Using list rules

This article explain how list rules work, and how to set them up to drive dynamic lists.

Topics covered:

• What are list rules?
• How to set up a list rule
• Reordering list-driven rules
• Combining rules and assets
• How duplicate list items are handled
• The Advanced view
• Saving and publishing lists

What are list rules?

List rules allow you to apply logic to the surfacing of content on your lists. They keep the list content dynamic, automatically updating it based on the ruleset criteria. Using basic rules, you can eliminate manual curation and ensure viewers are always served up-to-date content. 

For example, let's take a list: Movies (Latest). With list rules, newly-ingested movie content can be automatically added to the list and sorted based on availability or offer date, then made available to users with the appropriate subscription tier. All without the need for the movie assets to be manually selected from the catalog and added to the list.

Another use case involves combining list rules with asset relations, to dynamically add new content to your lists based on predefined associations between asset types.

For example, where an asset relation has been defined between team and competition, use list rules to surface related competition assets associated with a team, as and when they're added.

How to set up a list rule

When curating a list, at the bottom of the page you'll notice the option to Add an asset OR Add Rules.

1. Select the Add Rules link to display rule fields
2. Start by selecting the item type(s) that will populate your list. For example, you might want it to only include a specific asset type, like movie or event. Or it could contain a mix of asset types within a particular genre or sport.
3. Next, use the fields that follow to specify additional parameters to refine your list rule. For a movie list, you could specify a genre, or only include those featuring a particular cast or crew member, for example. An event list rule might be refined by sport, and then by those with an Event Start Date within a specified timeframe.
4. You can select additional criteria to build up your ruleset – simply click into the Please choose... field on a new line – until you're satisfied that you've included all relevant content parameters
5. Use the Sort dropdown to define the order in which the assets should appear on the list
6. Finally, specify the maximum number of assets the list should contain. The Max. items dropdown also gives you the option of setting this to unlimited, although we'd advise against this setting as it has the potential to impact the performance of your service.

Below is an example of a list rule set to update the list Movies (Latest) with all new Movie assets released After 2020, sorted by Date offered (newest first) with a Max. items set to 25.

In this case, the list will automatically update with new movie assets that were released after 2020, with the most recently-offered appearing at the beginning of the list.

Another example below shows how you would use the Has relation list filter, combined with the Followed items selection, to add a list rule that automatically populates the list with all events involving any team the user follows.

Use metadata and tagging, and the offer-ability/scheduling window of assets to create rule-driven lists.

For example, create a list displaying episodes (asset type) for a specific channel that are expiring in (offer) 7 days. If you're offering a catchup service, this means episodes can be continuously added and removed from the catalog.

How do I reorder rule-driven lists?

If you need to change an asset's positioning within a rule-driven list (to override the automatic order), simply find the asset in the list and drag it into position.

Note that if you manually edit a list that's already in use, when you save it, any Reference App row currently using the published list is automatically updated.

Can I combine rules and assets in a list?

Yes, rules and assets can be combined. You can manually add specific assets to your list to ensure they're showcased prominently, and then use rules to backfill the list with related content.

See our creating and managing lists article for more information on how to manually select and add assets to your lists.

How duplicate list items are handled

By default, Presentation Manager automatically removes duplicate assets from lists – for example in cases where an asset is automatically inserted through a list rule, but is also added manually.

In terms of positioning, the asset higher up the list will be kept in preference to the duplicate further down.

The Advanced view

The Advanced view, accessed through a link in the top right-hand side of the screen, shows the XML code driving your list. For those with an understanding of XML structure, this view can provide a more detailed insight into how the list rule will work. You can toggle between the Advanced and Standard views to see your list configuration from different perspectives.

By modifying the XML, it's also possible to adjust – or extend – a list rule beyond what can be done using the parameters available in the standard view. We'd advise caution in doing this, however, to avoid introducing errors or conflicts into the list rule logic.

Read our separate Advanced view article for more information on this page.

Saving and publishing lists

By clicking the button, the list is made visible to your end users to view and interact with.

Need to make additional changes before going live?

No problem, save your list without publishing by selecting the More button, followed by Save. This action saves your changes but the list remains in a draft state until it's manually published.

Alternatively, from the More menu, you have the option to Archive or Delete the list.

 

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Related articles:

• Lists
• Creating and managing lists
• Lists - Advanced view
• Asset relations
• Following assets