---
title: Automatically enable new virtual patches for Next-Gen WAF workspaces
summary: null
url: >-
  https://www.fastly.com/documentation/reference/changes/2026/10/ngwaf-auto-enable-new-virtual-patches
---

Next-Gen WAF workspaces now have an `auto_enable_new_virtual_patches` setting. When it's `true`, [virtual patches](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/reference/api/ngwaf/virtual-patches/) released after you turn it on are enabled for the workspace automatically in block mode, so new vulnerabilities are mitigated without you enabling each patch yourself. Virtual patches released before you turned it on aren't changed.

Set it when you [create a workspace](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/reference/api/ngwaf/workspaces/#ngwaf-create-workspace) or [update a workspace](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/reference/api/ngwaf/workspaces/#ngwaf-patch-workspace). Blocking only takes effect when the workspace `mode` is `block`.