Filter Chains API

This section documents the REST endpoints for managing authentication filter chains.

Base path: /rest/security/filterChain

The API supports both XML and JSON. When sending JSON requests, fields use regular property names (for example name, clazz, path). Responses, however, encode filter-chain attributes with an @ prefix (for example @name, @class, @path) to match the XML attribute representation.

List or create filter chains

Endpoint: /security/filterChain

Method

Description

Request Content-Type

Response Content-Type

Success

GET

List all configured filter chains

–

application/json or application/xml

200 OK

POST

Create a new filter chain

application/json or application/xml

application/json or application/xml

201 Created (with Location header)

Response (JSON) – GET list

{
  "filterChain": {
    "filters": [
      {
        "@name": "web",
        "@class": "org.geoserver.security.HtmlLoginFilterChain",
        "@path": "/web/**,/gwc/rest/web/**,/",
        "@disabled": false,
        "@allowSessionCreation": true,
        "@ssl": false,
        "@matchHTTPMethod": false,
        "@interceptorName": "interceptor",
        "@exceptionTranslationName": "exception",
        "filter": ["rememberme", "form", "oidc-test", "anonymous"]
      },
      {
        "@name": "webLogin",
        "@class": "org.geoserver.security.ConstantFilterChain",
        "@path": "/j_spring_security_check,/j_spring_security_check/",
        "@disabled": false,
        "@allowSessionCreation": true,
        "@ssl": false,
        "@matchHTTPMethod": false,
        "filter": "form"
      },
      {
        "@name": "webLogout",
        "@class": "org.geoserver.security.LogoutFilterChain",
        "@path": "/j_spring_security_logout,/j_spring_security_logout/",
        "@disabled": false,
        "@allowSessionCreation": false,
        "@ssl": false,
        "@matchHTTPMethod": false,
        "filter": "formLogout"
      },
      {
        "@name": "rest",
        "@class": "org.geoserver.security.ServiceLoginFilterChain",
        "@path": "/rest.*,/rest/**",
        "@disabled": false,
        "@allowSessionCreation": false,
        "@ssl": false,
        "@matchHTTPMethod": false,
        "@interceptorName": "restInterceptor",
        "@exceptionTranslationName": "exception",
        "filter": ["basic", "anonymous"]
      },
      {
        "@name": "gwc",
        "@class": "org.geoserver.security.ServiceLoginFilterChain",
        "@path": "/gwc/rest.*,/gwc/rest/**",
        "@disabled": false,
        "@allowSessionCreation": false,
        "@ssl": false,
        "@matchHTTPMethod": false,
        "@interceptorName": "restInterceptor",
        "@exceptionTranslationName": "exception",
        "filter": "basic"
      },
      {
        "@name": "default",
        "@class": "org.geoserver.security.ServiceLoginFilterChain",
        "@path": "/**",
        "@disabled": false,
        "@allowSessionCreation": false,
        "@ssl": false,
        "@matchHTTPMethod": false,
        "@interceptorName": "interceptor",
        "@exceptionTranslationName": "exception",
        "filter": ["basic", "oidc-test", "anonymous"]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Response (XML) – GET list

<filterChain>
  <filters name="web" class="org.geoserver.security.HtmlLoginFilterChain"
           path="/web/**,/gwc/rest/web/**,/"
           disabled="false" allowSessionCreation="true"
           ssl="false" matchHTTPMethod="false"
           interceptorName="interceptor" exceptionTranslationName="exception">
    <filter>rememberme</filter>
    <filter>form</filter>
    <filter>oidc-test</filter>
    <filter>anonymous</filter>
  </filters>
  <!-- more <filters> ... -->
</filterChain>

Request (JSON) – POST create

{
  "filters": {
    "name": "custom-web",
    "clazz": "org.geoserver.security.HtmlLoginFilterChain",
    "path": "/web/**,/gwc/rest/web/**,/",
    "disabled": false,
    "allowSessionCreation": true,
    "requireSSL": false,
    "matchHTTPMethod": false,
    "interceptorName": "interceptor",
    "exceptionTranslationName": "exception",
    "filters": ["rememberme", "form", "anonymous"]
  }
}

Request (XML) – POST create

<filters name="custom-web" class="org.geoserver.security.HtmlLoginFilterChain"
         path="/web/**,/gwc/rest/web/**,/"
         disabled="false" allowSessionCreation="true"
         ssl="false" matchHTTPMethod="false"
         interceptorName="interceptor" exceptionTranslationName="exception">
  <filter>rememberme</filter>
  <filter>form</filter>
  <filter>anonymous</filter>
</filters>

Get, update or delete a chain

Endpoint: /security/filterChain/{chain_name}

Method

Description

Request Content-Type

Response Content-Type

Success

GET

Retrieve a filter chain

–

application/json or application/xml

200 OK

PUT

Update a filter chain (optionally move with ?position=<n>)

application/json or application/xml

application/json or application/xml

200 OK

DELETE

Delete a filter chain

–

–

200 OK (410 Gone if already deleted)

Response (JSON) – GET single

{
  "filters": {
    "@name": "web",
    "@class": "org.geoserver.security.HtmlLoginFilterChain",
    "@path": "/web/**,/gwc/rest/web/**,/",
    "@disabled": false,
    "@allowSessionCreation": true,
    "@ssl": false,
    "@matchHTTPMethod": false,
    "@interceptorName": "interceptor",
    "@exceptionTranslationName": "exception",
    "filter": ["rememberme", "form", "oidc-test", "anonymous"]
  }
}

Response (XML) – GET single

<filters name="web" class="org.geoserver.security.HtmlLoginFilterChain"
         path="/web/**,/gwc/rest/web/**,/"
         disabled="false" allowSessionCreation="true"
         ssl="false" matchHTTPMethod="false"
         interceptorName="interceptor" exceptionTranslationName="exception">
  <filter>rememberme</filter>
  <filter>form</filter>
  <filter>oidc-test</filter>
  <filter>anonymous</filter>
</filters>

Request (JSON) – PUT update

The JSON request body uses the same shape as POST create:

{
  "filters": {
    "name": "web",
    "clazz": "org.geoserver.security.HtmlLoginFilterChain",
    "path": "/web/**,/gwc/rest/web/**,/",
    "disabled": true,
    "allowSessionCreation": true,
    "requireSSL": false,
    "matchHTTPMethod": false,
    "interceptorName": "interceptor",
    "exceptionTranslationName": "exception",
    "filters": ["rememberme", "form"]
  }
}

Request (XML) – PUT update

<filters name="web" class="org.geoserver.security.HtmlLoginFilterChain"
         path="/web/**,/gwc/rest/web/**,/"
         disabled="true" allowSessionCreation="true"
         ssl="false" matchHTTPMethod="false"
         interceptorName="interceptor" exceptionTranslationName="exception">
  <filter>rememberme</filter>
  <filter>form</filter>
</filters>

Reorder the chains

Endpoint: /security/filterChain/order

Method: PUT

Replaces the global filter-chain execution order.

Request (JSON)

{ "order": ["web", "webLogin", "webLogout", "rest", "gwc", "default"] }

Request (XML)

<order>
  <order>web</order>
  <order>webLogin</order>
  <order>webLogout</order>
  <order>rest</order>
  <order>gwc</order>
  <order>default</order>
</order>

Responses

  • 200 OK on success

  • 400 Bad Request if the provided names are not a valid permutation

  • 403 Forbidden if not authenticated as an administrator

Remarks

  • In JSON responses, filter-chain attributes are rendered with an @ prefix to mirror XML attributes. In JSON requests, use the plain field names (no @).

  • The filter property in JSON responses can be either a single string (for a single filter) or an array of strings. In XML, filters are always repeated <filter> elements.

  • When updating, you may move a chain to a specific position by supplying the position query parameter, e.g. PUT /security/filterChain/myChain?position=0.

Error codes

Exception

Status code

Malformed request

400

No administrative privileges

403

Authentication filter or chain not found

404

Gone – on delete only

410

Internal Server Error

500
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