# Concepts

> Pipeline, paranoia levels, isolated vs embedded payloads, and the three management surfaces.

---

LLMS index: [llms.txt](/llms.txt)

---

Read these pages before you raise a site from level 3 to 4 or 5.

<div id="td-nav-cards-5707604e14cec2b0604dda6d6a068a5f-0" class="td-content-cards" style="--td-card-columns: 2">
<article id="td-nav-card-5707604e14cec2b0604dda6d6a068a5f-nav-cards-0-0" class="td-content-card">
  <div class="td-content-card__body">
    <div class="td-content-card__head"><i class="fa-solid fa-route td-content-card__icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a class="td-content-card__title" href="/docs/cheesewaf/concepts/pipeline/">Request pipeline</a></div><p class="td-content-card__description">What happens before the origin sees a request.</p>
  </div>
</article>

<article id="td-nav-card-5707604e14cec2b0604dda6d6a068a5f-nav-cards-0-1" class="td-content-card">
  <div class="td-content-card__body">
    <div class="td-content-card__head"><i class="fa-solid fa-layer-group td-content-card__icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a class="td-content-card__title" href="/docs/cheesewaf/concepts/paranoia/">Paranoia levels</a></div><p class="td-content-card__description">Levels 0–5 and promote_seconds.</p>
  </div>
</article>

<article id="td-nav-card-5707604e14cec2b0604dda6d6a068a5f-nav-cards-0-2" class="td-content-card">
  <div class="td-content-card__body">
    <div class="td-content-card__head"><i class="fa-solid fa-code td-content-card__icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a class="td-content-card__title" href="/docs/cheesewaf/concepts/isolated-embedded/">Isolated vs embedded</a></div><p class="td-content-card__description">Why a forum post is not treated like a search box.</p>
  </div>
</article>

<article id="td-nav-card-5707604e14cec2b0604dda6d6a068a5f-nav-cards-0-3" class="td-content-card">
  <div class="td-content-card__body">
    <div class="td-content-card__head"><i class="fa-solid fa-table-columns td-content-card__icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a class="td-content-card__title" href="/docs/cheesewaf/concepts/management/">Three surfaces</a></div><p class="td-content-card__description">Console, CLI, and REST share one auth model.</p>
  </div>
</article>

</div>

---

Section pages:

- [Request pipeline](/docs/cheesewaf/concepts/pipeline/): Solid lines are the millisecond path. Dashed lines are ALAP after the response.
- [Paranoia levels](/docs/cheesewaf/concepts/paranoia/): Per-site levels 0–5. Default is 3. Level 4 can rise to 5 for a timed window.
- [Isolated vs embedded](/docs/cheesewaf/concepts/isolated-embedded/): Isolated payloads are almost only attack text. Embedded payloads sit inside long ordinary text.
- [Three management surfaces](/docs/cheesewaf/concepts/management/): Web console, CLI / TUI, and REST share one user, session, and audit model.