Creating Rules
Master the 3-step rule wizard and all 8 rule types
Using the 3-Step Wizard
Cart Guard’s rule wizard walks you through creating rules without technical knowledge.
Step 1: Choose Rule Type
You’ll see 5 common templates:
1. BOGO (Buy One Get One)
Use when: Promotional bundles with discounts
Example: “Buy Coffee, get 20% off when you add a Mug”
2. Minimum Order Value
Use when: Enforce minimum purchase amount
Example: “Minimum $50 order for free shipping”
3. Wholesale Minimum Quantity
Use when: Require minimum quantities per product
Example: “Must order 10+ units (wholesale)”
4. Category Restriction
Use when: Block specific category combinations
Example: “Can’t ship Fragile + Heavy items together”
5. Product Bundle (Required Items)
Use when: Enforce accessory purchases
Example: “Laptop requires charger”
💡 Pro Tip: Start with templates! They include pre-configured settings and customer messages. You can customize later.
Step 2: Select Products
The wizard shows a searchable product picker:
Search Methods:
- By Name: Type “Coffee” → Select “Premium Coffee Beans”
- By SKU: Type “SKU-101” → Select matching product
- By Category: Filter dropdown → “Beverages”
Trigger Products vs Required Products:
Trigger Products = What customer adds that starts the rule
Example: Customer adds "Laptop" (trigger) → Rule activates
Required Products = What customer must also add to checkout
Example: Rule requires "Charger" + "Mouse" (required products)
Multiple Products:
- Click “+ Add Product” to add more
- Drag to reorder (priority matters for bundles)
- Click X to remove
Step 3: Configure Details
Rule Name (required)
Good: "BOGO: Coffee + Mug (20% off)"
Bad: "Rule 1" (not descriptive)
💡 Use descriptive names! You’ll see this in analytics and order notes.
Priority (optional, default = 10)
Range: 1-100 (higher = evaluated first)
Example: Safety rules = 90, Promotional rules = 20
Customer Message (required)
Good: "Add {product_name} to complete your bundle and save 20%!"
Bad: "Error: Missing product"
Message Variables:
{product_name}– Links to required product{min_qty}– Minimum quantity required{quantity}– Current cart quantity{max_qty}– Maximum quantity allowed
Action When Rule Triggers:
1. Block Checkout (default)
– Disables checkout button
– Shows error message on cart page
– Customer must fix cart to proceed
2. Show Toast Notification
– Dismissible popup message
– Doesn’t block checkout (warning only)
– Good for suggestions
3. Redirect to URL
– Sends customer to custom page
– Example: “Orders over $10K → /enterprise-quote”
– Useful for special handling
Advanced Rule Options
Click “Show Advanced Options” to reveal:
Stock Validation
☑️ Check stock before allowing purchase
Mode:
○ Any - At least one required product in stock (lenient)
○ All - All required products must be in stock (strict)
When to use: Prevent selling bundles when components are out of stock
Example:
Bundle: Laptop + Charger + Mouse
Stock: Laptop (5 in stock), Charger (0 in stock), Mouse (3 in stock)
Mode = "Any" → Bundle allowed ✅ (Laptop and Mouse available)
Mode = "All" → Bundle blocked ❌ (Charger out of stock)
Learn more about Stock Validation →
Quantity Synchronization
☑️ Auto-sync child quantities with parent product
Options:
☑️ Lock child removal (can't remove without parent)
☑️ Lock child quantity input (read-only on cart page)
When to use: Bundle components that must match parent quantity
Example:
Customer cart:
- Laptop x3 (parent)
- Charger x3 (child, auto-synced)
Customer changes Laptop to 5 → Charger automatically updates to 5
Customer tries to remove Charger → Blocked (locked to parent)
Learn more about Quantity Sync →
Bundle Discounts
Discount Type:
○ Percentage (e.g., 15% off bundle)
○ Fixed Amount (e.g., $5 off bundle)
○ Free Shipping
Discount Value: [15.00]
When to use: Incentivize bundle purchases
Example:
Cart before discount:
- Coffee: $12.00
- Mug: $8.00
Subtotal: $20.00
15% bundle discount: -$3.00
Total: $17.00
Stacking: Multiple bundle discounts combine!
Bundle A discount: -$3.00
Bundle B discount: -$2.00
Total savings: -$5.00
Learn more about Bundle Discounts →
Testing Rules
Before Saving:
- Preview Rule – See JSON structure (advanced users)
- Check Product IDs – Verify correct products selected
- Test Message – Read customer message for clarity
After Saving:
- Rule appears in Rules list with green “Active” badge
- Test immediately – Don’t wait for customer issues!
Testing Checklist:
Test 1: Trigger Rule
☑️ Add trigger product to cart
☑️ Verify error message displays on cart page
☑️ Confirm checkout button disabled
☑️ Check message variables replaced (e.g., {product_name} → actual name)
Test 2: Satisfy Rule
☑️ Add required products to cart
☑️ Verify error message disappears
☑️ Confirm checkout button enabled
☑️ Check discount applied (if configured)
Test 3: Edge Cases
☑️ Remove required product → Error reappears
☑️ Change quantities → Sync works (if configured)
☑️ Guest checkout → Rule still enforces
☑️ Mobile browser → Message displays correctly
View Violation Logs:
- Go to Cart Guard → Analytics
- Click “Recent Violations”
- See your test attempts logged with cart data
Rule Types Explained
Product Bundle Rules
Required Bundle
Purpose: Enforce product combinations (accessories, related items, safety requirements)
Use Cases:
– Accessory Enforcement: “Laptop requires charger”
– Safety Compliance: “Power tool requires safety glasses”
– Bundle Sales: “Buy shirt, must add matching pants”
Configuration:
Trigger Products: [Laptop #500]
Required Products: [Charger #501, Mouse #502]
Action: Block checkout
Message: "Laptop bundle includes Charger and Mouse. Please add to cart."
Customer Experience:
1. Customer adds Laptop → Rule activates
2. Cart shows: "⚠️ Laptop bundle incomplete"
3. Checkout button disabled (grayed out)
4. Customer adds Charger and Mouse → Checkout enabled ✅
BOGO (Buy One Get One)
Purpose: Promotional bundles with automatic discounts
Use Cases:
– Cross-Sell: “Buy coffee, get 20% off mug”
– Upsell: “Add premium version, save 15%”
– Seasonal Promos: “Holiday bundle: Buy 2, save $10”
Configuration:
Trigger Products: [Coffee #101]
Required Products: [Mug #102]
Discount Type: Percentage
Discount Value: 20.0
Action: Block checkout (until bundle complete)
Message: "Add Mug to your Coffee and save 20% on bundle!"
Customer Experience:
Cart before:
- Coffee: $12.00
Customer adds Mug →
Cart after:
- Coffee: $12.00
- Mug: $8.00
- Bundle Discount (20%): -$4.00
Subtotal: $16.00 (saved $4.00!)
Quantity Rules
Minimum Quantity
Purpose: Enforce minimum order quantities per product
Use Cases:
– Wholesale Minimums: “Must order 10+ units”
– Bulk Pricing: “Buy 50+ for wholesale price”
– Sample Prevention: “No single-unit orders (trial packs only)”
Configuration:
Target Products: [Widget #300]
Minimum Quantity: 10
Action: Block checkout
Message: "Wholesale orders require minimum {min_qty} units. You have {quantity}."
Customer Experience:
Customer adds 3 units →
❌ "Wholesale orders require minimum 10 units. You have 3."
Checkout blocked
Customer changes to 12 units →
✅ Error clears, checkout enabled
Maximum Quantity
Purpose: Limit maximum order quantities per product
Use Cases:
– Fairness Enforcement: “Limit 2 per customer (high-demand item)”
– Prevent Resellers: “Max 5 units (no bulk purchasing)”
– Stock Protection: “Limit quantities during low inventory”
Configuration:
Target Products: [Limited Edition #400]
Maximum Quantity: 5
Action: Block checkout
Message: "Limited to {max_qty} per customer. You have {quantity}."
Exact Quantity (Multiples)
Purpose: Require quantities in specific increments
Use Cases:
– Pre-Packaged Items: “Sold in packs of 6”
– Wholesale Cases: “Must order in multiples of 12”
– Manufacturing Constraints: “Bulk orders in multiples of 100”
Configuration:
Target Products: [Pre-packaged #500]
Must be Multiple Of: 6
Action: Block checkout
Message: "Product sold in packs of 6. Please adjust quantity to 6, 12, 18, etc."
Category & Product Restrictions
Category Restriction
Purpose: Block specific category combinations in same cart
Use Cases:
– Shipping Safety: “Can’t ship Fragile + Heavy items together”
– Temperature Conflicts: “Can’t ship Frozen + Ambient together”
– Regulatory: “Can’t ship Alcohol + Tobacco together”
Configuration:
Restricted Categories: [Fragile, Heavy Equipment]
Action: Block checkout
Message: "Fragile items cannot be shipped with Heavy Equipment. Please place separate orders."
Customer Experience:
Cart contains:
- Glass Vase (Fragile category)
- Dumbbell Set (Heavy Equipment category)
Result:
❌ "Fragile items cannot be shipped with Heavy Equipment..."
Checkout blocked
Customer removes one category →
✅ Error clears
Product Exclusion
Purpose: Block specific product combinations in same cart
Use Cases:
– Allergen Safety: “Can’t order Peanuts + Peanut-Free items”
– Brand Separation: “Can’t mix Competitor Brand A + Brand B”
– Incompatibility: “Product X conflicts with Product Y (technical)”
Configuration:
Product A: [Allergenic Item #600]
Conflicting Products: [Peanut-Free Item #601]
Action: Block checkout
Message: "Cannot order allergenic and peanut-free items in same shipment (cross-contamination risk)."
Cart Value Rules
Minimum Cart Total
Purpose: Enforce minimum order value
Use Cases:
– Free Shipping Threshold: “Minimum $50 for free shipping”
– Order Profitability: “Minimum $25 order (processing costs)”
– Wholesale Minimums: “B2B orders require $500 minimum”
Configuration:
Minimum Cart Value: $50.00
Action: Block checkout
Message: "Minimum order is $50. Add $[remaining] more to checkout."
Maximum Cart Total
Purpose: Limit maximum order value
Use Cases:
– Fraud Prevention: “Orders over $5K require phone verification”
– Enterprise Sales: “Orders over $10K → Redirect to /quote-request”
– Credit Limit: “Net-30 accounts limited to $2,500/order”
Configuration:
Maximum Cart Value: $10,000.00
Action: Redirect
Redirect URL: /enterprise-quote
Message: "Large orders require custom quote. Redirecting to sales team..."
Common Rule Examples
Example 1: Coffee Bundle with Discount
Rule Type: BOGO
Trigger: Coffee (SKU 101)
Required: Mug (SKU 102)
Discount: 20% off bundle
Message: "Add Mug to get 20% off your Coffee bundle!"
Example 2: Wholesale Minimum
Rule Type: Minimum Quantity
Product: Widget (SKU 300)
Minimum: 10 units
Message: "Wholesale orders require minimum 10 units. You have {quantity}."
Example 3: Shipping Restriction
Rule Type: Category Restriction
Categories: Fragile, Heavy
Message: "Fragile and Heavy items cannot ship together. Please place separate orders."
Example 4: Free Shipping Threshold
Rule Type: Minimum Cart Value
Minimum: $50.00
Message: "Add ${remaining} more for FREE SHIPPING!"
Action: Toast (suggestion, not block)
Next Steps
Now that you understand rule creation, explore advanced features:
Or learn how to manage orders:
Last Updated: November 14, 2025
Plugin Version: 1.0