| name | zia-investigate-url-category |
| description | Investigate where a specific URL or URL category is referenced across all ZIA policy rules. Searches URL filtering rules, DLP web rules, SSL inspection rules, and cloud firewall rules to provide a comprehensive view of how a category is used. Use when an administrator asks: 'Where is this URL category used?', 'What rules apply to this URL?', or 'Show me the policy impact of this category.' |
ZIA: Investigate URL Category
Keywords
url category, where is category used, url filtering, category lookup, url policy, category impact, url rules, which rules use category, url category audit, policy investigation
Overview
Investigate where a specific URL or URL category is referenced across all ZIA security policies. This skill queries URL filtering rules, DLP web rules, SSL inspection rules, and cloud firewall rules to build a complete picture of how the category affects traffic and users.
Use this skill when: An administrator wants to understand the policy impact of a URL category, check which rules reference a specific category, or determine what happens when a user tries to access a URL in that category.
Workflow
Follow this 5-step process to investigate a URL category.
Step 1: Identify the URL Category
Determine whether the admin is asking about a specific URL or a named category.
If given a URL, look it up first:
zia_url_lookup(urls=["example.com"])
```text
This returns the URL's category classification (e.g., "SOCIAL_NETWORKING", "STREAMING_MEDIA").
**If given a category name**, list categories to find the exact ID:
```text
zia_list_url_categories()
```text
Search the results for the category name and note:
- `id` (e.g., "CUSTOM_01", "SOCIAL_NETWORKING")
- `configuredName` (display name)
- `urls` (any URLs explicitly added to the category)
- `superCategory` (parent category)
**If the category is custom**, get full details:
```text
zia_get_url_category(category_id="<category_id>")
```text
#### Present Initial Findings
```text
URL Category Identified:
**Category:** Social Networking
- ID: SOCIAL_NETWORKING
- Super Category: Entertainment & Recreation
- Type: Built-in
Now searching across all policy rule types...
```text
---
### Step 2: Search URL Filtering Rules
```text
zia_list_url_filtering_rules()
```text
Scan every rule's `urlCategories` field for the target category ID or name. For each match, note:
- Rule name and ID
- Action (`ALLOW`, `BLOCK`, `CAUTION`)
- Which users/groups/departments/locations are affected
- Whether the rule is enabled
- Rule order (priority)
---
### Step 3: Search SSL Inspection Rules
```text
zia_list_ssl_inspection_rules()
```text
Scan every rule's `urlCategories` field. For each match, note:
- Rule name and ID
- Action (`INSPECT`, `DO_NOT_INSPECT`, `DO_NOT_DECRYPT`)
- Which users/groups are affected
- Whether the rule is enabled
---
### Step 4: Search DLP Web Rules
```text
zia_list_web_dlp_rules()
```text
Scan every rule's `urlCategories` field. For each match, note:
- Rule name and ID
- Action (`ALLOW`, `BLOCK`)
- DLP engines and dictionaries involved
- Which users/groups are affected
---
### Step 5: Compile and Present Results
Build a comprehensive report showing everywhere the category is referenced.
#### Report Format
```text
URL Category Investigation Report
==================================
**Category:** <name> (<id>)
**Super Category:** <super_category>
**Type:** Built-in / Custom
---
## URL Filtering Rules (X matches)
| # | Rule Name | Action | Enabled | Users/Groups | Order |
|---|------------------------|---------|---------|----------------------|-------|
| 1 | Block Social Media | BLOCK | Yes | All Users | 3 |
| 2 | Allow Marketing Social | ALLOW | Yes | Marketing Department | 2 |
**Analysis:** Social Networking is BLOCKED for all users by default (Rule #1,
order 3), but ALLOWED for the Marketing department (Rule #2, order 2 --
higher priority).
---
## SSL Inspection Rules (X matches)
| # | Rule Name | Action | Enabled | Users/Groups |
|---|----------------------------|----------------|---------|-------------|
| 1 | Do Not Inspect Social | DO_NOT_INSPECT | Yes | All Users |
**Analysis:** SSL traffic to Social Networking sites is NOT inspected,
meaning DLP policies cannot scan content on these sites.
---
## DLP Web Rules (X matches)
| # | Rule Name | Action | Enabled | DLP Engine |
|---|-------------------------|--------|---------|---------------|
| 1 | Block PII Upload Social | BLOCK | Yes | PII Detection |
**Analysis:** Even if Social Networking is allowed by URL filtering, DLP
will block uploads containing PII.
NOTE: Since SSL is not inspected for this category (see above), this DLP
rule will NOT be effective for HTTPS traffic. Consider enabling SSL
inspection for this category.
---
## Cloud Firewall Rules (X matches)
No firewall rules reference this URL category directly.
---
## Summary
The URL category "<name>" is referenced in:
- X URL Filtering rules
- X SSL Inspection rules
- X DLP Web rules
- X Cloud Firewall rules
**Effective Policy (for a standard user):**
1. URL Filtering: BLOCKED (rule order 3)
2. SSL Inspection: NOT INSPECTED
3. DLP: Block PII upload (but ineffective without SSL inspection)
**Recommendations:**
- If DLP enforcement is needed, enable SSL inspection for this category
- Review the Marketing department exception to ensure it is still needed
```text
---
## Advanced Investigation
### Check Impact on a Specific User or Group
If the admin asks "Can user X access category Y?":
1. Look up the user's department and groups:
```text
get_zia_users(search="<username>")
get_zia_user_groups(search="<group_name>")
get_zia_user_departments(search="<department_name>")
```text
2. Then cross-reference with the rules found above, evaluating rule order and specificity.
### Check Custom URL Categories
Custom categories may contain specific URLs. Get the full list:
```text
zia_get_url_category(category_id="CUSTOM_01")
```text
Review the `urls`, `dbCategorizedUrls`, `keywords`, and `ipRanges` fields.
### Check If a URL Is in Multiple Categories
```text
zia_url_lookup(urls=["suspicious-site.com"])
```text
A URL can match multiple categories. Repeat the investigation for each returned category.
---
## Edge Cases
### Category Not Found in Any Rules
```text
Investigation complete: The URL category "<name>" is not referenced in any
URL filtering, SSL inspection, DLP, or firewall rules.
This means:
- The DEFAULT rules will apply for this category
- Check the default URL filtering rule for the baseline action
- Check the default SSL inspection rule for inspection behavior
```text
### Category Referenced in Disabled Rules Only
```text
The URL category "<name>" is only referenced in DISABLED rules.
Currently, only the default policy applies.
Disabled rules found:
- [Disabled] "Block Streaming" (URL Filtering, BLOCK)
These rules have no effect until re-enabled.
```text
---
## When NOT to Use This Skill
- Creating or modifying URL categories -- pick the right tool for the flavour. Custom: `zia_create_url_category`, `zia_update_url_category` (full PUT), `zia_delete_url_category`. Predefined (Zscaler-curated, e.g. `FINANCE`, `NEWS_AND_MEDIA`): `zia_get_url_category_predefined`, `zia_update_url_category_predefined` (full PUT). The custom-only tools refuse predefined IDs at the safety-guard layer.
- Adding/removing URLs from a category -- use `zia_add_urls_to_category` or `zia_remove_urls_from_category`. Both work transparently on custom *and* predefined categories (they use the SDK's `?action=ADD_TO_LIST` / `?action=REMOVE_FROM_LIST` endpoints, which preserve Zscaler's curated list on predefined categories).
- Creating new filtering rules -- use `zia_create_url_filtering_rule` directly
- Investigating SSL bypass specifically -- use the "audit-ssl-inspection-bypass" skill
---
## Quick Reference
**Primary workflow:** Identify Category → Search URL Rules → Search SSL Rules → Search DLP Rules → Compile Report
**Tools used:**
- `zia_url_lookup(urls)` -- classify a URL into categories
- `zia_list_url_categories()` -- list all categories
- `zia_get_url_category(category_id)` -- get category details
- `zia_list_url_filtering_rules()` -- search URL filtering rules
- `zia_list_ssl_inspection_rules()` -- search SSL inspection rules
- `zia_list_web_dlp_rules()` -- search DLP rules
- `zia_list_cloud_firewall_rules()` -- search firewall rules
- `get_zia_users(search)` -- look up specific users
- `get_zia_user_groups(search)` -- look up groups
- `get_zia_user_departments(search)` -- look up departments
**Remember:**
- Rule order matters -- lower order number = higher priority
- SSL inspection affects DLP effectiveness
- A URL can belong to multiple categories
- Default rules apply when no explicit rule matches
- Always check for disabled rules that may cause confusion
