PAN-OS REST API Use Cases
The following use cases highlight the use of the PAN-OS REST API, either to reduce
repetitive steps or to automate tasks normally you perform through the web interface or
CLI using CRUD operations.
Palo Alto Networks devices manage multiple configuration and operational operations
through the REST API, providing HTTP-based access. The API uses standard HTTP methods
(GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to manipulate resources. The REST API provides a robust
interface for interacting with both firewalls and Panorama.
The REST API capabilities include:
- Resource-based URI structure following RESTful design principles
- Pagination parameters for handling large certificate collections
- Query parameters to filter certificates by properties (issuer, validity, usage)
- Granular error responses with descriptive status codes
- Certificate export in various formats (PEM, PKCS#12)
- Bulk operations for certificate management at scale
- Versioned API endpoints ensuring backward compatibility
This interface aligns with broader PAN-OS REST API design patterns, maintaining
consistency across security policy, networking, and certificate management operations
while enabling efficient automation workflows providing you with real time responses so
you can easily access firewall and Panorama information in JSON format.
This REST API follows the same pattern used in other PAN-OS configurations like security
policies, zones, SD-WAN interfaces, Ethernet interfaces, virtual routers, and decryption
settings—providing a consistent programmatic interface for certificate lifecycle
management alongside other device configurations. The examples included in this chapter
can be used as a starting point to create advanced automated operations that you can
chain together to automate complex operations on your devices.
