Custom Responses

Choose the response behavior that fits your problem. F5 Distributed Cloud can return a direct reply without contacting the application, change routing or response data, or explain a security decision. Each guide helps you choose a behavior, configure the resource that produces it, and confirm the result.

Direct responses deliberately answer matching requests. Error mappings customize eligible failures generated by the edge. Transformations change a destination, metadata, or selected values; security controls decide whether traffic can continue.

Qualified examples demonstrate the measured status, body or browser behavior with a matching control and evidence of which component produced it. Qualification applies to those examples, not every setting on a page. CAPTCHA completion remains un-verified, DDoS is un-verified and deferred, and Bot Defense is configuration-only.

Application responses

MaintenanceTell visitors when an application is temporarily unavailable.

Missing and retired resourcesExplain missing addresses and permanent retirement.

Static acknowledgementReturn a fixed receipt on a selected path.

Error responsesCustomize eligible failures generated by the edge.

Routing and response data

RedirectsSend a selected path to its new location.

Headers and cookiesAdd or remove response metadata.

Cross-origin access (CORS)Allow browser access from the documentation origin.

Data maskingHide selected fields or recognized sensitive values.

Security checks and blocks

WAF blockingExplain why a security rule rejected a request.

Rate limitsExplain a verified request limit with a custom 429 page.

JavaScript challengeTell visitors why their browser is being checked.

CAPTCHA verificationReview human verification with live completion un-verified.

Conditional challengesChallenge selected traffic through policy or mitigation.

Bot Defense configurationCompare inactive, configuration-only block and redirect settings.

See the Configuration reference for resource fragments and body encoding.