Introduction #

Target Selection in Ezhance is built around two simple concepts:

• Include Rules
• Exclude Rules

Include Rules determine which products should receive a promotion.

Exclude Rules remove products that should never receive the promotion.

Understanding how these rules work together is essential when creating accurate promotions.

How Include And Exclude Rules Work #

Ezhance evaluates Target Selection using the following process:

Include Rules
       ↓
Build Initial Product List
       ↓
Apply Exclude Rules
       ↓
Create Final Target List
       ↓
Evaluate Eligibility Rules
       ↓
Apply Promotion

A product must survive both stages to become eligible.

Quick Example #

In this example, we want to discount all Hoodie products except one premium product.

Promotion Type:

Simple Discount

Discount:

20%

Include:

Category = Hoodies

Exclude:

Premium Hoodie

Result:

All Hoodie products receive the discount except Premium Hoodie.

Understanding Include Rules #

Include Rules determine which products are eligible for consideration.

Without Include Rules, Ezhance has no products to evaluate.

Examples:

• Products
• Categories
• Tags
• Attributes

These rules build the initial target list.

Example: Include Products #

Include:

• Premium Hoodie
• Winter Jacket

Result:

Only those two products become eligible.

Example: Include Categories #

Include:

• Hoodies

Result:

All products assigned to the Hoodies category become eligible.

Example: Include Tags #

Include:

• Featured

Result:

All products containing the Featured tag become eligible.

Example: Include Attributes #

Include:

Color = Blue

Result:

All Blue products become eligible.

Understanding Exclude Rules #

Exclude Rules remove products from the target list.

Exclusions are evaluated after the Include Rules.

This means Exclude Rules always take priority.

Example: Excluding Products #

Include:

Category = Hoodies

Exclude:

Premium Hoodie

Result:

All Hoodie products receive the promotion except Premium Hoodie.

Example: Excluding Multiple Products #

Include:

Category = Shoes

Exclude:

• Running Shoe Pro
• Trail Runner Elite

Result:

All Shoes receive the promotion except the excluded products.

Exclusions Always Win #

A common question is:

What happens if a product is included and excluded at the same time?

The answer is simple:

Exclusions always win.

Example:

Include:

• Premium Hoodie

Exclude:

• Premium Hoodie

Result:

Premium Hoodie does not receive the promotion.

The exclusion overrides the inclusion.

Real-World Example #

Imagine a store with the following products:

• Basic Hoodie
• Premium Hoodie
• Winter Hoodie
• Sports Hoodie

Promotion:

20% Off Hoodies

Configuration:

Include:

Category = Hoodies

Exclude:

Premium Hoodie

Evaluation:

Initial Target List:

• Basic Hoodie
• Premium Hoodie
• Winter Hoodie
• Sports Hoodie

After Exclusions:

• Basic Hoodie
• Winter Hoodie
• Sports Hoodie

Result:

Only the remaining products receive the discount.

Combining Multiple Include Rules #

You can include multiple groups of products.

Example:

Include Categories:

• Hoodies
• Accessories

Result:

Products from both categories become eligible.

Combining Multiple Exclude Rules #

You can exclude multiple products.

Example:

Exclude:

• Premium Hoodie
• Premium Cap
• Premium Jacket

Result:

All excluded products are removed from the target list.

Include Rules And Eligibility Rules #

Target Selection and Eligibility Rules serve different purposes.

Include and Exclude Rules determine:

What products can receive the promotion.

Eligibility Rules determine:

Whether the customer qualifies.

Example:

Include:

Category = Hoodies

Eligibility Rule:

Cart Subtotal greater than $100

Result:

The promotion only applies when:

• The product belongs to Hoodies
• The customer satisfies the cart condition

Both requirements must pass.

Common Use Cases #

Category Sale With Premium Product Exclusions #

Include:

Category = Hoodies

Exclude:

Premium Hoodie

Result:

Run category-wide sales while protecting premium products.

Seasonal Promotions #

Include:

Tag = Summer

Exclude:

Selected products

Result:

Create highly targeted seasonal campaigns.

Inventory Clearance #

Include:

Category = Clearance

Exclude:

Recently added products

Result:

Control which products participate in clearance sales.

Brand Protection #

Include:

Large product groups

Exclude:

High-margin products

Result:

Prevent excessive discounting of premium items.

Best Practices #

Keep Rules Simple #

Simple targeting structures are easier to manage and troubleshoot.

Review Exclusions Carefully #

Most targeting mistakes occur because products were accidentally excluded.

Use Categories For Large Campaigns #

Category targeting reduces maintenance compared to selecting many individual products.

Test Promotions Before Launch #

Verify that all intended products receive the promotion.

Common Mistakes #

Forgetting That Exclusions Override Inclusions #

If a product is both included and excluded, the exclusion wins.

Creating Too Many Exclusions #

Large exclusion lists can become difficult to maintain.

Assuming Eligibility Rules Affect Target Selection #

Eligibility Rules do not change the target list.

They only determine whether customers qualify.

Not Testing The Final Target List #

Always verify which products are actually receiving the promotion.