---
stage: Govern
group: Security Policies
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
---
# Scan result policies **(ULTIMATE)**
You can use scan result policies to take action based on scan results. For example, one type of scan
result policy is a security approval policy that allows approval to be required based on the
findings of one or more security scan jobs. Scan result policies are evaluated after a CI scanning
job is fully executed. The following video gives you an overview of GitLab scan result policies:
## Scan result policy editor
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/77814) in GitLab 14.8.
NOTE:
Only project Owners have the [permissions](../../permissions.md#project-members-permissions)
to select Security Policy Project.
Once your policy is complete, save it by selecting **Create merge request** at the bottom of the
editor. This redirects you to the merge request on the project's configured security policy project.
If a security policy project doesn't link to your project, GitLab creates such a project for you.
Existing policies can also be removed from the editor interface by selecting **Delete policy** at
the bottom of the editor.
Most policy changes take effect as soon as the merge request is merged. Any changes that
do not go through a merge request and are committed directly to the default branch may require up to 10 minutes
before the policy changes take effect.
The [policy editor](index.md#policy-editor) supports YAML mode and rule mode.
## Scan result policies schema
The YAML file with scan result policies consists of an array of objects matching the scan result
policy schema nested under the `scan_result_policy` key. You can configure a maximum of five
policies under the `scan_result_policy` key.
When you save a new policy, GitLab validates its contents against [this JSON schema](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/ee/app/validators/json_schemas/security_orchestration_policy.json).
If you're not familiar with how to read [JSON schemas](https://json-schema.org/),
the following sections and tables provide an alternative.
| Field | Type | Possible values | Description |
|-------|------|-----------------|-------------|
| `scan_result_policy` | `array` of Scan Result Policy | | List of scan result policies (maximum 5). |
## Scan result policy schema
| Field | Type | Possible values | Description |
|-------|------|-----------------|-------------|
| `name` | `string` | | Name of the policy. Maximum of 255 characters.|
| `description` (optional) | `string` | | Description of the policy. |
| `enabled` | `boolean` | `true`, `false` | Flag to enable (`true`) or disable (`false`) the policy. |
| `rules` | `array` of rules | | List of rules that the policy applies. |
| `actions` | `array` of actions | | List of actions that the policy enforces. |
## `scan_finding` rule type
This rule enforces the defined actions based on the information provided.
| Field | Type | Possible values | Description |
|------------|------|-----------------|-------------|
| `type` | `string` | `scan_finding` | The rule's type. |
| `branches` | `array` of `string` | `[]` or the branch's name | Applicable only to protected target branches. An empty array, `[]`, applies the rule to all protected target branches. |
| `scanners` | `array` of `string` | `sast`, `secret_detection`, `dependency_scanning`, `container_scanning`, `dast`, `coverage_fuzzing`, `api_fuzzing` | The security scanners for this rule to consider. |
| `vulnerabilities_allowed` | `integer` | Greater than or equal to zero | Number of vulnerabilities allowed before this rule is considered. |
| `severity_levels` | `array` of `string` | `info`, `unknown`, `low`, `medium`, `high`, `critical`| The severity levels for this rule to consider. |
| `vulnerability_states` | `array` of `string` | `newly_detected`, `detected`, `confirmed`, `resolved`, `dismissed` | The vulnerability states for this rule to consider when the target branch is set to the default branch. The `newly_detected` state considers all newly detected vulnerabilities regardless of their status or dismissal. The other states consider findings that match the selected state and already exist in the default branch. |
## `require_approval` action type
This action sets an approval rule to be required when conditions are met for at least one rule in
the defined policy.
| Field | Type | Possible values | Description |
|-------|------|-----------------|-------------|
| `type` | `string` | `require_approval` | The action's type. |
| `approvals_required` | `integer` | Greater than or equal to zero | The number of MR approvals required. |
| `user_approvers` | `array` of `string` | Username of one of more users | The users to consider as approvers. Users must have access to the project to be eligible to approve. |
| `user_approvers_ids` | `array` of `integer` | ID of one of more users | The IDs of users to consider as approvers. Users must have access to the project to be eligible to approve. |
| `group_approvers` | `array` of `string` | Path of one of more groups | The groups to consider as approvers. Users with [direct membership in the group](../../project/merge_requests/approvals/rules.md#group-approvers) are eligible to approve. |
| `group_approvers_ids` | `array` of `integer` | ID of one of more groups | The IDs of groups to consider as approvers. Users with [direct membership in the group](../../project/merge_requests/approvals/rules.md#group-approvers) are eligible to approve. |
Requirements and limitations:
- You must add the respective [security scanning tools](../index.md#application-coverage).
Otherwise, scan result policies won't have any effect.
- The maximum number of policies is five.
- Each policy can have a maximum of five rules.
## Example security scan result policies project
You can use this example in a `.gitlab/security-policies/policy.yml` file stored in a
[security policy project](index.md#security-policy-project):
```yaml
---
scan_result_policy:
- name: critical vulnerability CS approvals
description: critical severity level only for container scanning
enabled: true
rules:
- type: scan_finding
branches:
- main
scanners:
- container_scanning
vulnerabilities_allowed: 0
severity_levels:
- critical
vulnerability_states:
- newly_detected
actions:
- type: require_approval
approvals_required: 1
user_approvers:
- adalberto.dare
- name: secondary CS approvals
description: secondary only for container scanning
enabled: true
rules:
- type: scan_finding
branches:
- main
scanners:
- container_scanning
vulnerabilities_allowed: 1
severity_levels:
- low
- unknown
vulnerability_states:
- newly_detected
actions:
- type: require_approval
approvals_required: 1
user_approvers:
- sam.white
```
In this example:
- Every MR that contains new `critical` vulnerabilities identified by container scanning requires
one approval from `alberto.dare`.
- Every MR that contains more than one new `low` or `unknown` vulnerability identified by container
scanning requires one approval from `sam.white`.
## Example for Scan Result Policy editor
You can use this example in the YAML mode of the [Scan Result Policy editor](#scan-result-policy-editor).
It corresponds to a single object from the previous example:
```yaml
- name: critical vulnerability CS approvals
description: critical severity level only for container scanning
enabled: true
rules:
- type: scan_finding
branches:
- main
scanners:
- container_scanning
vulnerabilities_allowed: 1
severity_levels:
- critical
vulnerability_states:
- newly_detected
actions:
- type: require_approval
approvals_required: 1
user_approvers:
- adalberto.dare
```