--- title: "Creating and managing rulesets" slug: "create-rulesets-for-your-flows" updated: 2026-09-22T14:55:20Z published: 2026-09-22T14:55:20Z canonical: "help.gong.io/create-rulesets-for-your-flows" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.gong.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Create rulesets for your flows > **Who can use this**: Business admin > > **Available on**: Gong Engage > > **Required permissions:** Create and manage flow rulesets Rulesets are reusable sets of rules you apply to flows to define how they respond to email replies, bounces, meeting bookings, and CRM changes. You don't need to configure every category — unconfigured categories use default behavior, and you can add or change rules at any time. Learn more about [how flow rulesets work](/v1/docs/understanding-rulesets). ## Step 1: Name and describe the ruleset Every ruleset needs a name. The name appears on the Flow rulesets page and in flow settings wherever the ruleset is applied, so choose one that describes its purpose. **To create a ruleset:** 1. From the left sidebar, click **Assets**, and select **Flow rulesets**. 2. Click **Create ruleset**. 3. Enter a name in the **Name** field. 4. (Optional) Enter a description in the **Description** field. ## Step 2: Set flow properties Flow properties control whether contacts can be active in more than one flow at a time, and whether the cool-off period applies after a flow ends. **To set flow properties:** 1. Under **Flow properties**, choose **This flow is exclusive** or **This flow is not exclusive**. 2. (If applicable) Choose whether to **Apply** or **Ignore** the cool-off period. > [!NOTE] > Note: > > If your company has disabled multiple active flows globally, the exclusivity option is locked and cannot be changed at the ruleset level. Learn more about [flow property options](/v1/docs/configure-ruleset-rules#flow-properties). ## Step 3: Set up outbound emails Outbound email settings control whether flow emails include an opt-out footer. **To set up outbound emails:** 1. Under **Outbound emails**, choose **Display an opt-out footer** or **Don't display an opt-out footer**. 2. If displaying, choose **Dynamic opt-out footer** or **Select opt-out footer**. > [!NOTE] > Note: > > If your company enforces a global opt-out requirement, this option may be locked. Learn more about [outbound email options](/v1/docs/configure-ruleset-rules#outbound-emails). ## Step 4: Set up response handling Response handling defines what happens when a contact engages with your outreach. Configure each trigger event separately. **To configure email reply handling:** 1. Under **Response handling**, click the dropdown next to **When someone replies via email** and select an action. 2. (Optional) Select whether to create a response to-do. **To configure meeting booked handling:** 1. Click the dropdown next to **When someone books a meeting** and select an action. 2. (Optional) Select whether to create a meeting booked to-do. **To configure email bounce handling:** 1. Click the first dropdown next to **When an email bounces** and select what happens to the contact. 2. Click the second dropdown and select whether to create a bounce to-do. > [!NOTE] > Note: > > Out-of-office replies and returned missed calls also appear in this section but are not configurable. They are shown for reference only. Learn more about [response handling options](/v1/docs/configure-ruleset-rules#response-handling). ## Step 5: Add CRM change rules CRM change rules automatically remove a contact or lead from the flow when a CRM field reaches a defined value — for example, when a lead is disqualified or a deal closes. You can add multiple CRM change rules to one ruleset. **To add a CRM change rule:** 1. Under **CRM change**, click **+ Add rule**. 2. Select the CRM object to monitor: Lead, Contact, Account, or Opportunity. 3. Select the field and the trigger value. 4. Select the action: remove the contact or lead from the flow. 5. Click **Apply**. Repeat for each rule you want to add. > [!NOTE] > Note: > > CRM change rules respond to field transitions, not to the current field value. If a field already has the trigger value when someone joins the flow, the rule does not fire. Learn more about [CRM change rule options](/v1/docs/configure-ruleset-rules#crm-change). ## Step 6: Map flow status changes Flow status change rules update a lead's CRM status when their flow status changes in Gong, keeping your CRM in sync without manual updates. Supported CRMs include Salesforce, HubSpot, and Dynamics 365. **To add a flow status change rule:** 1. Under **Flow status change**, click **+ Add rule**. 2. Map a Gong flow status to the corresponding CRM lead-status value. Learn more about [flow status change options](/v1/docs/configure-ruleset-rules#flow-status-change). ## Step 7: Save the ruleset When you have configured the categories you need, click **Save**. The ruleset is immediately available to apply to any flow. You can apply it to multiple flows at once or change the ruleset assigned to a specific flow from the flow's settings. Learn more about [managing your rulesets](/v1/docs/manage-your-rulesets) and [changing a flow's ruleset](/v1/docs/change-a-flow-s-ruleset). > [!NOTE] > Note: > > You can return to edit the ruleset at any time. Changes to a shared ruleset apply immediately to all flows using it. Learn more about [editing rulesets](/v1/docs/manage-your-rulesets#edit-a-ruleset). ## Frequently asked questions ****Do I have to configure all six rule categories?**** No. You can save a ruleset with no rules configured and add them later. Unconfigured categories use default behavior. For example, if you do not configure response handling, replies and bounces do not trigger any automatic action. ****Can I update the rules in a ruleset after creating it?**** Yes. Open the ruleset from **Assets** > **Flow rulesets** and click the more actions icon > **Edit**. Any change applies immediately to all flows using that ruleset. Learn more about [managing your rulesets](/v1/docs/manage-your-rulesets). A team member who manages the business entities in Gong, such as deal and forecast boards. [Find my Business admin](/v1/docs/find-your-technical-or-business-admin). Gong’s AI-driven sales engagement solution that helps sales teams prioritize, personalize, and automate outreach activities to accelerate their pipelines. Access to features depends on your [company’s plan and your assigned seat](/v1/docs/plans-and-seats).