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All glossary terms

Proxy & networking

Internet Content Adaptation Protocol (ICAP)

Internet Content Adaptation Protocol (ICAP) is a protocol for an HTTP proxy to delegate content adaptation or related processing to an external service. The proxy sends a request or response context to an ICAP server, which returns a result according to the configured service.

Also known as ICAP.

Why it matters in practice

ICAP defines an integration boundary rather than the policy or safety of the adaptation service. Deployments need to consider what content leaves the proxy, how it is protected, and what happens when the service is unavailable. Support for ICAP is product-specific and should not be assumed from the term alone.

Example

An HTTP proxy configured for an ICAP service sends a request body for a scanning decision before forwarding it to api.example.com.

Educational note

This definition is general information, not legal advice. It may omit facts that matter to a specific situation and does not establish or guarantee compliance.