> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.serviceplan-agents.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Rules, method and lists
> What a coworker follows with every refresh, and how proposals for changes work. With examples.
> [!NOTE]
>
> **In short:** With every refresh, the coworker follows three guidelines: the rules per data area, the method and the lists. You will find all three in the **Setup** tab. Coworkers can only propose changes. Nothing changes without your approval.
## The three guidelines
Before delivering new data, the coworker follows three guidelines:
* **Rules per data area:** For each data area, it is documented in writing how its figures are produced. The rules answer four questions: What does the area cover? Which sources does the data come from? How is it assessed? Which gaps are known? Example: For "Prices per week", the rules might define which retailers and sources count. They might also say what happens if there is no new price in a given week.
* **Method:** A text with definitions that apply equally to all data areas. This ensures all areas work to the same standards. Example: whether "a week" means Monday to Sunday or the last seven days.
* **Lists:** The people, media or regions the dashboard monitors. Example: a company's main competitors or the relevant trade media in an industry.
This keeps the figures comparable from run to run. If another coworker takes over an area, it reads the same rules.
## What the rules of an area contain
In the **Setup** tab, the rules are under **Rules per data area**. The example shows a data area called "Competitor news".
> [accordion] Scope: what the area covers
>
> What the area covers and what it does not.
>
> *Example:* "News, product launches and campaigns from our three main competitors Contoso, Fabrikam and Northwind. Only the last seven days. No job ads, no stock market news."
> [accordion] Sourcing: where the data comes from
>
> The sources and the order in which they are trusted.
>
> *Example:* "First the competitors' press pages. Then two trade magazines of the industry. Social media only to confirm something found elsewhere."
> [accordion] Rules: how the data is assessed
>
> The rules that keep every week comparable.
>
> *Example:* "One entry per news item. The headline in our own words, 15 words at most. Always include the date and a link. If two sources report the same thing, keep only the earlier one."
> [accordion] Known gaps: which gaps are known
>
> Honest limits, so nobody is surprised.
>
> *Example:* "Northwind publishes press releases only in Swedish. We may miss small announcements."
> [accordion] Parts: which lists the coworker may maintain
>
> Some areas work with lists that change a little over time, such as the list of tracked competitors. This part defines which lists the delivering coworker may update itself, and which fields in them.
You can also edit the rules yourself. Click **Edit** on the area. Your version applies from the next refresh. Every version is kept. Use **Compare** to compare two versions.
The method and the lists are under **Method and lists**. You edit the method with **Edit method**.
## Proposals: nothing changes without your approval
If a rule no longer fits or a new name belongs on a list, the coworker submits a **proposal**. You will find it in the **Setup** tab under **Open proposals**. Each proposal shows the current text, the new text and the reasoning.
An open proposal in the Setup tab
You decide with one of three buttons:
* **Accept:** The change applies from the next run.
* **Edit and accept:** You adjust the wording and then accept the change.
* **Reject:** You give a reason. The coworker sees it on the next run.
A proposal you leave unanswered blocks nothing. The existing rules continue to apply. The person responsible (owner) receives an email after every run listing all new proposals. On each area, you can also switch on **Notify me about new proposals for this feed**.
```mermaid theme={"dark"}
%%{init: {'theme':'base', 'themeVariables': {'primaryColor':'#FFF5F5','primaryBorderColor':'#FF4B4F','primaryTextColor':'#141414','lineColor':'#FF4B4F','tertiaryColor':'#ffffff','fontSize':'14px'}}}%%
flowchart LR
A["A coworker notices
something"] --> B["It submits
a proposal"]
B --> C{"You decide"}
C -->|"Accept"| D["The new rule applies
from the next run"]
C -->|"Reject, with a reason"| E["The rule stays,
the coworker sees why"]
```
## Areas without rules
Not every data area has written rules. The coworker still delivers data. Its approach, however, is not documented anywhere. Which sources it uses and how it assesses them can therefore change from run to run. So can the results.
**Write them down** closes this gap. The delivering coworker writes down how it has produced the area so far. You receive the result as proposals that you can accept, edit or reject. The coworker does not fetch any new data in the process. In the dialog, under *What matters to you?* (optional), you can say what is important to you about the rules. Before you start, you see a cost estimate.
If you would rather write the rules yourself, use **Write them myself**.
## What you can do next
> [card] [Data areas and refreshes](https://docs.serviceplan-agents.com/en/live-apps/data-feeds.md)
>
> Cadence, delivery and run time.
> [card] [Frequently asked questions](https://docs.serviceplan-agents.com/en/live-apps/what-if.md)
>
> For example: what happens if I don't act on a proposal?
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