Require Citrix Workspace™ app when connecting through a gateway

Last published : Oct 16, 2026
You can require users to use Citrix Workspace app when connecting through a gateway by using a plug-in.
To deploy the plug-in to your gateway:
  1. Download the plugin from Citrix Downloads.
  2. Extract the zip file and citrix-gateway-plugin.tar.gz. It consists consists of an HTML file and a JavaScript file.
  3. Copy the files to the NetScaler gateway under /var/netscaler/gui/vpn/init
  4. Configure using the Management GUI or Configure using the CLI
Related information
Integrate with Citrix Gateway and NetScaler ADC

Configure using the Management GUI

  1. Sign in to the Netscaler® admin GUI.
  2. Create a responder action and click Add.
    Screenshot of responder actions with Add highlighted
  3. Configure the responder action:
    Type: Respond with HTML page
    Add: Enter path /vpn/init/native-app-mandate.html
  4. Create a responder policy.
    Screenshot of Responder Policies
  5. Configure the responder policy:
    Action: The name of the action you created above.
    Expression: HTTP.REQ.IS_VALID && HTTP.REQ.URL.ENDSWITH(".js").NOT && HTTP.REQ.HEADER("User-Agent").CONTAINS("CitrixReceiver").NOT && HTTP.REQ.HEADER("User-Agent").CONTAINS("CWAWEBVIEW").NOT && HTTP.REQ.HEADER("X-Requested-With").CONTAINS("com.citrix.Receiver").NOT && HTTP.REQ.HEADER("X-Requested-With").CONTAINS("XMLHttpRequest").NOT && HTTP.REQ.HEADER("User-Agent").CONTAINS("AuthManager").NOT
    Screenshot of Configure Responder Policy
  6. Navigate to the virtual server where you want to bind the responder policy.
    Screenshot of VPN Virtual Server Responder Policy Binding
  7. Bind the policy you created.
    Screenshot of VPN Virtual Server Responder Policy Binding
  8. To verify it is configured correctly, open the gateway URL to confirm that it displays the Citrix Workspace app required screen. Add the Netscaler URL to Citrix Workspace app and confirm that it does not display the Citrix Workspace app required screen.

Configure using the CLI

To configure the require Citrix Workspace app feature using the CLI, perform the following:
  1. Create a responder action with an HTML file (you can edit the configuration in GUI)
    add responder action respond_with_html_act respondwithhtmlpage sample_page -responseStatusCode 200
  2. Create a responder policy to handle requests from a web browser, not Citrix Workspace app.
    add responder policy respond_with_html_pol "HTTP.REQ.IS_VALID && HTTP.REQ.URL.ENDSWITH(".js").NOT && HTTP.REQ.HEADER("User-Agent").CONTAINS("CitrixReceiver").NOT && HTTP.REQ.HEADER("User-Agent").CONTAINS("CWAWEBVIEW").NOT && HTTP.REQ.HEADER("X-Requested-With").CONTAINS("com.citrix.Receiver").NOT && HTTP.REQ.HEADER("X-Requested-With").CONTAINS("XMLHttpRequest").NOT && HTTP.REQ.HEADER("User-Agent").CONTAINS("AuthManager").NOT" respond_with_html_act
  3. Bind the policy to the VPN vserver
    bind vpn vserver vpn_vs -policy respond_with_html_pol -priority 100 -gotoPriorityExpression END -type AAA_REQUEST