---
title: Assignment rules
category: administration
order: 7
lastUpdated: 2026-06-08
featureAvailability: GA
planRequirements: [Growth, Pro, District]
roles: [admin]
navigationPath: Administration → Assignment rules
relatedArticles: [administration/intake-forms, administration/facilitators, cases/assigning-cases]
---

## At a glance

- **Who uses it:** Admins who want incoming referrals routed automatically.
- **When to use it:** Once configured, then revisited when facilitator coverage changes.
- **Permissions required:** Administrator. Available on Growth and above.
- **Navigation path:** Administration → Assignment rules.

## Purpose

Assignment rules route new referrals to a facilitator (or a small set of facilitators) automatically, so they enter the caseload immediately instead of sitting in the unowned inbox.

## How a rule is shaped

Each rule has:

- A **trigger** — usually "new referral matches X" where X is a combination of intake form, category, grade band, or urgency.
- An **action** — assign to a specific facilitator, round-robin across a group, or assign to the facilitator with the lowest current active caseload.
- A **fallback** — what to do when the preferred action can't apply (e.g. selected facilitator is on Hold).

Rules are evaluated in order; the first match wins.

## Step-by-step

### Create a rule

1. **Administration → Assignment rules → New rule**.
2. Describe the trigger using the form, or use the AI design helper (see [AI summaries](/help/ai/ai-summaries) for AI context) to draft a rule from natural language.
3. Pick an action (single owner, round-robin, lowest caseload).
4. Set a fallback.
5. Save and **activate** the rule.

[SCREENSHOT: admin-assignment-rules-list]
_Administration → Assignment rules with three active rules and one paused, drag handles visible for reordering._

### Test a rule

Use the **Test** button on a rule. Paste in a sample submission; the panel shows which rule would match and which facilitator would receive the case.

### Pause a rule

Toggle a rule **Inactive** when coverage changes (a facilitator out on leave). Inactive rules are skipped during evaluation; reactivating restores them at the top of the next evaluation.

## Tips & best practices

- Start with one or two simple rules ("all academic referrals → Maria"). Add specificity only when the caseload requires it.
- Pair each intake form with at least one rule so submissions don't pile up in the unowned inbox.
- Use **lowest active caseload** with caps to prevent the highest-energy facilitator from absorbing everything.

## Common mistakes

- Writing rules that never match (typo in category name) — Test before activating.
- Forgetting a fallback — referrals queue in unowned when the rule's primary action fails.

## Related articles

- [Configuring intake forms](/help/administration/intake-forms)
- [Managing facilitators](/help/administration/facilitators)
- [Assigning cases](/help/cases/assigning-cases)

## FAQ

**Can a rule notify someone other than the assignee?**
The assignee is always notified. To CC additional staff, use a separate notification setting on the intake form (or contact your account manager — broader rule actions are on the roadmap).

**Does the rule re-evaluate if a facilitator goes inactive later?**
No. Rules apply at the moment of assignment. To reassign en masse, use **Reassign all open cases** from the facilitator's profile.