# Ensure Cloudflare Zone Challenge Passage Is Configured Between 15 and 45 Minutes

- Source: https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/a_1790787215834246-ensure-cloudflare-zone-challenge-passage-is-configured-between-15-and-45-minutes
- Section: [Solutions](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions) › [Cloudflare](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/c_1790786902273285) › [Checks](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/folders/f_1790786912003423)
- Last updated: 2026-09-30
- Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com)

**Description**

Ensure the Challenge Passage setting, which controls how long a visitor stays verified after solving a Cloudflare challenge, is set to a value between 15 and 45 minutes. This is the range Cloudflare recommends for balancing security and user experience.

**Rationale**

After a visitor solves a challenge, Cloudflare issues a cf\_clearance cookie that lets them skip further challenges until it expires. A very long passage lets a bot that solved one challenge keep access for a long time. A very short passage annoys real users with repeated challenges. Keeping it between 15 and 45 minutes balances both.

**Impact**

-   Limits how long a solved challenge stays valid
    
-   Avoids frequent repeat challenges for real users
    
-   Visitors may be challenged again after the passage expires
    

**Default Value**

By default, Challenge Passage is 30 minutes, which is within the recommended range.

**Pre-Requisites**

-   Cloudflare account with Administrator or Firewall permissions for the zone
    

**Test Plan**

1.  Sign in to the Cloudflare dashboard at [https://dash.cloudflare.com](https://dash.cloudflare.com/).
    
2.  Select your account and the domain (zone) you want to review.
    
3.  Go to Security > Settings and (optionally) filter by DDoS attacks. On older dashboards, the setting is under Security > Settings, Security > Bots, or Scrape Shield.
    
4.  Find Challenge passage and check its timeout value.
    
5.  If it is below 15 minutes or above 45 minutes, follow the implementation steps.
    

**Implementation Steps**

1.  Sign in to the Cloudflare dashboard at [https://dash.cloudflare.com](https://dash.cloudflare.com/).
    
2.  Select your account and the domain (zone) you want to review.
    
3.  Go to Security > Settings and (optionally) filter by DDoS attacks. On older dashboards, the setting is under Security > Settings, Security > Bots, or Scrape Shield.
    
4.  Find Challenge passage and select the edit icon.
    
5.  Select a timeout between 15 and 45 minutes (for example, 30 minutes) and save.
    

**Backout Plan**

1.  Sign in to the Cloudflare dashboard at [https://dash.cloudflare.com](https://dash.cloudflare.com/).
    
2.  Select your account and the domain (zone) you want to review.
    
3.  Go to Security > Settings and (optionally) filter by DDoS attacks. On older dashboards, the setting is under Security > Settings, Security > Bots, or Scrape Shield.
    
4.  Find Challenge passage, select the edit icon, and set the previous timeout.
    

**Reference**

-   [https://developers.cloudflare.com/cloudflare-challenges/challenge-types/challenge-pages/challenge-passage/](https://developers.cloudflare.com/cloudflare-challenges/challenge-types/challenge-pages/challenge-passage/)

## Related compliance guidance

- [SOC 2 compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria): Configuration checks like this one are the technical half of a SOC 2 / ISO 27001 programme — the guide shows where they fit, what else an auditor expects, and how to evidence them.
- [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compliance: a practical implementation guide](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022): ISO 27001 Annex A.8 (technological controls) is where cloud hardening evidence lands; the guide shows how to run the ISMS around it.