Review all matching Cloudflare Cache Rules because later settings can overwrite earlier ones

Cache Rules are stackable rather than a simple first-match policy.

Source facts

Cloudflare states that several matching Cache Rules can combine settings for one request. When they set the same value, the last matching rule wins, including conflicts between bypass and cache eligibility. Cache Rules take precedence over caching Page Rules on the same path. Terminating actions in other products, such as redirects or blocks, have different evaluation behavior.

Source: Cloudflare — Order and priority.

Applicability

This concerns Cloudflare Cache Rules and their documented precedence.

DSE recommendation

DSE recommends evaluating the complete matching rule sequence for representative URLs before moving or adding an exception. Keep broad defaults and narrow overrides in an intentional order and document which settings each contributes. Include legacy Page Rules in migration review even when the new rule appears equivalent. Avoid fixing one endpoint by adding another rule without checking the accumulated effect on authenticated pages and static assets. For the most important URL classes, keep a compact trace listing every matching rule and the final value of each changed setting. Have a second administrator review that trace after reordering. Preserve an authenticated endpoint as an explicit bypass acceptance case alongside the public asset pilot.

Verification

For approved test requests, inspect effective matching settings through the available diagnostic tools and compare them with the intended final policy. Include an overlapping path that exercises two rules and a nearby unmatched path. Repeat after reordering, and verify redirects or blocks separately rather than assuming they follow cache-setting merge semantics.

Official reference

Cloudflare — Order and priority. Reviewed October 20, 2026.