How to Create and Use Custom URL Categories in Zscaler ZIA

Creating and using custom URL categories in Zscaler ZIA (Zscaler Internet Access) and mapping them to policies involves a few key steps. Below is a detailed guide on how to do this:

1. Create Custom URL Categories

Zscaler allows you to create custom URL categories to group URLs that you want to treat similarly in policies. These can be based on your organization's specific needs.

Steps to Create Custom URL Categories:

1. Login to Zscaler Admin Portal:
   
   
   • Go to the Zscaler Admin Portal: https://admin.zscaler.net.
     
     
   • Enter your admin credentials to access the dashboard.
     
     
2. Navigate to URL Category Settings:
   
   
   • In the Admin Portal, go to the Administration tab.
     
     
   • Under the Access Control section, find the URL Categories option.
     
     
3. Add New Custom Category:
   
   
   • Click on Add URL Category.
     
     
   • Name the category and provide a description if needed.
     
     
   • Specify the URLs that you want to be part of this custom category. You can enter the domains or URLs directly in the format example.com or *.example.com.
     
     
4. Save the Custom Category:
   
   
   • Once you’ve entered all URLs or URL patterns, click Save.
     
     
5. Verify the Category:
   
   
   • After saving, you should see the newly created custom URL category listed in the User Defined URL Categories section.
     
     
6. Note: You can always modify the category by clicking on the edit icon.
   
   

2. Map Custom URL Categories to a Policy

Once you’ve created a custom URL category, you can use it in your Zscaler ZIA policies to control web traffic based on this new category.

Steps to Map Custom URL Categories to Policy:

1. Navigate to Policy Settings:
   
   
   • In the Admin Portal, go to the Policy tab.
     
     
   • Under the Access Control section, choose URL Filtering or SSL Inspection, depending on what you want to apply the policy to.
     
     
2. Create a New Policy or Edit an Existing One:
   
   
   • Click on Add Rule or Edit on an existing policy rule where you want to apply the custom URL category.
     
     
3. Configure the Rule:
   
   
   • Under the URL Category field, select Custom Category Created.
     
     
   • A dropdown menu will appear with all the custom URL categories you have created.
     
     
   • Select the custom category that you want to apply to this policy.
     
     
4. Set Action and Conditions:
   
   
   • Choose the action (e.g., Allow, Block) that you want to apply to the custom category.
     
     
   • Optionally, you can configure additional conditions like user groups, location, time, etc.
     
     
5. Save the Policy:
   
   
   • Once your configuration is complete, click Save or Update to apply the policy.
     
     
6. Apply the Policy:
   
   
   • Ensure that the policy is enabled and placed in the correct order to take effect.
     
     
   • Zscaler applies policies based on the order they are listed, so ensure your new policy is placed correctly in the hierarchy.
     
     

3. Test the Policy

Once you have applied the policy, it's important to test whether the URLs in your custom category are being filtered or allowed as expected.

• Test by browsing the URLs from different client machines that are routed through Zscaler.
  
  
• Verify logs: In the Analytics tab, you can view traffic logs and filter them by URL to confirm if traffic is being blocked or allowed based on your custom category.
  
  

4. Monitor and Adjust as Needed

After implementing your policy, monitor its effectiveness. You can adjust the custom category by adding or removing URLs as needed, and also fine-tune your policy rules if necessary.

• Review Reports: Zscaler provides detailed reports on URL filtering. You can view these under the Analytics tab to ensure the custom URL category and policy are functioning as expected.
  
  
• Adjust Policy: If you find that too many or few URLs are being caught in the custom category, you can always go back and modify the category or policy.
  
  

Best Practices for Custom URL Categories in Zscaler:

• Organize URLs by Purpose: When creating custom URL categories, it helps to organize them by function (e.g., social media, productivity tools, etc.), which makes policy management easier.
  
  
• Use Wildcards: You can use wildcard characters (.) to cover multiple domains or subdomains within a category (e.g., .example.com).
  
  
• Regularly Review Categories: Periodically review and update your custom URL categories to ensure they are aligned with any changes in your organization’s web usage patterns.
  
  

This process ensures that you can manage traffic based on user-defined URL categories in Zscaler, giving you greater control over web traffic and security.