> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.ionos.com/cloud/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.ionos.com/cloud/network-services/cdn/api-how-tos/create-distribution.md).

# Create a Distribution

{% hint style="info" %}
**Prerequisite:** Only contract administrators, owners, and users with `accessAndManageCdn` privilege can create and manage CDN distributions via the API. You can also set user privileges in the DCD. For more information, see [<mark style="color:blue;">Set User Privileges</mark>](/cloud/network-services/cdn/dcd-how-tos/set-user-privileges-cdn-dcd.md).
{% endhint %}

To create a CDN distribution, perform a `POST` request.

## Endpoint

Use the following endpoint to create a CDN distribution: `https://cdn.de-fra.ionos.com/distributions`.

## Request

```bash
curl --location \
--request POST 'https://cdn.de-fra.ionos.com/distributions' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJraWQiO' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{
    "properties": {
        "domain": "example.com",
        "certificateId": "5a029f4a-72e5-11ec-90d6-0242ac120003",
        "routingRules": [
            {
                "scheme": "http/https",
                "prefix": "/api",
                "upstream": {
                    "host": "server.example.com",
                    "caching": true,
                    "waf": true,
                    "geoRestrictions": {
                        "blockList": [
                            "CN",
                            "RU"
                        ]
                    },
                    "rateLimitClass": "R10",
                    "sniMode": "origin"
                }
            }
        ]
    }
}'
```

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Request Body Parameters" %}
Below is the list of mandatory body parameters:

| **Body Parameters** | **Type** | **Description**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | **Example**          |
| ------------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------- |
| `domain`            | string   | The domain name for the CDN distribution.                                                                                                                                                                                                         | `example.com`        |
| `scheme`            | string   | Choose whether to allow `http`, `https`, or `http/https` protocol.                                                                                                                                                                                | `http/https`         |
| `prefix`            | string   | A prefix to match the beginning segment of the URL path and apply routing rule.                                                                                                                                                                   | `/api`               |
| `host`              | string   | An upstream host name that handles requests if data not cached in the CDN edge server.                                                                                                                                                            | `server.example.com` |
| `caching`           | boolean  | If enabled, CDN caches the data from the upstream host.                                                                                                                                                                                           | `true`               |
| `waf`               | boolean  | If enabled, protects the upstream host.                                                                                                                                                                                                           | `true`               |
| `rateLimitClass`    | string   | Limits the number of incoming requests per IP.                                                                                                                                                                                                    | `R10`                |
| `sniMode`           | string   | This field sets the SNI mode for the outgoing connection to the upstream host. Use `distribution` if the certificate must match the CDN distribution domain. Alternatively, use `origin` to ensure the certificate matches the upstream hostname. | `origin`             |
| {% endtab %}        |          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |                      |

{% tab title="Request Header Parameters" %}
To make authenticated requests to the API, the following fields are mandatory in the request header:

| **Header Parameters** | **Required** | **Type** | **Description**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| --------------------- | ------------ | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `Authorization`       | yes          | string   | The Bearer token enables requests to authenticate using a JSON Web Token (JWT). From the DCD, [<mark style="color:blue;">Generate authentication token</mark>](/cloud/set-up-ionos-cloud/management/identity-access-management/token-manager.md#generate-authentication-token). |
| `Content-Type`        | yes          | string   | Set this to `application/json`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| {% endtab %}          |              |          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| {% endtabs %}         |              |          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |

## Response

**201 Successful operation**

```bash
{
  "id": "9ba15778-16c4-543c-8775-e52acf4853f5",
  "type": "distribution",
  "href": "/distributions/9ba15778-16c4-543c-8775-e52acf4853f5",
  "metadata": {
    "createdDate": "2020-12-10T13:37:50+01:00",
    "createdBy": "ionos:identity:::users/87f9a82e-b28d-49ed-9d04-fba2c0459cd3",
    "createdByUserId": "87f9a82e-b28d-49ed-9d04-fba2c0459cd3",
    "lastModifiedDate": "2020-12-11T13:37:50+01:00",
    "lastModifiedBy": "ionos:identity:::users/87f9a82e-b28d-49ed-9d04-fba2c0459cd3",
    "lastModifiedByUserId": "87f9a82e-b28d-49ed-9d04-fba2c0459cd3",
    "resourceURN": "ionos:<product>:<location>:<contract>:<resource-path>",
    "publicEndpointIpv4": "1.2.3.4",
    "publicEndpointIpv6": "2001:db8::ff00:42:8329",
    "state": "AVAILABLE",
    "message": "In progress."
  },
  "properties": {
    "domain": "example.com",
    "certificateId": "5a029f4a-72e5-11ec-90d6-0242ac120003",
    "routingRules": [
      {
        "scheme": "http/https",
        "prefix": "/api",
        "upstream": {
          "host": "server.example.com",
          "caching": true,
          "waf": true,
          "geoRestrictions": {
            "blockList": [
              "CN",
              "RU"
            ]
          },
          "rateLimitClass": "R100",
          "sniMode": "origin"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}
```

{% hint style="success" %}
**Result:** The CDN distribution is successfully created; the `id` and other details of the created distribution are provided in the response.
{% endhint %}


---

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