---
aliases:
  - ../../enterprise/request-security/
description: Request security enables you to limit requests from the Grafana server
  by targeting requests generated by users, such as data source metric queries and
  alert notifications.
title: Configure request security
weight: 1100
---

# Configure request security

Request security allows you to limit requests from the Grafana server by targeting requests generated by users, such as data source metric queries and alert notifications.

This can be used to limit access to internal systems that the server Grafana runs on can access but that users of Grafana should not be able to access. This feature does not affect traffic from the Grafana users browser.

> **Note:** Available in [Grafana Enterprise]({{< relref "../../introduction/grafana-enterprise/" >}}) version 7.4 and later, and [Grafana Cloud Pro and Advanced](/docs/grafana-cloud/).

> **Note:** Although request security works with backend plugins, you can create a backend plugin that bypasses this security.

## IP and hostname blocking

You can limit requests based on a hostname, an IP address, or both.

### Deny list

Grafana blocks any request to a hostname or IP address on the deny list.

### Allow list

If there is at least one entry on the list, then any request to a hostname or IP address not on the list is denied.

For example:

```toml
[security.egress]
# A list of hostnames or IP addresses separated by spaces for which requests are blocked.
host_deny_list = supersecret.internal 192.168.1.10
# a list of hostnames or IP addresses separated by spaces for which requests will be allowed, all other requests will be blocked
host_allow_list = prometheus.internal

```

## Drop headers and cookies

You can set a list of cookies or headers that are to be dropped from outgoing requests.

Example:

```toml
[security.egress]
# a list of headers that will be stripped from outgoing datasource and alerting requests
header_drop_list = user
# a list of cookies that will be stripped from outgoing datasource requests (case sensitive)
cookie_drop_list = session_id
```
