Territory assignment rules for client accounts and leads
Key Takeaway
Rules place accounts on create or edit only when the territory model is in Active state and the rule is Active. The matching option must also be on: "Run territory assignment rules during account inserts" in Territory Settings for new accounts, and the account's "Evaluate this account against territory rules on save" for edits. A rule with "Apply to child territories" flows down, so an account must meet it to land in a child territory.
Account assignment rules let Sales Territories place client accounts into territories automatically. Each rule uses account field criteria, such as state, ZIP code, or industry, to describe the accounts that belong in a territory. Rules sit on territories inside a hierarchy. Where you put a rule, and how you set it to run, decide which territory an account lands in. Accounts and leads can also be assigned to territories by hand from their record pages, which covers cases that rules don't.
How rules match accounts to territories
Each territory in a model can have two kinds of account assignment rules. A locally defined rule is created on that territory. An inherited rule is created on a territory higher in the hierarchy with "Apply to child territories" selected, so it also affects the territories below it.
- When a territory has several locally defined rules, an account is assigned there only if it matches all of them. The rules act as AND conditions, not OR conditions.
- Inherited rules count too. An account must match a territory's inherited rules as well as its locally defined rules to be placed in that territory.
- If an account matches all inherited and locally defined rules for more than one territory on the same branch of the hierarchy, it is assigned to the lowest matching territory. The most specific territory wins.
- A territory with no inherited or locally defined rules contains only accounts that were assigned manually.