Configuring policies for application units

Last published : Sep 22, 2026
For an AppExpert application, you can configure policies for Compression, Caching, Rewrite, Responder, and Application Firewall. The templates that you download from the Citrix® Community web site provide you with a set of policies that fulfill the most common application management requirements. You might want to fine-tune or customize these policies. If the set of policies provided for a given application unit does not include policies for a particular feature, you can create and bind your own policies for that feature.
If you create an AppExpert application without using a template, you must configure all the policies that the web application needs.
The GUI uses various icons to indicate whether or not policies are configured for a feature. For an application unit, if a policy is configured for a given feature, an icon that represents the feature is displayed. For example, if a compression policy is configured for an application unit, a compression icon is displayed in the Compression column for the application unit. For features for which no policy is configured, an icon depicting a plus sign (+) is displayed.
Note: When configuring policies for application units, you might need to configure policies and expressions that are either in the classic or Advanced policy. Additionally, when you configure Advanced policy policies, you might need to specify parameters such as Goto expressions and invoke policy banks.
For information about configuring policies and expressions in both formats, see Policies and Expressions.
Related information

Configuring compression policies

You can use either classic policies or advanced policies to configure compression, but you cannot bind compression policies of both types to the same application unit.
To configure a compression policy for an application unit:
  1. Navigate to AppExpert > Applications.
  2. In the details pane, in the row for the application unit you want to configure, click the icon provided in the Compression column.
  3. In the Configure Compression Policies dialog box, do one or more of the following, depending on the configuration tasks you want to perform:
    • Click Switch to Advanced policy if you want to configure a Advanced policy compression policy. If you want to bind or configure classic compression policies, and if you are in the Advanced policy view, you can click Switch to Classic Syntax to return to the classic policy view and begin modifying bound classic policies or create and bind new classic compression policies.
      Important: This setting also determines what policies are displayed when you want to insert a policy. For example, if you are in the Advanced policy view, when you click Insert Policy, the list that appears in the Policy Name column will include only Advanced policy policies. You cannot bind policies of both types to an application unit.
    • If you want to configure classic policies, click either Request or Response, depending on whether you want the policy to be evaluated at request-time or at response-time.
      You can configure both request-time and response-time classic compression policies for an application unit. After evaluating all of the request-time policies, if no match is found, the appliance evaluates response-time policies.
    • To modify a compression policy that is already bound to the application unit, click the name of the policy, and then click Modify Policy. Then, in the Configure Compression Policy dialog box, modify the policy, and then click OK.
      For information about modifying a compression policy, see Compression.
    • To unbind a policy, click the name of the policy, and then click Unbind Policy.
    • To modify the priority assigned to a policy, double-click the priority value, and then enter a new value.
    • To regenerate assigned priorities, click Regenerate Priorities.
    • To insert a new policy, click Insert Policy and, in the list that is displayed in the Policy Name column, click New Policy. Then, in the Create Compression Policy dialog box, configure the policy, and then click Create.
      For information about modifying a compression policy, see Compression.
    • If you are configuring a Advanced policy expression, do the following:
      • In the Goto Expression column, select a Goto expression.
      • In the Invoke column, specify the policy bank that you want to invoke if the current policy evaluates to TRUE.
  4. Click Apply Changes, and then click Close.

Configuring Caching Policies

You can use only Advanced policy policies and expressions to configure Caching policies.
To configure Caching policies for an application unit:
  1. Navigate to AppExpert > Applications.
  2. In the details pane, in the row for the application unit you want to configure, click the icon provided in the Caching column.
  3. In the Configure Cache Policies dialog box, do one or more of the following, depending on the configuration tasks you want to perform:
    • Click either Request or Response, depending on whether you want the policy to be evaluated at request-time or at response-time.
      You can configure both request-time and response-time Caching policies for an application unit. After evaluating all of the request-time policies, if no match is found, the appliance evaluates response-time policies.
    • To modify a Caching policy that is already bound to the application unit, click the name of the policy, and then click Modify Policy. Then, in the Configure Cache Policy dialog box, modify the policy, and then click OK.
      For information about modifying a Caching policy, see Integrated Caching.
    • To unbind a policy, click the name of the policy, and then click Unbind Policy.
    • To modify the priority assigned to a policy, double-click the priority value, and then enter a new value.
    • To regenerate assigned priorities, click Regenerate Priorities.
    • To insert a new policy, click Insert Policy and, in the list that is displayed in the Policy Name column, click New Policy. Then, in the Create Cache Policy dialog box, configure the policy, and then click Create.
      For information about modifying a Caching policy, see Integrated Caching.
    • In the Goto Expression column, select a Goto expression.
    • In the Invoke column, specify the policy bank that you want to invoke if the current policy evaluates to TRUE.
  4. Click Apply Changes, and then click Close.

Configuring rewrite policies

You can use only Advanced policy policies and expressions to configure Rewrite policies.
To configure Rewrite policies for an application unit:
  1. Navigate to AppExpert > Applications.
  2. In the details pane, in the row for the application unit you want to configure, click the icon provided in the Rewrite column.
  3. In the Configure Rewrite Policies dialog box, do one or more of the following, depending on the configuration tasks you want to perform:
    • Click either Request or Response, depending on whether you want the policy to be evaluated at request-time or at response-time.
      You can configure both request-time and response-time Rewrite policies for an application unit. After evaluating all of the request-time policies, if no match is found, the appliance evaluates response-time policies.
    • To modify a Rewrite policy that is already bound to the application unit, click the name of the policy, and then click Modify Policy. Then, in the Configure Rewrite Policy dialog box, modify the policy, and then click OK.
      For information about modifying a Rewrite policy, see Rewrite.
    • To unbind a policy, click the name of the policy, and then click Unbind Policy.
    • To modify the priority assigned to a policy, double-click the priority value, and then enter a new value.
    • To regenerate assigned priorities, click Regenerate Priorities.
    • To insert a new policy, click Insert Policy and, in the list that is displayed in the Policy Name column, click New Policy. Then, in the Create Rewrite Policy dialog box, configure the policy, and then click Create.
      For information about modifying a Rewrite policy, see Rewrite.
    • In the Goto Expression column, select a Goto expression.
    • In the Invoke column, specify the policy bank that you want to invoke if the current policy evaluates to TRUE.
  4. Click Apply Changes, and then click Close.

Configuring responder policies

You can use only Advanced policy policies and expressions to configure Responder policies.
To configure Responder policies for an application unit:
  1. Navigate to AppExpert > Applications.
  2. In the details pane, in the row for the application unit you want to configure, click the icon provided in the Responder column.
  3. In the Configure Responder Policies dialog box, do one or more of the following, depending on the configuration tasks you want to perform:
    • To modify a Filter policy that is already bound to the application unit, click the name of the policy, and then click Modify Policy. Then, in the Configure Responder Policy dialog box, modify the policy, and then click OK.
      For information about modifying a Responder policy, see Responder.
    • To unbind a policy, click the name of the policy, and then click Unbind Policy.
    • To modify the priority assigned to a policy, double-click the priority value, and then enter a new value.
    • To regenerate assigned priorities, click Regenerate Priorities.
    • To insert a new policy, click Insert Policy and, in the list that is displayed in the Policy Name column, click New Policy. Then, in the Create Responder Policy dialog box, configure the policy, and then click Create.
      For information about modifying a Responder policy, see Responder.
    • In the Goto Expression column, select a Goto expression.
    • In the Invoke column, specify the policy bank that you want to invoke if the current policy evaluates to TRUE.
  4. Click Apply Changes, and then click Close.

Configuring Application Firewall Policies

You can configure both classic and Advanced policy policies and expressions for Application Firewall. However, if a policy of one type is already bound globally or to a virtual server that is configured on the appliance, you cannot bind a policy of the other type to an application unit. For example, if a Advanced policy is already bound either globally or to a virtual server, you cannot bind a classic policy to an application unit.
To configure Application Firewall policies for an application unit:
  1. Navigate to AppExpert > Applications.
  2. In the details pane, in the row for the application unit you want to configure, click the icon provided in the Application Firewall column.
  3. In the Configure Application Firewall Policies dialog box, do one or more of the following, depending on the configuration tasks you want to perform:
    • Click either Classic Expression or Advanced Expression depending on the type of expression you want to configure for the Application Firewall policy.
      Important: This setting also determines what policies are displayed when you want to insert a policy. For example, if you select Advanced Expression, when you click Insert Policy, the list that appears in the Policy Name column will include only Advanced policy policies. You cannot bind policies of both types to an application unit. This option is not available if a policy of either type is already bound either globally or to a virtual server.
    • To modify an application firewall policy that is already bound to the application unit, click the name of the policy, and then click Modify Policy. Then, in the Configure Application Firewall Policy dialog box, modify the policy, and then click OK.
      For information about modifying a application firewall policy, see Policies.
    • To unbind a policy, click the name of the policy, and then click Unbind Policy.
    • To modify the priority assigned to a policy, double-click the priority value, and then enter a new value.
    • To regenerate assigned priorities, click Regenerate Priorities.
    • To insert a new policy, click Insert Policy and, in the list that is displayed in the Policy Name column, click New Policy. Then, in the Create Application Firewall Policy dialog box, configure the policy, and then click Create.
      For information about modifying a application firewall policy, see Policies.
  4. Click Apply Changes, and then click Close.