policy_rule(
name="<rule_name>",
action_type="RE_AUTH",
reauth_timeout="<session_timeout>",
reauth_idle_timeout="<idle_timeout>",
description="<description>",
conditions=<conditions_payload>
)
```text
---
### Step 4: Verify
```text
zpa_get_timeout_policy_rule(rule_id="<returned_rule_id>")
```text
---
## Ready-to-Use Examples
### Example 1: Standard Timeout for a Segment Group
Set 8-hour session timeout and 30-minute idle timeout for internal applications.
**Step 1: Find the segment group**
```text
zpa_list_segment_groups()
```text
**Step 2: Create rule**
```text
zpa_create_timeout_policy_rule(
name="Standard Timeout - Internal Apps",
action_type="RE_AUTH",
reauth_timeout="8 Hours",
reauth_idle_timeout="30 Minutes",
description="Standard session and idle timeouts for internal applications",
conditions=[
{
"operator": "OR",
"operands": [
{
"object_type": "APP_GROUP",
"values": ["<internal_apps_segment_group_id>"]
}
]
}
]
)
```text
---
### Example 2: Strict Timeout for Sensitive Applications
Short session timeout (4 hours) and aggressive idle timeout (10 minutes) for sensitive apps.
```text
zpa_create_timeout_policy_rule(
name="Strict Timeout - Sensitive Apps",
action_type="RE_AUTH",
reauth_timeout="4 Hours",
reauth_idle_timeout="10 Minutes",
description="Short timeouts for sensitive/high-security applications",
conditions=[
{
"operator": "OR",
"operands": [
{
"object_type": "APP_GROUP",
"values": ["<sensitive_apps_segment_group_id>"]
}
]
}
]
)
```text
---
### Example 3: Contractor-Specific Timeout
Contractors must re-authenticate every 4 hours with a 15-minute idle timeout.
**Step 1: Look up contractor group**
```text
get_zpa_scim_group(search="Contractors")
```text
**Step 2: Create rule**
```text
zpa_create_timeout_policy_rule(
name="Contractor Timeout",
action_type="RE_AUTH",
reauth_timeout="4 Hours",
reauth_idle_timeout="15 Minutes",
description="Shorter session for contractor accounts",
conditions=[
{
"operator": "OR",
"operands": [
{
"object_type": "SCIM_GROUP",
"entry_values": [
{"lhs": "<idp_id>", "rhs": "<contractors_scim_group_id>"}
]
}
]
}
]
)
```text
---
### Example 4: Long Timeout with SAML + Segment Group
Allow a 10-day session for specific SAML-identified users on a specific segment group.
**Step 1: Look up IDs**
```text
get_zpa_saml_attribute(search="Email_Users")
zpa_list_segment_groups()
```text
**Step 2: Create rule**
```text
zpa_create_timeout_policy_rule(
name="Extended Timeout - VIP Users",
action_type="RE_AUTH",
reauth_timeout="10 Days",
reauth_idle_timeout="1 Hours",
description="Extended session for VIP users accessing standard apps",
conditions=[
{
"operator": "OR",
"operands": [
{
"object_type": "APP_GROUP",
"values": ["<segment_group_id>"]
}
]
},
{
"operator": "OR",
"operands": [
{
"object_type": "SAML",
"entry_values": [
{"lhs": "<saml_email_attr_id>", "rhs": "vip1@company.com"},
{"lhs": "<saml_email_attr_id>", "rhs": "vip2@company.com"}
]
}
]
}
]
)
```text
**Logic:** User must be accessing apps in the segment group AND have a matching SAML email.
---
### Example 5: Platform-Specific Timeout
Mobile devices (Android/iOS) get shorter timeouts than desktops.
**Mobile rule (stricter):**
```text
zpa_create_timeout_policy_rule(
name="Mobile Timeout - Short",
action_type="RE_AUTH",
reauth_timeout="4 Hours",
reauth_idle_timeout="15 Minutes",
description="Shorter timeouts for mobile devices",
conditions=[
{
"operator": "OR",
"operands": [
{
"object_type": "PLATFORM",
"entry_values": [
{"lhs": "android", "rhs": "true"},
{"lhs": "ios", "rhs": "true"}
]
}
]
}
]
)
```text
**Desktop rule (more relaxed):**
```text
zpa_create_timeout_policy_rule(
name="Desktop Timeout - Standard",
action_type="RE_AUTH",
reauth_timeout="10 Days",
reauth_idle_timeout="1 Hours",
description="Standard timeouts for desktop devices",
conditions=[
{
"operator": "OR",
"operands": [
{
"object_type": "PLATFORM",
"entry_values": [
{"lhs": "mac", "rhs": "true"},
{"lhs": "windows", "rhs": "true"},
{"lhs": "linux", "rhs": "true"}
]
}
]
}
]
)
```text
---
### Example 6: Posture-Based Timeout
Devices that pass a posture check get a longer timeout; non-compliant devices get a shorter one.
**Step 1: Look up posture profile**
```text
get_zpa_posture_profile(search="CrowdStrike_ZTA")
```text
**Compliant devices (longer timeout):**
```text
zpa_create_timeout_policy_rule(
name="Compliant Device Timeout",
action_type="RE_AUTH",
reauth_timeout="30 Days",
reauth_idle_timeout="2 Hours",
description="Extended timeout for posture-compliant devices",
conditions=[
{
"operator": "OR",
"operands": [
{
"object_type": "POSTURE",
"entry_values": [
{"lhs": "<posture_udid>", "rhs": "true"}
]
}
]
}
]
)
```text
**Non-compliant devices (shorter timeout):**
```text
zpa_create_timeout_policy_rule(
name="Non-Compliant Device Timeout",
action_type="RE_AUTH",
reauth_timeout="1 Hours",
reauth_idle_timeout="10 Minutes",
description="Aggressive timeout for non-compliant devices",
conditions=[
{
"operator": "OR",
"operands": [
{
"object_type": "POSTURE",
"entry_values": [
{"lhs": "<posture_udid>", "rhs": "false"}
]
}
]
}
]
)
```text
---
### Example 7: Combined Conditions -- Group + App + Platform
Engineering team accessing sensitive apps from Linux gets a specific timeout.
```text
zpa_create_timeout_policy_rule(
name="Engineering Linux Timeout",
action_type="RE_AUTH",
reauth_timeout="12 Hours",
reauth_idle_timeout="45 Minutes",
description="Custom timeout for Engineering on Linux accessing sensitive apps",
conditions=[
{
"operator": "OR",
"operands": [
{
"object_type": "APP_GROUP",
"values": ["<sensitive_apps_segment_group_id>"]
}
]
},
{
"operator": "OR",
"operands": [
{
"object_type": "SCIM_GROUP",
"entry_values": [
{"lhs": "<idp_id>", "rhs": "<engineering_group_id>"}
]
}
]
},
{
"operator": "OR",
"operands": [
{
"object_type": "PLATFORM",
"entry_values": [
{"lhs": "linux", "rhs": "true"}
]
}
]
}
]
)
```text
---
## Timeout Strategy Guide
| Use Case | reauth_timeout | reauth_idle_timeout | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard office apps | 8-10 Hours | 30-60 Minutes | Covers a workday without constant re-auth |
| Sensitive/compliance apps | 2-4 Hours | 10-15 Minutes | Frequent re-auth for high-security apps |
| Contractors / third parties | 4 Hours | 15 Minutes | Reduced trust, tighter controls |
| Mobile devices | 4-8 Hours | 15-30 Minutes | Higher risk of device loss |
| Desktop on corporate network | 10-30 Days | 1-2 Hours | Low risk, high convenience |
| Non-compliant devices | 1-2 Hours | 10 Minutes | Encourage compliance |
| Development/test environments | 30 Days / Never | 2 Hours | Minimize developer friction |
---
## Edge Cases
### No Conditions (Global Default)
A rule with no conditions applies as the default timeout for all users and applications:
```text
zpa_create_timeout_policy_rule(
name="Global Default Timeout",
action_type="RE_AUTH",
reauth_timeout="8 Hours",
reauth_idle_timeout="30 Minutes",
conditions=[]
)
```text
### Never Expire
For development or test environments where re-authentication is disruptive:
```text
zpa_create_timeout_policy_rule(
name="Dev Environment - No Timeout",
action_type="RE_AUTH",
reauth_timeout="Never",
reauth_idle_timeout="Never",
conditions=[
{
"operator": "OR",
"operands": [
{
"object_type": "APP_GROUP",
"values": ["<dev_segment_group_id>"]
}
]
}
]
)
```text
Not recommended for production applications.
### Listing Existing Timeout Rules (opt-in)
Do **not** pre-list timeout rules before every create. New ZPA timeout
rules are appended at the end of the policy by default; pre-listing
adds a round trip, gives no useful information for the typical case,
and invites fan-out retries when the list comes back empty on a fresh
tenant.
Run the listing **only** when the admin explicitly asks about ordering,
duplicate names, or wants to inspect existing rules:
```text
zpa_list_timeout_policy_rules()
```text
---
## Quick Reference
**Tools used:**
- `zpa_list_segment_groups()` -- find segment group IDs
- `zpa_list_application_segments()` -- find application segment IDs
- `get_zpa_scim_group(search)` -- look up SCIM group IDs
- `get_zpa_saml_attribute(search)` -- look up SAML attribute IDs
- `get_zpa_posture_profile(search)` -- look up posture profile UDIDs
- `zpa_create_timeout_policy_rule(name, action_type, reauth_timeout, reauth_idle_timeout, conditions)` -- create the rule (no pre-flight needed)
- `zpa_list_timeout_policy_rules()` -- **only** when the admin explicitly asks about ordering or wants to inspect existing rules
- `zpa_get_timeout_policy_rule(rule_id)` -- verify the rule
**Timeout format:** `"<number> Minutes"`, `"<number> Hours"`, `"<number> Days"`, `"Never"`
**Action:** `RE_AUTH` (only supported action)
**Condition logic:**
- Multiple condition blocks = AND (all must match)
- Multiple entry_values within a block = OR (any can match)
- Separate condition blocks per object type
