Skip to main content
A ruleset is a versioned collection of rules bound to a context. Each decision request selects a context, and Specter evaluates it against the one ruleset that is ACTIVE for that context.

​
Lifecycle

StatusMeaning
DRAFTEditable working copy. Created with POST /api/admin/rulesets. Only drafts can be edited.
ACTIVEThe live ruleset used for decisions in its context. Exactly one ruleset per context is active.
INACTIVEA previously active ruleset that was superseded. Can be reactivated by rollback.
  • Activate (POST /api/admin/rulesets/{id}/activate) transitions a DRAFT to ACTIVE and automatically moves the previous active ruleset for that context to INACTIVE.
  • Rollback (POST /api/admin/rulesets/{id}/rollback) reactivates an INACTIVE ruleset, reverting to a known-good configuration.
The single-active-per-context guarantee is enforced, so two rulesets can never be active for the same context simultaneously.

​
Contexts

Contexts let you run different rule strategies for different flows — for example checkout, subscription, or default. The decision request’s context field selects which active ruleset applies. If a request names a context that has no active ruleset, Specter falls back to the active ruleset for the default context. If neither exists, no rules are evaluated and the decision is ALLOW.

​
Editing

Because only DRAFT rulesets are editable, the safe change workflow is:
1

Create a draft

POST /api/admin/rulesets (scope admin:rulesets:create) with your rules.
2

Refine

PATCH /api/admin/rulesets/{id} (scope admin:rulesets:write) to adjust the draft.
3

Activate

POST /api/admin/rulesets/{id}/activate to make it live. The previous active ruleset becomes inactive.
4

Roll back if needed

POST /api/admin/rulesets/{id}/rollback to reactivate the previous ruleset.

Rule engine

The rule types and evaluation model inside a ruleset.