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Command-line options

whatwaf supports several options to customize scan behavior: 
whatwaf [OPTIONS] <URL>

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URL argument

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URL
string
required
Target URL to check for WAF detection. Must include the protocol (http:// or https://).
whatwaf https://example.com

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Options

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-T, --timeout
integer
default:"10"
Per-request timeout in seconds. Controls how long to wait for each HTTP request before timing out.
whatwaf --timeout 30 https://example.com
Use a higher timeout for slow servers or networks. Use a lower timeout for faster scans when you know the server is responsive.
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-L, --location
boolean
default:"false"
Follow HTTP redirects. When enabled, whatwaf will follow 301/302 redirects to the final destination.
whatwaf --location https://example.com
This is useful when the target URL redirects to a different domain or path where the WAF is actually deployed.
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-x, --proxy
string
Route requests via this proxy. Supports HTTP and SOCKS proxies.
whatwaf --proxy http://127.0.0.1:8080 https://example.com
Common use cases:
  • Route traffic through Burp Suite or other intercepting proxies
  • Use a VPN or anonymization proxy
  • Debug requests by capturing them in a proxy tool
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-l, --list
boolean
default:"false"
List recognized WAFs. When this flag is set, whatwaf displays all WAF signatures it can detect and exits without scanning.
whatwaf --list
When using this flag, you do not need to provide a URL.

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Option combinations

You can combine multiple options in a single command: 
whatwaf --timeout 30 --location --proxy http://127.0.0.1:8080 https://example.com
This command will:
  • Use a 30-second timeout per request
  • Follow HTTP redirects
  • Route all traffic through a local proxy
  • Scan https://example.com

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Short vs long flags

Most options support both short (single dash, single letter) and long (double dash, full word) formats: 
# Short flags
whatwaf -T 30 -L -x http://127.0.0.1:8080 https://example.com

# Long flags
whatwaf --timeout 30 --location --proxy http://127.0.0.1:8080 https://example.com

# Mixed (both are valid)
whatwaf -T 30 --location https://example.com
Use whichever format you prefer - they are functionally identical.

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