> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/application-security/application-security-posture-management-aspm/unified-application-security-policies/api-workflow.md).

# API workflow

Manage Unified Application Security Policies programmatically through the Cortex Cloud public API.

Use the public API to automate policy management across tenants, integrate policy lifecycle operations directly into CI/CD pipelines, or synchronize policy configurations with infrastructure-as-code (IaC) workflows. For bulk operations, programmatic audits, or cross-tenant policy synchronization, the API is the ideal approach. The Cortex Cloud console remains the recommended interface for interactive policy creation and one-off configuration changes.

{% hint style="info" %}

### Note

The public API remains backward compatible with existing API consumers. The API returns additional fields for the unified policy structure, including the new policy type, trigger configuration, and Override Severity settings.
{% endhint %}

**Authentication and base path**

The public API base path is `/public_api/appsec/v1/policies`. All requests require one of the following authentication methods:

* The `x-redlock-auth` header with a valid JWT token
* The `Authorization` header with the API key

**Supported operations**

You can use the API to perform the following lifecycle actions on your security policies:

| Operation            | Method   | Endpoint                                    | Description                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| -------------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **List policies**    | `GET`    | `/public_api/appsec/v1/policies`            | Retrieve all Unified Application Security Policies in your environment. This operation supports filtering by status, finding type, trigger, action, or custom/out-of-the-box classifications |
| **Get policy by ID** | `GET`    | `/public_api/appsec/v1/policies/{policyId}` | Retrieve the full configuration, including conditions, triggers, scope, and metadata, for a specific policy using its unique identifier                                                      |
| **Create policy**    | `POST`   | `/public_api/appsec/v1/policies`            | Programmatically build and enforce a new policy by defining its general details, condition filters, target scopes, and enforcement triggers across your pre-runtime lifecycle                |
| **Update policy**    | `PUT`    | `/public_api/appsec/v1/policies/{policyId}` | Modify an existing policy's configuration, such as adjusting condition filters or toggling trigger actions                                                                                   |
| **Delete policy**    | `DELETE` | `/public_api/appsec/v1/policies/{policyId}` | Remove a policy from your environment. Caution: All issues created by the deleted policy are closed during the next periodic scan                                                            |

**Duplicate a policy**

To duplicate a policy programmatically:

1. Retrieve the source policy using the GET endpoint.
2. Modify the necessary details (such as the policy name).
3. Submit it as a new policy via the POST endpoint.

**API reference**

For the complete API reference, including request and response schemas, query parameter documentation, and error codes, refer to [Cortex Cloud Platform APIs documentation.](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex-cloud-api/)


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