NATS4 Rules
A new feature in NATS4 is rules. Rules let you dictate things like what events happen when and who sees what. Overall the rules system follows the same general format with a few specific differences depending on what context the rules are being used in. In some cases you must set up rules to perform certain actions. This includes sending out mass email , showing join options , and showing cascades.
Make sure you have at least one rule when you want to perform these actions.
General Rule Format
Rules always follow the same general format. You can have a rule that is in one of three states. Although they may be called something different i.e. show, enable, send, they all fall into one of the three states. The first state is an enabled state. When a rule is created in an enabled state it will preform a given action when the specified criteria is met. Next is the disabled state. When a rule is created in the disabled state the action will not be preformed based on the specified criteria. The last state is the Ignore state. When in this state a rule will basically act as if it were not created. This can be useful for testing reasons when you want to create a rule but are not sure how you should use it yet.
Rule Relations
A disable rule will always take precedence over an enable rule. For example, say you want a popup to show for all affiliates but affiliates X, Y, and Z. You would want to create a SHOW rule for all affiliates on all sites, tours, etc. But the three that you don't want to have popups you would create a HIDE rule for. This HIDE rule will take precedence over the SHOW rule for everyone else.
Simple Form
The simple form for rules allows you basic control over an area of functionality. This includes limitations such as affiliate, program, and tour. In addition there are time based setting that allow you to set the duration that a rule is in effect for.
You can select from the three types of rules: IGNORE, SHOW, and DISABLE:
- IGNORE
- Ignore allows you to set up a rule without having it be an active rule. For example, say you know that there are certain limitations that you want to have enacted as a rule for a given section. You may create an ignore rule while you are still figuring out the details of what you want the rule to encompass. In other words its a non-active rule that has no effects.
- SHOW/ENABLE/SEND
- A show rule will enable the functionality based on the limatations that you specify. The following is an example of a SHOW rule for cascades. (Cascades require a show rule to be seen on a join page. More info in the #Cascades section.)
- A show rule will enable the functionality based on the limatations that you specify. The following is an example of a SHOW rule for cascades. (Cascades require a show rule to be seen on a join page. More info in the #Cascades section.)
Here we are adding a rule for the cascade CCBill that we have created. But I only want to make this payment option available to a affiliates in my program testProgram and for my site My Crazy Membership Site. To do this we select the appropriate program and site from the drop-downs for program and site as shown below.
Now we just click Save Rule and the rule is now set.
This cascade will now only show up for surfers who come in under testProgram on the site My Crazy Membership Site.
- DISABLE/HIDE/HOLD
- A disable rule will have the opposite effect as an enable rule. Using the same example as above, say I want to not display this cascade for surfers who come in under testProgram and on the site My Crazy Membership Site. I would do the same as above but this time I would select Disable from the Type drop-down.
Notes
Under the affiliate section, you can add an affiliate by entering their user name or ALL for all the affiliates. If you want to add more than one affiliate but not all the affiliate, you must click on the Advanced Form link above the Add Cascade Table. Also you can choose the rule for either all the sites or just one site and for either all the program or just one program.
Advanced Form
There are several differences between the Simple Form and the Advanced Form:
- Simple Form you can only select one or all for affiliates, program, and sites.
- Advanced Form can select multiple affiliates, programs, tours,and sites.
- To add multiple affiliates, you must enter their username and click on the ADD link next to the form
- To add multiple tours,sites, and program, you have to hold ctrl and select the tours, sites, and programs that you want in the rule.
Notes
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