---
title: "Creating Staff Assignment Rules"
slug: "staff-assignment-rule"
updated: 2026-03-17T22:28:52Z
published: 2026-03-17T22:28:52Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.technolutions.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating Staff Assignment Rules

To assign staff to specific records, you’ll need to create staff assignment rules. These rules determine which staff member is assigned to any given record.

> [!NOTE]
> 💡 Tip
> 
> Use ordered index cards and staff assignment definitions to write the assignment rules in Slate. Start with the #1 index card and work through your stack. See [Getting Started with Staff Assignments](/v1/docs/getting-started-with-staff-assignments) for more help getting started.

## The Staff Assigned field

The “Staff Assigned” field is included in Slate by default when your Slate database is first created. If your database does not have the Staff Assigned field already included, for whatever reason, then the Staff Assigned field will need to be created. You can use these same steps to create additional fields to capture various staff assignments, such as an **Advisor Assigned**, **Coach Assigned,** or other similar data point.

### Creating a staff assignment field

> [!NOTE]
> 📖 See also: [Creating a Custom Field](/v1/docs/field-editor)

To create a custom staff assignment field:

1. Go to **Database → Fields**.
2. Select **New Field**. A pop-up appears.
3. Enter the following configurations:
  - **Status:** Active
  - **Scope Category:** Records
  - **Scope:**Person
  - **ID:**Enter `user`
  - **Name:**Give the field an internal name, which will be used to find it throughout Slate.
  - **Folder:**Organize your fields by keeping them in a clear folder structure. Create a new folder by selecting **Other.**
  - **Field Type:**Single Value
  - **Prompt:**user
4. Select **Save.**

> [!NOTE]
> 📝 Note
> 
> Only active Slate users can be selected as assignees, as the `user` prompt dynamically generates a list of your active Slate users. Make sure all staff members who will be assigned to records are active users in Slate before creating your rules. See [Creating New Users](/v1/docs/user-accounts).

## Create the rules

1. Select Database in the top navigation bar and select **Rules Editor**.
2. Select **New Rule**
3. Enter the following User configurations in the popup window:
  - **Name**: Give the rule a name that clearly identifies the assignment it performs. For example: School Specific CEEBs - Smith.
  - **Base**: Select Configurable Joins - Person to assign staff to Person records. For dataset or application records, select the appropriate base.
  - **Type**: Select **Field**
  - **Trigger**: Select **Upon Update (Deferred)**
  - **Folder**: Create a folder called *Staff Assignment* and save all staff assignment rules in this folder.
  - **Exclusivity** **Group**: Create a new exclusivity group. Slate processes rules within a group in ascending priority order and stops once a record matches a rule.
  - **Non-deterministic:** Select **Rule is deterministic and has an exclusive priority.**
  - **Priority**: Enter **10**
  - **Status**: Select **Preview**
4. Use the embedded query building interface to filter the rule to the desired group of records. For more information on building queries, see [Getting Started with Configurable Joins](/v1/docs/getting-started-with-configurable-joins).
5. Configure the desired action for the rule to apply to the matched records.
  - **Field**: Select Staff Assigned (or your chosen staff assignment field)
  - **Action**: Replace Values
  - **Prompt**: Select the appropriate User
6. Select **Save**. Unlike most areas of Slate, the Rules Editor does not save automatically.
7. Repeat this process for each staff assignment rule, incrementing the **Priority** value of each rule by 5 or 10 for each subsequent rule.
8. When all rules are finished, change each rule’s status from **Preview** to **Active.**
  - While editing a rule, select **Edit** in the top right-hand corner of the Rule Editor interface, then change the status from **Preview** to **Active** and Save.
  - Alternatively, use [batch management](/v1/docs/batch-managing-resources) from the main Rules Editor page to change the status of multiple rules simultaneously.

> [!TIP]
> ✨ Best Practice
> 
> If every record in your database should be assigned to a staff member, be sure to create a [Staff Assignment Default Rule](/v1/docs/staff-assignment-default-rule).

> [!NOTE]
> 📖 Further reading:
> 
> - [Exclusivity Groups](/v1/docs/exclusivity-groups)
> - [Rules - Action Settings](/v1/docs/rules-action-settings)

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