---
title: Rules Hierarchy
description: "Think of our rules like layers in a pyramid or steps in a ladder. The higher a rule is in the hierarchy, the more authority it has. That means: Top-level rules always take priority. If a lower-level r"
---

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# Rules Hierarchy

### Understanding the Rule Hierarchy

Think of our rules like layers in a pyramid or steps in a ladder. The higher a rule is in the hierarchy, the more **authority** it has. That means:

- **Top-level rules** always **take priority**.
- If a **lower-level rule** conflicts with a higher one, the **higher rule wins** — it can override or even cancel the lower one.

#### **Let's have a look at the example from If rules.**

We have:

Rule#1

Rule#2 

- **By default** the **RULE #1** has higher priority which means the order conditions goes through RULE#1 and then in case an ORDER doesn't meet requirements of RULE#1 it goes to RULE #2.
- If the ORDER meets requirements of RULE#1 then the RULE#1 will trigger the action although we want it to be triggered by RULE#2

**![](https://help.ifreturns.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jul-01-2025-01-48-34-4628-PM.png?width=688&height=196&name=image-png-Jul-01-2025-01-48-34-4628-PM.png)**

 

- If we turn off the RULE#1 then the RULE#2 will have the first priority.

![](https://help.ifreturns.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jul-01-2025-01-54-43-0443-PM.png?width=688&height=260&name=image-png-Jul-01-2025-01-54-43-0443-PM.png)

---

### Why This Matters

If we don’t follow the rule hierarchy:

- Lower rules may contradict higher ones.
- That can lead to **unexpected behaviors**, errors, or **implementation issues** in your system.
- It’s important to **align rules properly** to avoid conflicts and ensure consistency.

---

### What You Should Do

- **Always define high-priority rules first**.
- Be careful when adding lower-level rules — check if they **conflict with any rule above**.
- If unsure, we’re here to **help you structure them correctly**.

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