Feature Suggestion: Folder-based Whitelist/Blacklist Management in Firewall Modes

Internet Security
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Dear GlassWire Team,

I have identified two complementary features that I believe would significantly enhance the experience for power users and network administrators.

1. “Deny Custom Folders” in “Ask to Connect” Mode
When the Firewall Mode is set to “Ask to Connect”, please consider adding an option called “Deny Custom Folders”.
The user would provide a folder path (for example, the installation directory of offline games, accounting software, or sensitive system tools). GlassWire would then automatically scan and identify all executable files (such as .exe, .com, and other runnable binaries) within that folder and its subfolders. Once identified, the program would preemptively block them from accessing the internet by default, without showing any pop-up prompts to the user.

Why this is needed: This saves users from having to manually approve or deny dozens of individual files when dealing with large software suites, effectively eliminating repetitive and annoying pop-ups.

2. “Allow Custom Folders” in “Click to Block” Mode (The Reverse)
When the Firewall Mode is set to “Click to Block” (where everything is blocked by default), please add a corresponding option called “Allow Custom Folders”.
The user would point to a trusted folder path (for example, the directories of their web browsers, trusted cloud-sync tools, or official update managers). GlassWire would then scan and identify all executable files inside that folder and automatically grant them full internet access by default, without asking for user confirmation.

Why this is needed: When the overall firewall policy is locked down, this allows users to conveniently whitelist an entire trusted software bundle in one go, preventing critical applications from being unexpectedly cut off from the network.

Overall Benefit for GlassWire:
These two features would elevate traffic management from a tedious “file-by-file” basis to a highly efficient “folder-level” policy. This is a lifesaver for users managing portable app collections, legacy software, or organizational deployments. It drastically reduces pop-up fatigue and minimizes the risk of accidentally misconfiguring individual rules.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my suggestions. I would be more than happy to participate in beta testing or provide further real-world scenarios if needed.

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Folder (wildcard) and certificate (publisher) based firewall rules have been requested and promised for several years.

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It would be interesting to know, by the developers, the reasons why these features were not implemented. Maybe I’m wrong but It seems to me that apart from allowing/blocking an app (which other firewalls, even free ones, also do), GlassWire’s firewall has never had a substantial feature added among those requested in recent (and less recent) years.

For example the “Allow once” feature was requested ten years ago and it’s still missing [Feature Request] Allow once

Moreover the firewall feature is for GlassWire Premium subscribers only and leaving it in the current state it’s not the best way to attract new customers, in my opinion.

Also a GlassWire development roadmap would be welcome.

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Recent reps have said they want to get it right and have indicated that it is a complex aspect to develop. But it is certainly frustrating for users that have been waiting years for these features to find development time was instead spent on system performance monitoring which nobody asked for.

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I agree with you but a free Windows Firewall GUI developed not by a professional team but by a single programmer, maybe amateur, that includes the features you mentioned, “Folder (wildcard) and certificate (publisher)” already exists. I wrote a post on the matter about four months ago so their implementation in GlassWire firewall, which is a Windows Firewall GUI too, should be technically possible I think. The post I’m referring to is Feature Request: Path-Based Firewall Blocking for Temporary Files - #8 by Kels

I haven’t tried that software, though, because currently I’m using other firewall solutions, specifically a Windows Firewall GUI (which includes a feature to temporarily allow or block a app) and a 3rd party firewall (which includes a feature to allow / block domains, globally or per-app and also a good customization of its rules, which are separate from those of the Windows Firewall) together, both freeware.

You also wrote some posts in the thread above and there’s also a response by Huda_GlassWire

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