Rules Step

The Rules step evaluates business logic using a declarative rules engine. Instead of writing code, you define facts (your data) and rules (how to process it), and the engine automatically calculates outcomes. Perfect for pricing calculations, eligibility checks, conditional logic, and complex business rules.

New to Rules? The Rules engine lets you build complex business logic without code. Think of it as a powerful decision-making engine for calculations, validations, and conditional outcomes.

How Rules Work

Rules evaluate facts (input data) against declarative rules to produce outcomes:

Agent: Analyzes order
  Output: {total: 1500, tier: "gold"}
↓
Rules: Calculate discount
  Facts: {total, tier}
  Rules: 
    - If tier == "gold" AND total > 1000 → discount = 15%
    - Else → discount = 5%
↓
Output: {discount: 0.15, finalPrice: 1275}

When to Use Rules

Use Rules When	Use Alternative When
Complex calculations (pricing, scoring)	Simple if/then (use Condition)
Multiple conditional outcomes	Single decision point
Business logic with many factors	Agent can interpret situation
Need transparent, auditable logic	Need learning/adaptation
Rules are clearly defined	Rules are fuzzy or contextual
Combining multiple conditions	Simple comparison

Examples: ✅ Use Rules: Calculate insurance premium based on age, location, coverage, claims history
❌ Use Condition instead: If age > 18, approve ✅ Use Rules: Multi-tier pricing with volume discounts, contract terms, add-ons
❌ Use Agent instead: Negotiate custom pricing based on customer relationship ✅ Use Rules: Loan eligibility with income, credit score, debt ratio, employment
❌ Use Condition instead: If credit score > 700, approve

Configuration

Facts (Input Data)

facts

object

required

Input data for rules to evaluateCan reference previous steps:

{
  "orderTotal.value": "${trigger.amount}",
  "customerTier.value": "${customer.tier}",
  "region.value": "${customer.region}",
  "itemCount.value": "${cart.items.length}"
}

Each fact must have .value suffix - this is required by the rules engine

Fact names should be descriptive: orderTotal.value not x.value

Rules (Logic)

rules

object

required

Rules to evaluate against factsTwo types of rules:

Direct calculation - Simple formula

{
  "finalPrice.value": {
    "operator": "-",
    "input": ["${orderTotal.value}", "${discount.value}"]
  }
}

Conditional rules - If/then logic

{
  "discount.value": [
    {
      "condition": {
        "operator": "and",
        "input": [
          {"operator": ">", "input": ["@fact:orderTotal.value", 1000]},
          {"operator": "=", "input": ["@fact:customerTier.value", "gold"]}
        ]
      },
      "outcome": 0.15
    },
    {"outcome": 0.05}
  ]
}

Rules syntax is powerful but can get complex. See detailed documentation for all operators and patterns.

Quick Start Example

Scenario: Calculate order discount based on tier and amount Input:

{
  "facts": {
    "orderTotal.value": 1500,
    "customerTier.value": "gold"
  },
  "rules": {
    "discount.value": [
      {
        "condition": {
          "operator": "and",
          "input": [
            {"operator": ">", "input": ["@fact:orderTotal.value", 1000]},
            {"operator": "=", "input": ["@fact:customerTier.value", "gold"]}
          ]
        },
        "outcome": 0.15
      },
      {"outcome": 0.05}
    ],
    "finalPrice.value": {
      "operator": "-",
      "input": [
        "@fact:orderTotal.value",
        {"operator": "*", "input": ["@fact:orderTotal.value", "@fact:discount.value"]}
      ]
    }
  }
}

Output:

{
  "discount.value": {
    "outcome": 0.15
  },
  "finalPrice.value": {
    "outcome": 1275
  }
}

Gold customer with

1,500 order gets 15% discount → Final price

1,275

Detailed Rules Documentation

For complete rules syntax, operators, and advanced patterns, see the comprehensive Rules documentation:

Rules Overview

Introduction to the rules engine and core concepts

Getting Started

Your first rule with step-by-step examples

Facts & Rules

Understanding facts and rule structure

Operators

All available operators (comparison, logical, arithmetic, string, array, date)

Conditions

Building complex conditional logic

Examples

Real-world rule patterns and use cases

Best Practices

Tips for writing maintainable rules

Common Flow Patterns

Pricing Calculation

Calculate complex pricing with multiple factors

Agent: Gather requirements
  Output: {product, quantity, contract_length, features}
↓
Rules: Calculate pricing
  Facts: Agent output
  Rules:
    - Base price by product
    - Volume discount tiers
    - Contract length discount
    - Feature add-ons
    - Calculate subtotal
    - Calculate tax
    - Calculate total
↓
Output: Complete pricing breakdown
↓
Agent: Present pricing to customer

Why Rules: Transparent pricing logic, easy to audit, no code needed

Eligibility Check

Determine if someone qualifies based on multiple criteria

Form: Application data
↓
Rules: Check eligibility
  Facts: {age, income, credit_score, employment, debt_ratio}
  Rules:
    - Must be 18+
    - Income requirements by tier
    - Credit score thresholds
    - Employment status check
    - Debt-to-income ratio limits
    - Overall eligibility decision
↓
Condition: Eligible?
├─ If yes → Continue application
└─ If no → Rejection email

Why Rules: Clear requirements, consistent decisions, easy to update criteria

Lead Scoring

Score leads based on multiple attributes

HTTP Request: Get lead data
↓
Rules: Calculate lead score
  Facts: {company_size, budget, industry, engagement, role}
  Rules:
    - Company size points (10-30)
    - Budget tier points (10-30)
    - Industry fit points (0-20)
    - Engagement level points (0-20)
    - Decision maker bonus (10)
    - Total score
    - Qualification tier (hot/warm/cold)
↓
Condition: Route by score
├─ Hot → Sales team notification
├─ Warm → Nurture sequence
└─ Cold → Standard follow-up

Why Rules: Consistent scoring, easy to adjust weights, transparent criteria

Shipping Cost Calculation

Calculate shipping based on multiple factors

Cart data: {weight, destination, speed, items}
↓
Rules: Calculate shipping
  Facts: Cart data
  Rules:
    - Base rate by destination zone
    - Weight-based charges
    - Shipping speed multiplier
    - Oversized item surcharge
    - Free shipping threshold check
    - Calculate final shipping cost
↓
Output: Shipping cost breakdown

Why Rules: Complex calculation, transparent to customers, easy to update rates

Discount Eligibility

Determine which discounts apply

Order data: {total, customer, items, date}
↓
Rules: Calculate discounts
  Facts: Order data
  Rules:
    - Customer tier discount
    - Volume discount tiers
    - Promotional discount eligibility
    - Seasonal discount
    - Best discount selection (max)
    - Apply discount to total
↓
Output: Applied discount and final price

Why Rules: Multiple discount types, stacking rules, transparent logic

SLA Determination

Calculate SLA based on customer tier and request type

Support ticket: {type, tier, severity}
↓
Rules: Determine SLA
  Facts: Ticket data
  Rules:
    - Base response time by tier
    - Priority multiplier by severity
    - Request type adjustments
    - Business hours consideration
    - Calculate response deadline
    - Calculate resolution deadline
↓
Output: SLA times
↓
Agent: Create ticket with SLA

Why Rules: Consistent SLA application, easy to update policies

Risk Assessment

Assess risk level for transactions or applications

Transaction data: {amount, location, history, device}
↓
Rules: Risk assessment
  Facts: Transaction data
  Rules:
    - Unusual amount check
    - Location mismatch
    - Device fingerprint
    - Transaction pattern analysis
    - Historical fraud rate
    - Calculate risk score
    - Determine risk level (low/medium/high)
↓
Condition: Route by risk
├─ Low → Auto-approve
├─ Medium → Additional verification
└─ High → Manual review

Why Rules: Clear risk criteria, auditable decisions, easy to adjust thresholds

Tiered Pricing

Calculate pricing across multiple tiers

Usage data: {units_used, plan, billing_period}
↓
Rules: Calculate tiered pricing
  Facts: Usage data
  Rules:
    - Tier 1: 0-100 units @ $1/unit
    - Tier 2: 101-500 units @ $0.80/unit
    - Tier 3: 501+ units @ $0.60/unit
    - Calculate cost per tier
    - Sum total cost
    - Apply plan discount
↓
Output: Detailed usage bill

Why Rules: Complex tiered logic, transparent billing, easy to update tiers

Accessing Rule Outcomes

Reference rule outcomes in subsequent steps:

// Access specific rule outcome
${rules.discount.value.outcome}

// Access calculated value
${rules.finalPrice.value.outcome}

// Use in condition
${rules.eligible.value.outcome} == true

// Use in agent prompt
The calculated discount is ${rules.discount.value.outcome}%

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Insurance Premium Calculation

Scenario: Calculate car insurance premium based on multiple factors

Form: Insurance application
↓
Rules: Calculate premium
  Facts: {
    age.value: ${form.age},
    yearsLicensed.value: ${form.years_licensed},
    accidentHistory.value: ${form.accidents},
    vehicleValue.value: ${form.vehicle_value},
    annualMileage.value: ${form.annual_mileage},
    location.value: ${form.zip_code}
  }
  Rules: {
    basePremium.value: {
      // Base rate by vehicle value
      operator: "*",
      input: ["@fact:vehicleValue.value", 0.03]
    },
    ageMultiplier.value: [
      {condition: {operator: "<", input: ["@fact:age.value", 25]}, outcome: 1.5},
      {condition: {operator: ">=", input: ["@fact:age.value", 65]}, outcome: 1.2},
      {outcome: 1.0}
    ],
    experienceDiscount.value: [
      {condition: {operator: ">=", input: ["@fact:yearsLicensed.value", 10]}, outcome: 0.9},
      {condition: {operator: ">=", input: ["@fact:yearsLicensed.value", 5]}, outcome: 0.95},
      {outcome: 1.0}
    ],
    accidentSurcharge.value: {
      operator: "+",
      input: [1, {operator: "*", input: ["@fact:accidentHistory.value", 0.2]}]
    },
    mileageFactor.value: [
      {condition: {operator: ">", input: ["@fact:annualMileage.value", 15000]}, outcome: 1.15},
      {outcome: 1.0}
    ],
    finalPremium.value: {
      operator: "*",
      input: [
        "@fact:basePremium.value",
        "@fact:ageMultiplier.value",
        "@fact:experienceDiscount.value",
        "@fact:accidentSurcharge.value",
        "@fact:mileageFactor.value"
      ]
    }
  }
↓
Output: Premium calculation with breakdown
↓
Agent: Present quote to customer with explanation

Example 2: SaaS Pricing Calculator

Scenario: Calculate monthly SaaS pricing with features and usage

Agent: Gather requirements
  Output: {users, storage_gb, api_calls, support_level, contract_months}
↓
Rules: Calculate pricing
  Facts: Agent output
  Rules: {
    basePrice.value: [
      {condition: {operator: "<=", input: ["@fact:users.value", 10]}, outcome: 49},
      {condition: {operator: "<=", input: ["@fact:users.value", 50]}, outcome: 149},
      {condition: {operator: "<=", input: ["@fact:users.value", 200]}, outcome: 399},
      {outcome: 999}
    ],
    storageAddon.value: {
      operator: "*",
      input: [
        {operator: "max", input: [0, {operator: "-", input: ["@fact:storage_gb.value", 100]}]},
        0.5
      ]
    },
    apiAddon.value: [
      {condition: {operator: ">", input: ["@fact:api_calls.value", 100000]}, outcome: 99},
      {condition: {operator: ">", input: ["@fact:api_calls.value", 50000]}, outcome: 49},
      {outcome: 0}
    ],
    supportAddon.value: [
      {condition: {operator: "=", input: ["@fact:support_level.value", "premium"]}, outcome: 199},
      {condition: {operator: "=", input: ["@fact:support_level.value", "priority"]}, outcome: 99},
      {outcome: 0}
    ],
    contractDiscount.value: [
      {condition: {operator: ">=", input: ["@fact:contract_months.value", 12]}, outcome: 0.85},
      {condition: {operator: ">=", input: ["@fact:contract_months.value", 6]}, outcome: 0.9},
      {outcome: 1.0}
    ],
    subtotal.value: {
      operator: "+",
      input: [
        "@fact:basePrice.value",
        "@fact:storageAddon.value",
        "@fact:apiAddon.value",
        "@fact:supportAddon.value"
      ]
    },
    monthlyPrice.value: {
      operator: "*",
      input: ["@fact:subtotal.value", "@fact:contractDiscount.value"]
    },
    annualPrice.value: {
      operator: "*",
      input: ["@fact:monthlyPrice.value", 12]
    }
  }
↓
Output: Complete pricing breakdown
↓
Agent: Generate proposal document

Example 3: Loan Approval Decision

Scenario: Multi-criteria loan eligibility determination

HTTP Request: Get applicant financial data
↓
Rules: Loan eligibility
  Facts: {
    income.value: ${http.body.annual_income},
    creditScore.value: ${http.body.credit_score},
    debtToIncome.value: ${http.body.debt_to_income_ratio},
    employmentYears.value: ${http.body.employment_years},
    loanAmount.value: ${http.body.requested_amount},
    downPayment.value: ${http.body.down_payment}
  }
  Rules: {
    incomeEligible.value: {
      operator: ">=",
      input: ["@fact:income.value", 50000]
    },
    creditEligible.value: {
      operator: ">=",
      input: ["@fact:creditScore.value", 680]
    },
    debtRatioEligible.value: {
      operator: "<=",
      input: ["@fact:debtToIncome.value", 0.43]
    },
    employmentEligible.value: {
      operator: ">=",
      input: ["@fact:employmentYears.value", 2]
    },
    loanToValue.value: {
      operator: "/",
      input: [
        {operator: "-", input: ["@fact:loanAmount.value", "@fact:downPayment.value"]},
        "@fact:loanAmount.value"
      ]
    },
    ltvEligible.value: {
      operator: "<=",
      input: ["@fact:loanToValue.value", 0.8]
    },
    overallEligible.value: {
      operator: "and",
      input: [
        "@fact:incomeEligible.value",
        "@fact:creditEligible.value",
        "@fact:debtRatioEligible.value",
        "@fact:employmentEligible.value",
        "@fact:ltvEligible.value"
      ]
    },
    interestRate.value: [
      {
        condition: {
          operator: "and",
          input: [
            {operator: ">=", input: ["@fact:creditScore.value", 760]},
            {operator: "<=", input: ["@fact:loanToValue.value", 0.7]}
          ]
        },
        outcome: 0.035
      },
      {
        condition: {operator: ">=", input: ["@fact:creditScore.value", 720]},
        outcome: 0.042
      },
      {
        condition: {operator: ">=", input: ["@fact:creditScore.value", 680]},
        outcome: 0.055
      },
      {outcome: 0.070}
    ],
    reasonsForDenial.value: [
      // Complex array building of denial reasons if applicable
    ]
  }
↓
Condition: Is eligible?
├─ If yes → Generate loan offer with rate
└─ If no → Generate denial letter with reasons

Best Practices

Use Descriptive Names

Name facts and rules clearly: customerTierDiscount.value not discount1.value

Test with Real Data

Test rules with actual values from your system. Edge cases matter.

Start Simple

Begin with basic rules, add complexity gradually. Test each addition.

Document Complex Logic

Add comments explaining why rules exist, especially business requirements.

Validate Inputs

Check that facts have expected types and ranges before evaluation.

Handle Edge Cases

Always include default outcomes for conditional rules (the final {outcome: X}).

Break Into Steps

For very complex logic, use multiple Rules steps. Easier to debug and maintain.

Version Your Rules

Track rule changes over time, especially for pricing and eligibility that affect customers.

Troubleshooting

Rule not evaluating

Causes:

Missing .value suffix on facts or rules
Incorrect variable reference
Wrong operator syntax

Solutions:

Verify all facts end with .value
Check variable paths: "@fact:orderTotal.value" not "@fact:orderTotal"
Review operator syntax in documentation
Check execution logs for error messages

Wrong outcome returned

Causes:

Condition order wrong (first match wins)
Logical operator error (AND vs OR)
Data type mismatch

Solutions:

Reorder conditions (most specific first)
Verify logical operators
Check data types (string “100” vs number 100)
Add logging to see which condition matched

Can't access outcome in next step

Causes:

Wrong variable path
Missing .outcome suffix
Rule didn’t execute

Solutions:

Use ${rules_step_name.rule_name.value.outcome}
Check rule actually executed (logs)
Verify step name is correct

Calculation incorrect

Causes:

Operator precedence issue
Missing parentheses in complex math
Wrong operator used

Solutions:

Break complex calculations into steps
Test each calculation piece separately
Verify operator behavior in docs
Use explicit nesting with operator objects

Performance slow with complex rules

Causes:

Too many conditions
Nested loops in calculations
Processing large arrays

Solutions:

Simplify rule logic where possible
Break into multiple Rules steps
Filter data before rules
Consider using agent for very complex logic

When to Use Rules vs. Alternatives

Use Rules when:

Logic is clearly defined and transparent
Multiple factors combine to determine outcome
Need auditable business logic
Calculations involve multiple steps
Requirements are likely to change (easy to update)

Use Condition when:

Simple if/then (single decision point)
Binary outcome (yes/no, approve/reject)
No calculations needed

Use Agent when:

Logic requires interpretation
Need to understand context
Rules are fuzzy or subjective
Need to explain reasoning in natural language

Use Eval when:

Need custom JavaScript beyond rule operators
Highly dynamic logic that can’t be expressed in rules
Integration with external libraries

Learn More

Complete Rules Documentation

Full rules engine documentation with all operators and patterns

Condition Step

Simpler branching for binary decisions

Eval Step

Custom JavaScript for complex logic

Variable Mapping

Reference data from previous steps

Get Started

Flows

Agents

Account Management

Advanced

​Rules Step

​How Rules Work

​When to Use Rules

​Configuration

​Facts (Input Data)

​Rules (Logic)

​Quick Start Example

​Detailed Rules Documentation

Rules Overview

Getting Started

Facts & Rules

Operators

Conditions

Examples

Best Practices

​Common Flow Patterns

​Accessing Rule Outcomes

​Real-World Examples

​Example 1: Insurance Premium Calculation

​Example 2: SaaS Pricing Calculator

​Example 3: Loan Approval Decision

​Best Practices

Use Descriptive Names

Test with Real Data

Start Simple

Document Complex Logic

Validate Inputs

Handle Edge Cases

Break Into Steps

Version Your Rules

​Troubleshooting

​When to Use Rules vs. Alternatives

​Learn More

Complete Rules Documentation

Condition Step

Eval Step

Variable Mapping

Rules Step

How Rules Work

When to Use Rules

Configuration

Facts (Input Data)

Rules (Logic)

Quick Start Example

Detailed Rules Documentation

Common Flow Patterns

Accessing Rule Outcomes

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Insurance Premium Calculation

Example 2: SaaS Pricing Calculator

Example 3: Loan Approval Decision

Best Practices

Troubleshooting

When to Use Rules vs. Alternatives

Learn More