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API Gateway:Use instance-level access control

Last Updated:Feb 27, 2026

API Gateway provides access control lists (ACLs) to protect your resource data at the instance level. ACLs filter Internet-based access to dedicated instances by IPv4 or IPv6 address, using blacklists or whitelists.

Important

Instance-level ACLs apply to dedicated instances only. For API-level IP filtering, use the IP address-based access control plug-in instead.

How it works

An ACL is a list of IP address entries bound to a dedicated instance. After binding, the ACL takes effect immediately for all API groups on that instance.

  • Whitelist -- Only IP addresses in the ACL can access the instance. All other requests are denied at the access layer, and the client receives a timeout error.

  • Blacklist -- IP addresses in the ACL are blocked. All other requests pass through normally.

Note

If no entry is added to an ACL, the associated blacklist or whitelist does not take effect.

Instance-level ACL vs. IP address-based access control plug-in

FeatureInstance-level ACLIP address-based access control plug-in
ScopeEntire dedicated instance (all API groups)Specific APIs
ConfigurationConsole > Instances pageConsole > Plug-ins page

Limits

ItemLimit
ACLs per region5
ACLs per dedicated instance1
Entries added at a time50

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure that you have:

  • A dedicated API Gateway instance

  • (IPv6 only) Inbound IPv6 traffic enabled on the instance

Create an ACL

  1. Log on to the API Gateway console. In the left-side navigation pane, click Instances.

  2. On the Instances page, click the Access Control List tab.

  3. Click Create Access Control List.

  4. In the Create Access Control List dialog box, configure the following settings:

    • Enter a name for the ACL.

    • Select IPv4 or IPv6 based on the type of addresses you want to control.

  5. Click Confirm.

Add entries to an ACL

After the ACL is created, add IP address entries:

  1. On the Access Control List tab, find the ACL and click Manage ACL in the Actions column.

  2. Add one or more IP address entries. Up to 50 entries can be added at a time.

Configure a blacklist or whitelist for a dedicated instance

Configure an IPv4 blacklist or whitelist

  1. On the Instances page, find the target dedicated instance.

  2. In the IPv4 Access Control section, click Set Blacklist/Whitelist.

  3. In the Set IPv4 Access Control Policy dialog box, set Blacklist/Whitelist to Blacklist or Whitelist based on your requirements.

  4. Select the ACL from the drop-down list and click Next.

  5. Read the precautions and click Confirm.

The ACL takes effect immediately for all API groups on the instance.

Important

After the blacklist or whitelist is configured, the ACL takes effect for all API groups that belong to the instance. Proceed with caution.

Configure an IPv6 blacklist or whitelist

Before configuring an IPv6 blacklist or whitelist, enable inbound IPv6 traffic on the dedicated instance:

  1. On the Instances page, find the target dedicated instance.

  2. In the Inbound IPv6 Traffic section, click Enable. image

After inbound IPv6 traffic is enabled, configure the IPv6 ACL:

  1. In the IPv6 Access Control section, click Set Blacklist/Whitelist.

  2. In the Set IPv6 Access Control Policy dialog box, select an IPv6 ACL from the drop-down list. The system automatically filters and shows only IPv6 ACLs.

  3. Complete the remaining settings as described in Configure an IPv4 blacklist or whitelist.

Important

IPv6 ACLs can only be used for IPv6 access control. IPv4 ACLs can only be used for IPv4 access control. The two types are not interchangeable.

FAQ

After a whitelist is configured, what happens when a non-whitelisted IP sends a request?

API Gateway denies the request at the access layer, and the client receives a timeout error.

The API Gateway debugging feature does not use fixed IP addresses, so it cannot debug APIs on instances with an active ACL. Use IP addresses included in the whitelist to manually debug APIs instead.

What is the difference between instance-level access control and the IP address-based access control plug-in?

The IP address-based access control plug-in controls access to specific APIs. Instance-level access control protects an entire dedicated instance and does not count traffic as a billable item.

Choose instance-level access control to block or allow traffic across all APIs on a dedicated instance. Choose the IP address-based access control plug-in for granular, per-API filtering.