Rules let you automate how DropStream handles orders, shipments, returns, purchase orders, and invoices. They run automatically as data flows in or out of your stores — no manual intervention required. You’ll find them in the app under Automation > Rules, where they’re labeled Business Rules.
What a rule does
Every rule does one of three things:
- Filter — accept or reject an item (for example, reject orders shipping to a country you don’t fulfill).
- Transform — change a value (for example, set the shipping carrier to UPS when the order total is over $100).
- Match patterns — extract or rewrite text (for example, pull a tracking number out of a free-form notes field).
A single rule can combine all three.
Where rules run
A rule is attached to a hook — the moment in DropStream’s processing where the rule runs. There are five hooks today, and they cover everything from order import to invoice export. See Hook Contexts for the full list and the data each hook exposes.
Editor
DropStream gives you two ways to write rules, and you can switch between them at any time:
- Visual editor — drag-and-drop blocks. Best for getting started and for most everyday rules.
- Code editor — BGL, DropStream’s rule language. More compact and supports the full feature set.
Anything you build visually shows up as code, and anything you write as code shows up visually (when the visual editor can render it).
Testing before you ship
Every rule has a Test tab where you can run it against real or generated sample data and see exactly what happened — which conditions matched, what values were used, and what the rule changed. New rules start inactive, so you can test thoroughly before turning them on.
Generating rules with AI
If you’d rather describe what you want than build it, you can type a plain-English description and have DropStream generate a starting rule for you. The result drops into the visual editor, ready to review, refine, and test.
Scope
Rules can apply to a single store or across all stores in your account. If you create a rule from a store’s settings page, it’s scoped to that store. From the main Rules page, you can manage rules across every store in one place.
Where to go next
- New to rules? Walk through Your First Rule — a 5-minute tour of writing, testing, and activating a rule.
- Need a reference? Hook Contexts lists the five places a rule can run and what data each one exposes.
- Already have rules? Managing Rules covers reordering, editing, and deleting.
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