Url Categories Configuration Object

Overview

The url_categories module manages URL categories within Palo Alto Networks' Strata Cloud Manager (SCM). It provides functionality to create, update, and delete URL category objects used for URL filtering and security policies. URL categories are essential components in web filtering solutions, allowing organizations to control access to websites based on their categorization.

URL categories can be of two types:

URL List: Contains a list of specific URLs to match
Category Match: Matches predefined URL categories that are maintained by Palo Alto Networks

Core Methods

Method	Description	Parameters	Return Type
`create()`	Creates a new URL category	`data: Dict[str, Any]`	`UrlCategoryResponseModel`
`update()`	Updates an existing category	`category: UrlCategoryUpdate`	`UrlCategoryResponseModel`
`delete()`	Removes a URL category	`object_id: str`	`None`
`fetch()`	Gets a category by name	`name: str`, `container: str`	`UrlCategoryResponseModel`
`list()`	Lists categories with filters	`folder: str`, `**filters`	`List[UrlCategoryResponseModel]`

URL Category Model Attributes

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
`name`	str	Yes	Name of the URL category (max 31 chars)
`description`	str	No	Description of the URL category
`list`	list	Yes	List of URLs or predefined categories
`type`	str	No	Type of URL category: 'URL List' or 'Category Match'
`folder`	str	One container*	The folder where this resource is stored (max 64 chars)
`snippet`	str	One container*	The snippet where this resource is defined (max 64 chars)
`device`	str	One container*	The device where this resource is defined (max 64 chars)
`state`	str	Yes	Desired state: 'present' or 'absent'

*Exactly one container parameter must be provided.

URL List Type Configuration

For URL List type categories, the list should contain specific URLs to match:

Can include domains, subdomains, or paths
Example: ["example.com", "malicious.example.net", "subdomain.example.org/path"]

Category Match Type Configuration

For Category Match type categories, the list should contain predefined URL categories:

References Palo Alto Networks maintained categories
Example: ["social-networking", "gambling", "adult"]

Provider Dictionary

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`client_id`	str	Yes	Client ID for SCM authentication
`client_secret`	str	Yes	Client secret for SCM authentication
`tsg_id`	str	Yes	Tenant Service Group ID
`log_level`	str	No	Log level for the SDK (default: "INFO")

Exceptions

Exception	Description
`InvalidObjectError`	Invalid category data or format
`NameNotUniqueError`	Category name already exists
`ObjectNotPresentError`	Category not found
`MissingQueryParameterError`	Missing required parameters
`AuthenticationError`	Authentication failed
`ServerError`	Internal server error

Basic Configuration

The URL Categories module requires proper authentication credentials to access the Strata Cloud Manager API.

- name: Basic URL Category Configuration
  hosts: localhost
  gather_facts: false
  vars:
    provider:
      client_id: "your_client_id"
      client_secret: "your_client_secret"
      tsg_id: "your_tsg_id"
      log_level: "INFO"
  tasks:
    - name: Ensure a basic URL category exists
      cdot65.scm.url_categories:
        provider: "{{ provider }}"
        name: "Malicious_URLs"
        description: "List of known malicious URLs"
        type: "URL List"
        list: ["malware.example.com", "phishing.example.net"]
        folder: "Security"
        state: "present"

Usage Examples

Creating URL Categories

URL categories can be created to manage access to different types of websites, whether by specifying individual URLs or leveraging predefined categories.

URL List Category

This example creates a URL category with specific URLs to block or allow.

- name: Create a URL category with URL List type
  cdot65.scm.url_categories:
    provider: "{{ provider }}"
    name: "Malicious_URLs"
    description: "List of known malicious URLs"
    type: "URL List"
    list: ["malware.example.com", "phishing.example.net"]
    folder: "Security"
    state: "present"

Category Match Type

This example creates a URL category that matches against predefined categories maintained by Palo Alto Networks.

- name: Create a URL category with Category Match type
  cdot65.scm.url_categories:
    provider: "{{ provider }}"
    name: "Social_Media"
    description: "Category for social media sites"
    type: "Category Match"
    list: ["social-networking"]
    folder: "Security"
    state: "present"

Updating URL Categories

This example updates an existing URL category with additional URLs.

- name: Update a URL category with new URLs
  cdot65.scm.url_categories:
    provider: "{{ provider }}"
    name: "Malicious_URLs"
    description: "Updated list of known malicious URLs"
    type: "URL List"
    list: ["malware.example.com", "phishing.example.net", "ransomware.example.org"]
    folder: "Security"
    state: "present"

Deleting URL Categories

This example removes a URL category that is no longer needed.

- name: Delete URL category
  cdot65.scm.url_categories:
    provider: "{{ provider }}"
    name: "Social_Media"
    folder: "Security"
    state: "absent"

Managing Configuration Changes

After creating, updating, or deleting URL categories, you need to commit your changes to apply them.

- name: Commit changes
  cdot65.scm.commit:
    provider: "{{ provider }}"
    folders: ["Security"]
    description: "Updated URL categories"

Return Values

Name	Description	Type	Returned	Sample
changed	Whether any changes were made	bool	always	true
url_category	Details about the URL category object	dict	when state is present	{"id": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426655440000", "name": "Malicious_URLs", "description": "List of known malicious URLs", "type": "URL List", "list": ["malware.example.com", "phishing.example.net"], "folder": "Security"}

Error Handling

It's important to handle potential errors when working with URL categories.

- name: Create or update URL category with error handling
  block:
    - name: Ensure URL category exists
      cdot65.scm.url_categories:
        provider: "{{ provider }}"
        name: "Malicious_URLs"
        description: "List of known malicious URLs"
        type: "URL List"
        list: ["malware.example.com", "phishing.example.net"]
        folder: "Security"
        state: "present"
      register: category_result

    - name: Commit changes
      cdot65.scm.commit:
        provider: "{{ provider }}"
        folders: ["Security"]
        description: "Updated URL categories"

  rescue:
    - name: Handle errors
      debug:
        msg: "An error occurred: {{ ansible_failed_result.msg }}"

Best Practices

URL List Management

Use specific, targeted URLs for better performance and accuracy
Implement a consistent naming convention for URL categories
Keep URL lists manageable and organized by function or purpose
Regularly review and update URLs to maintain effectiveness
Document the purpose of each URL list for easier maintenance

Category Selection

Understand the predefined categories available in your deployment
Use the most specific predefined category that meets your needs
Combine multiple predefined categories when necessary
Create custom URL lists only when predefined categories are insufficient
Regularly review category definitions as they may be updated by Palo Alto Networks

Performance Considerations

Keep URL lists concise for better performance
Use wildcard domains sparingly as they can impact performance
Break large lists into functional categories for easier management
Consider the impact of URL filtering on overall firewall performance
Test URL category configurations before deploying to production

Policy Integration

Plan how URL categories will be used in security policies
Create categories that align with your organization's acceptable use policies
Test URL filtering policies in a controlled environment
Monitor logs to ensure URL categories are working as expected
Develop a process for handling false positives/negatives

Maintenance and Updates

Establish a regular review cycle for custom URL lists
Document the justification for each custom URL category
Implement change control procedures for URL category modifications
Use version control for tracking changes to URL lists
Consider automation for updating URL lists from threat intelligence feeds

url_categories_info - Retrieve information about URL categories
security_rule - Configure security policies that use URL categories
security_profiles_group - Configure security profile groups
log_forwarding_profile - Configure log forwarding for URL filtering events