How Do I Create Complex Rules with Advanced Logic?

Advanced rule configuration in Propel allows you to create sophisticated automation workflows with complex logic, conditional chains, and optimized performance. This guide covers advanced techniques for power users who need precise control over automation behavior.

What Is Advanced Rule Configuration?

Advanced rule configuration involves creating rules with:

• Complex conditions - Multiple conditions combined with AND/OR logic
• Rule chains - Rules that work together in sequence
• Conditional workflows - Different actions based on multiple factors
• Performance optimization - Efficient rule evaluation and execution

When to use advanced rules:

• Complex business logic requirements
• Multi-step qualification workflows
• Territory or team-based routing
• High-value prospect handling
• Compliance or regulatory requirements

Prerequisites

Before creating advanced rules, ensure you have:

1. Basic rule understanding - Familiarity with simple rules (see Creating Your First Rule)
2. Rule conditions knowledge - Understanding of available conditions (see Rule Conditions and Triggers)
3. Mailbox settings configured - Approvals, handoffs, and capabilities set up
4. Team members added - If using handoffs or team routing

Complex Rule Logic

Combining Multiple Conditions

Advanced rules can combine multiple conditions using AND/OR logic.

AND Conditions (All must be true):

When a prospect inquires about a property AND the property is priced over $3000/month AND the inquiry mentions "urgent" AND the lead source is Zillow, respond immediately with property details and require approval.

OR Conditions (Any can be true):

When a prospect mentions "urgent" OR "asap" OR "immediately" OR "rush", respond immediately with available times and hand off to the leasing manager.

Mixed AND/OR Conditions:

When (a prospect inquires about a property AND the property is over $3000/month) OR (the inquiry mentions "urgent" AND comes from a recognized lead source), respond immediately and require approval.

Nested Conditions

You can create nested conditions for sophisticated logic:

Example: High-value urgent inquiries

When a prospect emails about a property and:
- The property is priced over $5000/month, AND
- (The inquiry mentions "urgent" OR "asap" OR the prospect has a budget over $6000), AND
- The lead source is from a recognized portal (Zillow, Apartments.com, or Realtor.com)

Then:
- Respond immediately with property details and available tour times
- Require approval from the leasing manager
- Hand off to the senior leasing agent
- Send notification to the team lead

Conditional Actions Based on Multiple Factors

Create rules that take different actions based on multiple conditions:

Example: Property management qualification workflow

When a rental prospect inquires about a property:
1. Respond with property details, availability, and pricing
2. Ask about move-in date, number of occupants, and pets
3. If monthly rent is over $3000 AND the prospect mentions "corporate housing":
   - Hand off to corporate housing specialist
   - Require approval from manager
4. If monthly rent is over $2500 AND the prospect is qualified:
   - Offer to schedule a tour
   - Require approval before sending
5. If monthly rent is under $2000 AND the prospect is qualified:
   - Offer to schedule a tour
   - Send automatically (no approval needed)
6. If the prospect is not qualified:
   - Explain requirements
   - Offer alternative properties
   - Hand off to leasing agent for follow-up

Rule Chains and Sequences

Rule chains are multiple rules that work together to create complex workflows.

Understanding Rule Evaluation

How rules are evaluated:

1. All rules are checked - Propel evaluates all rules for each email
2. All matching rules apply - Multiple rules can influence the same response
3. More specific rules take precedence - Detailed rules have more influence
4. Rules work together - Multiple rules combine to create the final behavior

Creating Rule Chains

Example: Multi-step qualification chain

Rule 1: Initial response

When a new prospect inquires about a rental property, respond with property details, availability, and pricing. Ask about move-in date, number of occupants, and pets.

Rule 2: Qualification check

When a prospect replies with move-in date and mentions they have pets, check pet policy. If pets are allowed, offer to schedule a tour. If pets are not allowed, explain policy and suggest pet-friendly alternatives.

Rule 3: High-value handling

When a qualified prospect requests a tour for a property over $3000/month, respond with available times and require approval before sending. Also hand off to the senior leasing agent.

Rule 4: Follow-up automation

When a tour is completed and the prospect hasn't responded within 48 hours, send a follow-up email asking about their interest and offering to show additional properties.

Sequential Workflows

Create rules that build on previous steps:

Example: Real estate buyer qualification sequence

Step 1: Initial contact

When a buyer lead inquires about a property, respond with property information and ask about budget, timeline, and pre-approval status.

Step 2: Budget qualification

When a buyer provides budget information:
- If budget matches property price (within 10%), offer to schedule a showing
- If budget is below property price, suggest similar properties in their range
- If budget is significantly above, suggest higher-value properties

Step 3: Showing coordination

When a qualified buyer requests a showing:
- Check agent availability
- Offer available showing times
- For properties over $500k, require approval before confirming
- Hand off to listing agent if seller presence is required

Step 4: Post-showing follow-up

When a showing is completed, send a follow-up email within 24 hours asking about the buyer's interest and offering to answer questions or schedule additional showings.

Conditional Workflows

Conditional workflows execute different actions based on specific conditions.

Property-Based Conditionals

Example: Property type routing

When a prospect inquires about a property:
- If property type is "commercial", hand off to commercial real estate team
- If property type is "residential rental", respond with rental details and offer tour
- If property type is "residential for sale", respond with sale details and offer showing
- If property type is "short-term rental", respond with booking information and availability

Prospect-Based Conditionals

Example: Qualification-based routing

When a prospect inquires about a property:
- If prospect is pre-qualified AND budget matches, offer immediate tour/showing
- If prospect is pre-qualified BUT budget doesn't match, suggest alternatives
- If prospect is not qualified, provide qualification requirements and offer to help
- If prospect mentions "cash offer", hand off to senior agent immediately

Lead Source Conditionals

Example: Source-based handling

When an inquiry comes in:
- If source is Zillow AND property is rental, respond with rental details and qualification questions
- If source is Realtor.com AND property is for sale, respond with sale details and buyer qualification
- If source is Apartments.com, respond with availability and tour scheduling
- If source is direct website inquiry, respond with comprehensive information and immediate tour offer

Time-Based Conditionals

Example: Urgency-based handling

When a prospect inquires about a property:
- If inquiry mentions "urgent" OR "asap" OR "immediately", respond within 15 minutes with available times
- If inquiry mentions specific date within 7 days, prioritize and offer earliest available times
- If inquiry is general (no urgency), respond with standard information and available times

Rule Optimization

Performance Considerations

Keep rules specific:

• More specific rules evaluate faster
• Avoid overly broad conditions
• Use precise keywords and conditions

Limit rule complexity:

• Break complex rules into simpler, focused rules
• Avoid deeply nested conditions when possible
• Test rule performance with sample emails

Organize rules logically:

• Group related rules together
• Use clear rule names and descriptions
• Document complex rule logic

Rule Efficiency Best Practices

1. Start with most specific conditions:

Good: When a prospect from Zillow inquires about a 3-bedroom property over $3000/month...
Less efficient: When a prospect inquires about a property and it's from Zillow and it's 3-bedroom and over $3000...

2. Use domain/email conditions when possible:

Efficient: When an inquiry comes from zillow.com domain...
Less efficient: When an inquiry subject contains "Zillow" or body contains "Zillow"...

3. Combine related conditions:

Efficient: When (property is over $3000/month AND inquiry mentions "urgent") OR (property is over $5000/month)...
Less efficient: Separate rules for each condition that duplicate logic

Testing Advanced Rules

1. Test individual conditions:

• Verify each condition works independently
• Test edge cases for each condition
• Ensure conditions match as expected

2. Test rule combinations:

• Verify multiple rules work together
• Test scenarios where multiple rules match
• Ensure rule precedence works correctly

3. Test complex workflows:

• Test complete workflow sequences
• Verify conditional logic branches correctly
• Ensure all paths through the workflow work

4. Monitor performance:

• Check rule evaluation time
• Monitor for performance issues
• Optimize slow or inefficient rules

Advanced Use Case Examples

Property Management: Multi-Tier Qualification

Complex workflow for rental qualification:

When a rental prospect inquires about a property:
1. Respond with property details, availability, and pricing
2. Ask about move-in date, number of occupants, pets, and income
3. If monthly rent is over $4000:
   - Require income verification (3x monthly rent)
   - Hand off to luxury leasing specialist
   - Require manager approval for all responses
4. If monthly rent is $2500-$4000:
   - Require income verification (2.5x monthly rent)
   - Offer to schedule tour
   - Require approval before sending
5. If monthly rent is under $2500:
   - Require income verification (2x monthly rent)
   - Offer to schedule tour
   - Send automatically if qualified
6. If prospect has pets:
   - Check pet policy for property
   - If pets allowed, provide pet deposit information
   - If pets not allowed, suggest pet-friendly alternatives
7. If move-in date is within 30 days:
   - Prioritize response
   - Offer earliest available tour times
   - Hand off to urgent leasing specialist

Real Estate: Territory-Based Routing

Complex routing for commercial real estate:

When a commercial property inquiry comes in:
1. Identify property location and territory
2. If property is in "Downtown" territory:
   - Hand off to Downtown team
   - For properties over $2M, also CC regional manager
3. If property is in "Suburban" territory:
   - Hand off to Suburban team
   - For properties over $1M, require approval
4. If property is in "Industrial" territory:
   - Hand off to Industrial specialist
   - Always require approval for industrial properties
5. If inquiry mentions "multi-tenant" OR "office building":
   - Hand off to Commercial team lead
   - Require senior agent approval
6. If inquiry mentions "development" OR "land":
   - Hand off to Development team
   - Require partner approval

Short-Term Rentals: Booking Workflow

Complex booking inquiry handling:

When a short-term rental booking inquiry comes in:
1. Check availability for requested dates
2. If available:
   - Respond with pricing, policies, and amenities
   - If stay is 1-7 days, offer instant booking
   - If stay is 8-30 days, require approval before confirming
   - If stay is over 30 days, hand off to property manager
3. If not available:
   - Suggest alternative dates within 2 weeks
   - If guest mentions "flexible dates", search wider availability
   - If guest mentions "special event", hand off to manager
4. If inquiry mentions "group" OR "event" OR "corporate":
   - Hand off to group booking specialist
   - Require manager approval
5. If inquiry mentions "pet" OR "service animal":
   - Check pet policy
   - Provide pet fee information
   - If service animal, provide accessibility information

Troubleshooting Advanced Rules

Rules Not Triggering

If complex rules aren't triggering:

1. Check condition syntax - Ensure AND/OR logic is clear
2. Verify all conditions - Test each condition independently
3. Review rule precedence - Ensure more specific rules aren't being overridden
4. Test with sample emails - Use test tool to verify rule evaluation
5. Check mailbox settings - Ensure mailbox is enabled and response rules allow responses

Conflicting Rules

If rules seem to conflict:

1. Review rule logic - Ensure conditions don't contradict each other
2. Check rule order - More specific rules should come first
3. Understand precedence - Ignore rules take precedence over respond rules
4. Simplify if needed - Break complex rules into simpler, focused rules
5. Document rule interactions - Keep notes on how rules work together

Performance Issues

If rules are slow or causing delays:

1. Simplify conditions - Break complex conditions into simpler ones
2. Optimize rule order - Put most common conditions first
3. Remove unused rules - Delete or disable rules that aren't needed
4. Test rule performance - Monitor evaluation time for each rule
5. Consider rule consolidation - Combine related rules when possible

Unexpected Behavior

If rules behave unexpectedly:

1. Review rule logic - Check for logical errors in conditions
2. Test individual rules - Verify each rule works independently
3. Check rule combinations - Test how rules work together
4. Review activity logs - Check what rules were evaluated
5. Simplify and rebuild - Start with simple rules and add complexity gradually

Best Practices for Advanced Rules

Start Simple, Build Complexity

1. Begin with basic rules - Get simple rules working first
2. Add conditions gradually - Add complexity one step at a time
3. Test at each step - Verify rules work before adding more
4. Document as you go - Keep notes on rule logic and purpose

Organize and Document

1. Use clear rule names - Descriptive names help understand purpose
2. Add descriptions - Document what each rule does and why
3. Group related rules - Organize rules by function or workflow
4. Maintain documentation - Keep rule documentation up to date

Test Thoroughly

1. Test individual rules - Verify each rule works independently
2. Test rule combinations - Verify rules work together correctly
3. Test edge cases - Check unusual scenarios and boundary conditions
4. Monitor in production - Watch rules in action and adjust as needed

Review and Optimize

1. Regular reviews - Periodically review rules for relevance
2. Performance monitoring - Check for slow or inefficient rules
3. Simplify when possible - Remove unnecessary complexity
4. Update as needed - Adjust rules as workflows evolve

Next Steps

Now that you understand advanced rule configuration:

• Create your first rule to get started with basic rules
• Learn about rule conditions for detailed condition reference
• Set up approval workflows for complex approval requirements
• Configure handoffs for team-based routing
• Monitor conversations to see advanced rules in action

Related Articles

• Creating Your First Rule - Foundation for rule creation
• Rule Conditions and Triggers - Detailed condition reference
• Approval Workflows - Complex approval requirements
• Setting Up Handoffs - Team routing and collaboration
• Response Rules Configuration - Fine-grained response control