--- title: How to Create and Use Custom URL Categories in Zscaler ZIA description: "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: Zscaler allows you" --- [Skip to content](https://securedynamics.net/kb/how-to-create-and-use-custom-url-categories-in-zscaler-zia#main-content) English Show submenu for translations ![SecureDynamics Zscaler Logo](https://securedynamics.net/hs-fs/hubfs/SecureDynamics%20Logo%20Dark-1.png?width=1250&height=296&name=SecureDynamics%20Logo%20Dark-1.png) Open main navigation Close main navigation - English Show submenu for translations - Go to securedynamics.net Go to securedynamics.net Hello. How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [SecureDynamics Knowledge Base](https://securedynamics.net/kb?hsLang=en) 2. [Support](https://securedynamics.net/kb/support?hsLang=en) # 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. - [FAQs](https://securedynamics.net/kb/faqs?hsLang=en) - [Troubleshooting](https://securedynamics.net/kb/troubleshooting?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Client Connector Portal](https://securedynamics.net/kb/troubleshooting?hsLang=en#client-connector-portal) - [Zscaler Client Connector](https://securedynamics.net/kb/troubleshooting?hsLang=en#zscaler-client-connector) - [Support](https://securedynamics.net/kb/support?hsLang=en) - [SecureDynamics Internal](https://securedynamics.net/kb/securedynamics-internal?hsLang=en) - [Licensing](https://securedynamics.net/kb/licensing?hsLang=en#main-content) - [ZIA Upgrades](https://securedynamics.net/kb/licensing?hsLang=en#zia-upgrades) - [Education & Training](https://securedynamics.net/kb/education-training?hsLang=en) - [Delivery Services](https://securedynamics.net/kb/delivery-services?hsLang=en) - [Partner Help](https://securedynamics.net/kb/partner-help?hsLang=en) [![SecureDynamics Zscaler Logo](https://securedynamics.net/hs-fs/hubfs/SecureDynamics%20Logo%20Dark-1.png?width=1250&height=296&name=SecureDynamics%20Logo%20Dark-1.png "SecureDynamics Zscaler Logo")](https://cm360.securedynamics.net?hsLang=en) securedynamics.net Help Center Copyright © 2026, SecureDynamics ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://securedynamics.net/#organization", "@type" : "Organization", "address" : { "@type" : "PostalAddress", "addressCountry" : "US", "addressLocality" : "Santa Clara", "addressRegion" : "CA", "postalCode" : "95054", "streetAddress" : "5201 Great America Pkwy, Suite 320" }, "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://securedynamics.net/hubfs/SecureDynamics%20Zscaler%20Logo-1.webp" }, "name" : "SecureDynamics", "sameAs" : [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/3626024/" ], "url" : "https://securedynamics.net/" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://securedynamics.net/#website", "@type" : "WebSite", "inLanguage" : "en-US", "name" : "SecureDynamics", "potentialAction" : { "@type" : "SearchAction", "query-input" : "required name=search_term_string", "target" : { "@type" : "EntryPoint", "urlTemplate" : "https://securedynamics.net/hs-search-results?q={search_term_string}" } }, "publisher" : { "@id" : "https://securedynamics.net/#organization" }, "url" : "https://securedynamics.net/" } ```