Canonical URL: https://chargezen.com/docs/checkoutos/smart-recommendations/manual

# Manual Rules

Override AI recommendations with custom rules and curated suggestions

Last updated: 2025-01-16

**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

```json
{
  "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

```json
{
  "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

```json
{
  "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

```json
{
  "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

```json
{
  "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

```json
{
  "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

```json
{
  "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

```json
{
  "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

1

#### Navigate to Rules

Go to CheckoutOS → Smart Recommendations → Manual Rules.

2

#### Create New Rule

Click "Create Rule" and select the rule type.

3

#### Configure Rule

Set products, conditions, and priority.

4

#### Test Rule

Preview how the rule affects recommendations.

5

#### 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

## Related Topics

[

### AI Engine

How AI recommendations work

Learn more



](https://chargezen.com/docs/checkoutos/smart-recommendations/ai-engine)[

### Placements

Where to show recommendations

Learn more



](https://chargezen.com/docs/checkoutos/smart-recommendations/placements)

Was this page helpful?

Need more help? [Contact support](https://chargezen.com/docs/checkoutos/troubleshooting/support)