Adding Web Protection¶
This guide walks you through enabling Web Protection for your web application using GatewaySentry. Web Protection shields your site from malicious traffic by routing it through GatewaySentry's geo-routing network before it ever reaches your server.
Before You Begin¶
Make sure you have the following ready before starting:
- Access to your GatewaySentry account with the correct Organization selected.
- Your web application's Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) — for example,
www.yoursite.com. - Your web application's IP address or host address.
- Access to your domain's DNS settings (through your domain registrar or DNS provider), as you will need to add a DNS record during this process.
Step 1 — Select Your Organization and Create a New Instance¶
Before adding Web Protection, make sure the correct Organization is selected.
- Look at the top of the sidebar and click the organization dropdown.
- Select the organization that owns the web application you want to protect.
- Once the correct organization is selected, click the "+" button to create a new Web Protection instance.
Step 2 — Enter Your Web Application's Details¶
A form will appear asking for information about your web application.
- In the FQDN field, enter your web application's fully qualified domain name (e.g.,
www.yoursite.com). - In the Address field, enter the current IP address or host address of your web application.
- Click Create
Set Up Your DNS Record¶
After filling in the form, you will need to update your DNS settings so that your domain points to GatewaySentry's geo-routing network. This is what allows GatewaySentry to inspect and filter traffic before it reaches your site.
Add the following DNS A Record with your domain provider:
| Type | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| A | Your FQDN (e.g., www) |
geo-routing.gatewaysentry.com |
What is a DNS A Record? A DNS A record tells the internet where to send visitors when they type your domain. By pointing it to GatewaySentry, all traffic goes through their protection layer first.
Note: DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to fully propagate across the internet, depending on your provider.
Step 3 — Wait for DNS Verification and Activate Protection¶
Once your Web Protection instance is created and your DNS record has been updated, GatewaySentry will begin verifying your setup.
- Your new instance will initially show the status: "DNS CHECK IS IN PROGRESS". This is normal — GatewaySentry is confirming that your domain now resolves to their geo-routing network.
- Once the DNS check is complete and successful, your Web Protection status will change to Active.
- With protection active, you can now begin configuring Flow Rules to customize how traffic is handled.
What are Flow Rules? Flow Rules allow you to define specific policies for your traffic — such as requiring CAPTCHA challenges or allowing trusted IPs to bypass checks.
Troubleshooting¶
| Issue | What to Do |
|---|---|
| DNS check stays "In Progress" for a long time | Double-check that your A record is correctly set to geo-routing.gatewaysentry.com. DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours. |
| Cannot find the "+" button | Make sure you have selected the correct Organization from the sidebar dropdown. |
| Need to delete a Web Protection instance | Please contact GatewaySentry Support for assistance. |
Need Help?¶
If you run into any issues activating protection for your web application, or if you need to delete an existing Web Protection instance, please reach out to GatewaySentry Support.