Manual Rules: CheckoutOS docs

Manual rules let you override AI recommendations when you know better. Pin specific products, exclude items, boost categories, or create curated recommendation sets for special occasions.

When to Use Manual Rules

Use manual rules for: new product launches, seasonal promotions, clearance items, margin optimization, or when you have domain knowledge the AI lacks.

Rule Types

Pinned Products

Force specific products to appear in recommendations:

Pinned Products Rule

{
  "rule": {
    "name": "New Product Launch",
    "type": "pin",
    "products": ["new-serum-001", "new-cream-002"],
    "position": "first",
    "placements": ["product_page", "cart_page"],
    "conditions": {
      "date_range": {
        "start": "2025-02-01",
        "end": "2025-02-28"
      }
    },
    "priority": 100
  }
}

Excluded Products

Prevent certain products from appearing in recommendations:

Exclusion Rule

{
  "rule": {
    "name": "Exclude Discontinued",
    "type": "exclude",
    "products": ["discontinued-001", "recalled-002"],
    "reason": "Product no longer available"
  }
}

Common Exclusions

Discontinued products
Out of stock items (if not auto-excluded)
Products with quality issues
Items being phased out
Competitor products (marketplace)

Category Boost

Increase visibility of products from specific categories:

Category Boost Rule

{
  "rule": {
    "name": "Summer Collection Boost",
    "type": "boost",
    "target": {
      "type": "collection",
      "id": "summer-2025"
    },
    "boost_factor": 2.0,
    "conditions": {
      "date_range": {
        "start": "2025-06-01",
        "end": "2025-08-31"
      }
    }
  }
}

Margin Optimization

Boost higher-margin products in recommendations:

Margin Boost Rule

{
  "rule": {
    "name": "High Margin Priority",
    "type": "boost",
    "target": {
      "type": "margin",
      "threshold": 0.4
    },
    "boost_factor": 1.5,
    "max_boosted_products": 2
  }
}

Curated Recommendation Sets

Create hand-picked recommendation collections:

Curated Set

{
  "rule": {
    "name": "Valentine's Day Gift Guide",
    "type": "curated_set",
    "trigger": {
      "type": "date_range",
      "start": "2025-02-01",
      "end": "2025-02-14"
    },
    "products": [
      { "id": "gift-box-001", "position": 1 },
      { "id": "perfume-002", "position": 2 },
      { "id": "jewelry-003", "position": 3 },
      { "id": "flowers-004", "position": 4 }
    ],
    "title": "Valentine's Day Picks",
    "override_ai": true
  }
}

Product Relationships

Define explicit product-to-product relationships:

Product Relationships

{
  "relationships": [
    {
      "source_product": "camera-body-001",
      "related_products": ["lens-001", "memory-card-002", "camera-bag-003"],
      "relationship_type": "accessories",
      "priority": "high"
    },
    {
      "source_product": "shampoo-001",
      "related_products": ["conditioner-001", "hair-mask-001"],
      "relationship_type": "companion",
      "priority": "high"
    },
    {
      "source_product": "phone-basic-001",
      "related_products": ["phone-pro-001"],
      "relationship_type": "upgrade",
      "priority": "medium"
    }
  ]
}

Conditional Rules

Apply rules based on conditions:

Conditional Rule

{
  "rule": {
    "name": "VIP Customer Exclusives",
    "type": "curated_set",
    "conditions": {
      "customer_tag": "vip",
      "cart_value_min": 100
    },
    "products": ["exclusive-001", "limited-edition-002"],
    "title": "Exclusive for You"
  }
}

Available Conditions

Date range — Seasonal or promotional periods
Customer segment — VIP, new, returning
Cart contents — Specific products or categories
Cart value — Minimum threshold
Device type — Mobile vs desktop
Traffic source — Organic, paid, email
Geographic location — Country or region

Rule Priority

When multiple rules apply, priority determines which takes precedence:

Priority Example

{
  "rules": [
    {
      "name": "Global New Arrivals",
      "priority": 50,
      "type": "boost",
      "target": { "type": "tag", "value": "new-arrival" }
    },
    {
      "name": "Flash Sale Override",
      "priority": 100,
      "type": "curated_set",
      "products": ["sale-item-001", "sale-item-002"]
    }
  ]
}

Priority Scale

Priority ranges from 1-100. Higher numbers take precedence. AI-generated recommendations have a default priority of 0.

Managing Rules

Navigate to Rules

Go to CheckoutOS → Smart Recommendations → Manual Rules.

Create New Rule

Click "Create Rule" and select the rule type.

Configure Rule

Set products, conditions, and priority.

Test Rule

Preview how the rule affects recommendations.

Activate

Save and enable the rule.

Best Practices

Manual Rule Tips

Use sparingly — Let AI do the heavy lifting
Set end dates — Don't let temporary rules become permanent
Monitor impact — Compare performance to AI recommendations
Document reasoning — Note why rules were created
Review regularly — Audit rules quarterly

Manual Rules

Rule Types

Pinned Products

Excluded Products

Common Exclusions

Category Boost

Margin Optimization

Curated Recommendation Sets

Product Relationships

Conditional Rules

Available Conditions

Rule Priority

Managing Rules

Navigate to Rules

Create New Rule

Configure Rule

Test Rule

Activate

Best Practices

Related Topics

AI Engine

Placements