How Rule Status, Priority, and First-Match Behavior Work
What you will achieve in this guide
Follow this step-by-step documentation to configure custom B2B registration forms, approval workflows, and customer tagging.
Control which Shopify approval rule decides an application by setting rule status and order.
Before you begin
Review the form’s questions, saved approval settings, and active rule order. Have controlled applications ready for matching and nonmatching cases. Check Shopify B2B availability separately before enabling company creation.
Order is part of your policy
The rule list is evaluated from the first active rule downward until a match is found. Reordering changes which decision wins when an application satisfies several rules. Draft or Disabled rules should not be treated as active paths.
Put narrow exceptions first, such as manual review for a selected email domain, and broad approvals later. A rule can have correct conditions and still appear to fail because an earlier rule already decided the application.
Reference and examples
| Order | Condition | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Selected email domain needs human review | Manual review |
| 2 | Annual volume at least 1000 | Approve |
An application matching both is sent to manual review because rule 1 wins. Reversing the order would let rule 2 approve first. Use fresh tests after reordering.
Example
Put a manual-review rule for a selected email domain above a volume-based auto-approve rule. Submit an application matching both, then change priority and retest with a fresh application.
Expected result
The first matching active rule wins, so overlapping cases demonstrate why ordering matters.
Limits and important behavior
- Rules do not combine several decisions into one approval.
- A disabled or draft rule should not be treated as an active decision path.
- Review both order and condition logic when the result differs from your expectation.
Troubleshooting and verification
If a lower rule appears to be ignored, read active rules from the top using the same answers. Once a rule matches, later rules do not contribute decisions. Save reordered rules and submit a new controlled application to verify the revised priority.
Screenshots to add
Screenshot placeholder: Capture the app screen or test result described in “How Rule Status, Priority, and First-Match Behavior Work”. Include the relevant saved settings and the example outcome so readers can connect the explanation to the interface. Use dummy applicant details and mask any secrets.
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