Rules
Rules are automated business logic that automatically apply actions to your organization's data. Rules can filter transactions, apply tags, or assign emissions factors based on specific conditions.
Table of Contents
Rule Types
Rules are divided into two categories:
Integration Rules - Apply to synced accounting/integration data (transactions)
Business Logic Rules - Apply to footprint and activity data (emissions factors, tags, metric events)
Each of these categories is further broken down into specific Rule Types:
1. Transaction Filter Rules
Purpose: Control which transactions from accounting integrations are included or excluded during data syncing into Brightest from an external accounting system or ERP.
Available for: Integration Rules only
How it works:
Include: Only sync transactions that match the rule criteria
Exclude: Skip transactions that match the rule criteria (prevent them from syncing)
Use Cases:
Sync only transactions from 2024
Exclude transactions from specific accounts (e.g., "Payroll")
Include only transactions with certain memo text
Filter by tracking categories
2. Tag Rules
Purpose: Automatically apply metadata tags to data that matches specific criteria.
Available for: Business Logic Rules only (applies to footprint data)
How it works:
When data matches the rule criteria, specified meta tags are automatically applied
Tags can be used for filtering, reporting, and data organization
Use Cases:
Tag all UK-based assets
Tag waste events from specific facilities
Tag spend when the transaction UUID includes "XYZ"
3. Emissions Factor Rules
Purpose: Automatically assign emissions factors to footprint data based on matching criteria.
Available for: Business Logic Rules only
How it works:
When footprint data matches the rule criteria, a specified emissions factor is automatically assigned
Can be applied to Footprint Emissions Factors or Metric Events
Supports time-based filtering (e.g., different emissions factors for different years)
Common Use Cases:
Assign 2024 DESNZ electricity emissions factor to all UK-based electricity usage
Assign specific fuel emissions factors based on location
Apply different emissions factors to the same metric for different time periods (e.g., 2024 vs 2023 natural gas EF)
Rule Creation Form Fields
Name
Enter a descriptive name for the rule (for internal reference)
Example: "UK Electricity 2024 EF"
Type
Select the rule category: Transaction Filter, Tag, or Emissions Factor
Determines what action the rule performs
Filter Type
Include: Rule applies to matching data
Exclude: Rule skips/prevents matching data
Only available for Transaction Filter rules
Filter Fields
Select one or more fields to evaluate when matching data.
You can select multiple fields (rule matches if ANY field matches)
Examples:
Asset Location, Transaction Date, Account
Value
Enter the value to match against the selected filter fields.
Examples:
"United Kingdom", "2024-01-01",
"Travel Expenses" Can be left empty for certain filter types (e.g., date ranges)
Match Type
Select how the value is compared:
Exact Match - Field must exactly equal the value
Contains - Field must contain the value anywhere
Starts With - Field must begin with the value
Ends With - Field must end with the value
Metric Name Value
Required when filtering by metric name.
Options: Electricity, Fuel, Waste, Water, Refrigeration, Heating, Materials, Transport, Carbon, Pollution, Time, KPI, Area, Freight
Example: Select "Electricity" to apply rule only to electricity metrics
Fuel Type Value (Only for Fuel metrics)
Select the fuel type you'd like to apply the emissions factor to.
Example: Select "Natural Gas" to apply the emissions factor to only Natural Gas data
Waste Type Value (Only for Waste metrics)
Select the waste type you'd like to apply the emissions factor to.
Waste Disposal Type Value (Only for Waste metrics)
Select the waste disposal type you'd like to apply the emissions factor to.
Water Type Value (Only for Water metrics)
Select the water type you'd like to apply the emissions factor to.
Water Use Type Value (Only for Water metrics)
Select the water use type you'd like to apply the emissions factor to.
Refrigerant Type Value (Only for Refrigeration metrics)
Select the refrigerant type you'd like to apply the emissions factor to.
Date Filter Start Date
Choose the start date for the data you want this rule to apply to using the date picker. Example: To apply the rule to all data in 2024, select the start date "January 1, 2024 at 12:00am" Leave blank if you want to apply the rule to regardless of date.
Date Filter End Date
Choose the end date for the data you want this rule to apply to using the date picker. Example: To apply the rule to all data in 2024, select the end date "December 31, 2024 at 12:00am" Leave blank if you want to apply the rule to regardless of date.
Active
Toggle to enable/disable the rule
Inactive rules won't be applied to data
Target Model
Select the data type this rule applies to:
Spend Event - Synced spend/invoice data
Metric Event - Individual metric measurements (electricity usage, waste, etc.)
Asset - Physical locations/facilities
Footprint - Annual footprint summaries
Material - Material usage data
Footprint Emissions Factor - Emissions factors assigned to footprint data
Target Field
The specific field within the target model to evaluate
Examples:
Asset's country
Metric name (Electricity, Fuel, etc.)
Metric type for metric events
Emissions Factor (Emissions Factor Rules only)
Select the emissions factor to automatically assign when rule matches the defined criteria.
The emissions factor must have already been saved in your Brightest Emissions Factor Library.
Meta Tags (Tag Rules only)
Select one or more tags to automatically apply when rule matches the defined criteria.
The tags must have already been created in your Brightest license.
Example: Tag with "UK Operations" and "2024 Data"
Common Use Cases & Examples
Example 1: Assign UK Electricity Emissions Factor Based on Location
Goal: Automatically assign a UK-specific electricity emissions factor to all UK-based electricity usage.
Rule Configuration:
Type: Emissions Factor
Target Model: Footprint Emissions Factor
Target Field: Footprint Emissions Factor Metric Name
Filter Fields: Asset Location Country
Value: United Kingdom
Match Type: Exact Match
Metric Name Value: Electricity
Emissions Factor: [Select UK Electricity EF]
Result: Any Footprint Emissions Factor with metric "Electricity" for assets in the UK will automatically get the specified EF assigned.
Example 2: Apply Different Emissions Factors for Different Years
Goal: Use a 2024 emissions factor for natural gas in 2024, but a 2023 factor for 2023 data.
Rule Configuration:
Type: Emissions Factor
Target Model: Footprint Emissions Factor
Target Field: Footprint Emissions Factor Emissions Factor
Filter Fields: Asset Location Country
Value: United States
Match Type: Exact Match
Metric Name Value: Fuel
Fuel Type Value: Natural gas
Date Filter Start Date: 2024-01-01
Date Filter End Date: 2024-12-31
Emissions Factor: [Select 2024 Natural Gas EF]
Note: Create a separate rule with the same settings but 2023 dates and 2023 Emissions Factor for the previous year.
Example 3: Tag All UK Assets
Goal: Automatically tag all UK-based assets for reporting purposes.
Rule Configuration:
Type: Tag
Target Model: Asset
Filter Fields: Asset Location Country
Value: United Kingdom
Match Type: Exact Match
Meta Tags: [Select "UK Operations" tag]
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