Creating Rules

Creating Automation Rules

Quick Summary: Step-by-step guide to creating automation rules — name, action, conditions, and activation. For: Clients Level: Beginner

Overview

Creating an automation rule involves four steps: name it, choose an action, set conditions, and activate. This page walks through each step in detail.

Quick Start

1. Navigate to Automation Rules
2. Click + to create a new rule
3. Enter a Name for the rule
4. Select an Action (e.g., assign courier, set packaging)
5. Add Conditions to target specific orders
6. Click Save
7. Toggle the rule to Active

Before You Start

Before creating a rule, know: - What action you want to perform (e.g., assign a courier, set packaging) - Which orders should be affected (e.g., orders to the US, orders with a specific SKU) - What values to use (e.g., which courier, which warehouse)

Step-by-Step: Creating a Rule

Step 1: Open the Create Form

1. Navigate to Automation Rules in your portal
2. Click the + button in the top-right corner

Step 2: Name Your Rule

Enter a descriptive Rule Name that explains what the rule does.

Good naming examples: - "US Express → FedEx LA" - "High Value Orders → Manual Approval" - "Batteries → DHL Express"

Tip: Use a consistent naming pattern across your rules for easier management.

Step 3: Choose an Action

Select an Action from the dropdown. This determines what the rule does when conditions match.

The Execute at field is set automatically based on your action choice — you don't need to configure it.

Common actions:

Step 4: Add Conditions

Conditions define which orders trigger the rule. Click Add Condition to start building your criteria.

Choosing a Condition Type

Select the attribute you want to check:

Choosing an Operator

The available operators depend on the condition type:

Text conditions (Shipping Option, Single SKU):

Number conditions (Order Value, Order Weight):

List conditions (Destination Country, Source Country):

Set conditions (SKU List, TAGs List):

Entering the Value

After selecting the condition and operator, enter or select the value: - Text fields: Type the value (e.g., "Express Shipping") - Country/state selectors: Pick from the dropdown list - Number fields: Enter the numeric value - SKU/tag lists: Add items to the list

Note: When an action requires selecting a courier, the dropdown lists only courier services that are currently active for your account (including services under your own courier integrations). Inactive or unavailable services don't appear — enable the courier service first if you need to assign it.

Combining Multiple Conditions

You can add multiple conditions to create precise rules:

• AND logic — Add conditions to the same group. All must match for the rule to trigger.
• OR logic — Create a new condition group (click Add Group or OR). Any group matching triggers the rule.

Example: Target US Express orders: - Group 1: Shipping Option Contains "Express" AND Destination Country For next entries = US

Example: Target either US or Canadian orders: - Group 1: Destination Country For next entries = US - OR - Group 2: Destination Country For next entries = CA

Step 5: Save the Rule

Click Add to save your new rule. The rule is created in an inactive state.

Step 6: Verify with Matching Orders

Before activating, click Matching Orders on the saved rule to see which existing orders would match your conditions. This helps you catch: - Conditions that are too broad (matching orders you didn't intend) - Conditions that are too narrow (no orders matching)

Step 7: Activate

When you're confident the rule is correct, click Activate to start processing orders.

Editing a Rule

1. Click a rule in the list to open it
2. Modify the name, action, or conditions as needed
3. Click Save Changes

Note: Changes take effect immediately for active rules. Consider deactivating the rule first, making changes, verifying with Matching Orders, then reactivating.

Copying a Rule

1. Open the rule you want to copy from the list
2. Click the Copy button
3. The form opens pre-filled with all settings from the original rule
4. The name is set to "[Original Name] Copy" — change it to something descriptive
5. Adjust the action, conditions, or any other settings as needed
6. Click Save to create the copy as a new inactive rule
7. Verify with Matching Orders, then activate when ready

Tip: Copy is ideal for creating variations of the same rule — e.g., one rule per courier, or one rule per destination region.

Form Actions

Best Practices

Naming

• Use the pattern: [What triggers it] → [What happens]
• Examples: "US Standard → USPS LA", "High Value → Manual Approve", "Battery Items → DHL"

Conditions

• Start specific, then broaden if needed
• Always verify with Matching Orders before activating
• Use Except next entries to exclude countries instead of listing all included countries when the exclusion list is shorter

Rule Management

• Keep rules focused — one clear purpose per rule
• Deactivate rules you no longer need instead of deleting them (you may want to reactivate later)
• Review rules periodically as your shipping needs change

Troubleshooting

Related Documentation

• Automation Rules Overview — concepts and full action/condition reference
• Examples — ready-to-use rule configurations
• Orders Overview