INTEGRITY Documentation

CSAM Scanning Tool

The Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) Scanning Tool allows website owners to proactively identify and take action on CSAM located on their website. By enabling this tool, Cloudflare will compare content served for your website through the Cloudflare cache to known lists of CSAM. These lists are provided to Cloudflare by leading child safety advocacy groups such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Remember, by enabling the Service, you agree to the Service-Specific Terms for the CSAM Scanning Tool. You agree to use this tool solely for the purposes of preventing the spread of CSAM.


Why would a URL be blocked?

Because knowingly distributing or viewing CSAM is illegal, the owner of the website has enabled Cloudflare's CSAM scanning tool to proactively identify and block images identified as CSAM located on their website.


Configure the CSAM scanning tool

To enable the tool:

  1. Log into the Cloudflare dashboard.
  2. Select your account and zone.
  3. Go to Caching > Configuration.
  4. For CSAM Scanning Tool, select Configure.

You must provide an email address, which will be used to notify you in the event Cloudflare detects a positive match.


What happens when a match is detected?

When a potential match is detected with the tool:

  1. An email is sent to you once per day to inform you of any detections made in the past 24 hours. This email will include the file paths of any content that was matched.
  2. If possible, a block is placed to prevent further serving of the matched content. If a block fails, we will indicate that the content has not been blocked in the email.

What action should I take when a match is detected?

You are responsible for understanding and complying with any legal obligations you have as a website owner when made aware of any potential CSAM. Although legal obligations vary based on the provider and the jurisdiction, website owners often have obligations to report apparent CSAM, to remove content, and to preserve records. Some of those possible obligations are as follows:




How do I have a block removed from my website?

To disable a block, either because you have determined that the blocked content is not CSAM (a false positive) or because you have taken down the blocked content, view Blocked Content in the Security Center in the Cloudflare Dashboard and request reviews on the relevant blocks. A request to remove a block must be accompanied by a representation from you confirming that the blocked content is not CSAM or has been removed.

These actions are available to users with the following roles:


Additional Resources

CSAM Scanning Tool Supplemental Terms

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)

NCMEC CyberTipline

INHOPE