Use seeds and reject lists

How to use seeds and reject lists to control Snyk API & Web crawling

Snyk is rolling out a new navigation. The steps on this page describe the classic interface. If your view looks different, visit Navigate the Snyk Web UI to map these options to the new interface.

Use seeds and reject lists

Control scan behavior by including or excluding specific areas of your target using seeds and reject lists.

Understanding seeds and reject lists

Seeds list: Add areas of the target that would otherwise be hidden and not discovered during scans. This ensures scans cover everything within the target scope. For example, add administrative areas only accessible through direct links. The seeds list applies only to Web targets.

Reject list: Limit what the scanner visits on the target. This is a collection of URLs the crawler avoids. Use this list to exclude unnecessary or sensitive content such as logout options, private user data, or repetitive structures like paginated lists.

The reject list takes precedence over the seeds list. Areas in the seeds list are ignored if they match areas in the reject list.

Add paths to the seeds list

1. Navigate to Targets and find the target in the list.

2. Click the gear icon to edit the target settings.

3. Navigate to the Scanner tab.

4. In the Seeds list section, enter the path to include in Add path.

5. Click Add.

You can add multiple paths. Paths must be relative to the target URL.

Scans follow these paths and explore them, expanding the scan reach across the target.

Add URLs to the reject list

1. Navigate to Targets and find the target in the list.

2. Click the gear icon to edit the target settings.

3. Navigate to the Scanner tab.

4. In the Reject list section, enter the area to exclude in Add URL.

5. Click Add.

URLs must be absolute. You can use * as a wildcard.

Scans do not follow these paths, avoiding these areas during target scans.

Remove entries from lists

To remove an entry from either list, locate the entry and click the trash icon next to it.

This approach ensures Snyk thoroughly tests hidden areas while excluding sensitive or unnecessary areas, optimizing your scanning process.