---
title: "API Gateway JSON File"
url: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/working-with-api-gateway/api-gateway-json-file/
description: "Catalyst CLI provides options for you to enable or disable API Gateway, and obtain the status of API creation in your local environment."
last_updated: 2026-08-17T12:16:04Z
service: All Services
type: general
---

# API Gateway JSON File

 As mentioned in the introduction, you can include a JSON file in your project directory that will contain the definitions of each API created in the API Gateway component for your application. This `**catalyst-user-rules.json** ` file is created in the [project's home directory](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/project-directory-structure/introduction/).

![Catalyst User Roles JSON](https://catalyst-docs-development.zohostratus.in/images/cli/working-with-api-gateway/catalyst_cli_apig_user_rules_directory.webp)

If you have not created any APIs in your project, you can still fetch the `catalyst-user-rules.json` file with sample API definitions using the [`catalyst pull` ](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/pull-resources/introduction/) command.

This file will include the definitions for the [default API](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cloud-scale/help/api-gateway/key-concepts/#auto-created-apis-custom-apis-and-the-default-api) called `Login Redirect` even if custom APIs have not yet been created. Sample definitions for a Basic I/O and an Advanced I/O function will also be included. If custom APIs have been created in the remote console, their latest definitions will be pulled to your project directory.

The JSON file will contain the definitions of an API's source, target, the request method, and the details of the throttling limits and request processor, if configured.

![](https://catalyst-docs-development.zohostratus.in/images/cli/working-with-api-gateway/catalyst_cli_apig_user_rules.webp)

You can define new APIs or modify existing API definitions in the local environment, and update it to the remote console by deploying the API Gateway rules using the [`catalyst deploy` command](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/deploy-resources/introduction/).

> **Note:** If you are a **Visual Studio Code IDE** user, you can install the **Catalyst Tools** extension, and perform CLI operations using your IDE in place of the CLI. Steps to work with API Gateway using Visual Studio Code IDE can be found [here](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/catalyst-extensions/vs-code-extension/catalyst-tools-explorer/).