Prerequisites & Readiness

Before you build your first rule, take a few minutes to confirm you're set up to use the Decision Rule Engine. This page covers everything you need to have in place — access, knowledge of your data, and a safe place to experiment.

💡 This page is the bridge between learning about DRE and actually using it. If you've already read About Decision Rule Engine, you know the what and the why. This page covers the what you need before you start.

Time required: About 5 minutes to read; another 5–10 minutes to chase down anything you don't have yet.

At a Glance

You'll need three things to start building rules:

The rest of this page walks through each in detail and ends with a checklist.

1. Access to DRE in Salesforce

To use DRE, your Salesforce admin needs to grant you a few things. You don't need to know how they do it — just confirm with them that you have everything below.

What You Need

How to Confirm You Have It

Try this quick check:

1. Click the App Launcher (the 9-dot grid icon, top-left in Salesforce).

2. Search for Decision Rules.

3. You see it and can click into it → you have the basic app access.

4. Open a record of the type you want to automate (e.g., an Account or Loan Application).

5. You see a "Run Decision Rule" button in the top-right action bar → you can trigger rules on that object.

If anything is missing, you'll need help from your admin.

Two Levels of Access

DRE has two access levels. Make sure you have the right one for what you want to do:

⚠️ For Quick Start and beyond, you'll need DRE Admin access. If you only have Standard, you can still read the docs and follow along — but you won't be able to build rules until your admin upgrades you.

Asking Your Admin for Access

If you need help from your admin, you can copy and send this short message:

Hi,

I'm getting started with the Decision Rule Engine. Can you confirm I have the following?

1. A DRE license assigned to my user 2. The DRE Admin permission set (not just DRE Standard — I need to build rules, not just run them) 3. The "Run Decision Rule" button on the page layouts for [name your object, e.g., "Account" or "Loan Application"] 4. Access to a Sandbox where I can safely build and test rules

Thanks!

2. A Clearly Defined Decision

DRE can only automate what you can clearly describe. Before you open the app, spend a few minutes getting the decision crisp in your own words.

Write It in One Sentence

The clearer you are, the faster you'll build. Try writing it like this:

"If the applicant's credit score is at least 680 AND their debt-to-income ratio is under 40%, the loan is eligible for approval."

If you can write your decision this way, you can build it in DRE.

Identify the Data Points

Underline every value or field your decision depends on. From the example above:

• credit score → must exist as a field on the application record

• debt-to-income ratio → must exist as a field on the application record

Know Which Salesforce Fields Hold the Data

For each value in your decision, find out:

• What Salesforce object holds it? (Loan Application, Account, Contact, etc.)

• What's the exact field name? (Credit Score, Annual Revenue, etc.)

• Is it always populated? (If a field can be blank, decide what your rule should do — pass, fail, or treat as Unknown.)

💡 Don't know the fields? Open a sample record and look. Or ask your admin — "Where is the credit score stored on the Loan Application object?" takes 30 seconds to answer.

Define What Should Happen

Don't forget the then side of your rule. Decide:

• What happens if the rule passes? (e.g., set status to "Approved")

• What happens if the rule fails? (e.g., set status to "Declined", record a reason)

• Anything that should happen either way? (e.g., timestamp the evaluation)

3. A Safe Place to Experiment

This is the single most important habit for new DRE users: never build your first rule in Production.

Use a Sandbox

A Sandbox is a separate, safe copy of your Salesforce org where you can build, test, break, and learn without affecting real customer data.

• Your admin will tell you which Sandbox to use

• It usually has a different URL than Production (something like yourcompany--sandbox.sandbox.my.salesforce.com)

• Test records in a Sandbox don't affect real records — perfect for learning

Find or Create Test Records

In the Sandbox, identify at least two test records for the object your rule will evaluate:

• One that you expect to pass the rule (a known good case)

• One that you expect to fail the rule (a known bad case)

Running both gives you confidence the rule behaves correctly — and lets you see what a Pass vs. Fail outcome actually looks like.

💡 Tip: If you can't find suitable records, create new ones in the Sandbox with the exact values you need. Sandbox data isn't real, so feel free to invent.

Promote to Production Only After Testing

Once your rule works correctly in the Sandbox:

1. Get sign-off from anyone affected (your team, compliance, etc.)

2. Hand off to your admin to migrate to Production

3. Confirm it works the same way in Production with a small test before letting it loose on real volume

Ready-to-Build Checklist

A short checklist to confirm you're set up. Tick each one before moving to the Quick Start.

Access

• [ ] I can see the Decision Rules app in the App Launcher

• [ ] I can open the Decision Rules tab without errors

• [ ] I have DRE Admin access (not just Standard) — confirmed with my admin

• [ ] I can open at least one Salesforce record where I want a rule to run

• [ ] I see the Run Decision Rule button on those records

Decision Clarity

• [ ] I can describe my decision in a single plain-English sentence

• [ ] I know which Salesforce object holds the records I want to evaluate

• [ ] I know which fields hold the data my rule will check

• [ ] I know the outcome I want when the rule passes

• [ ] I know the outcome I want when the rule fails

Safe Space

• [ ] I'm working in a Sandbox or test environment, not Production

• [ ] I have at least one test record I expect to pass the rule

• [ ] I have at least one test record I expect to fail the rule

Support

• [ ] I know who my Salesforce admin is and how to reach them

• [ ] I know where to find help if I get stuck → Getting Help below

✅ All boxes checked? You're ready. Head to the Quick Start Guide to build your first rule.

❌ Stuck on something? Don't push through — most early problems trace back to missing access or unclear logic. Take 10 minutes now to fix them; it'll save hours later.

What If I Don't Have Everything Yet?

You can still read ahead. The Quick Start and Sample Workflow are useful to read through even before you have access — they help you understand what to ask your admin for and what's actually involved.

But to build rather than just read, come back to this page once everything in the checklist is ticked.

Getting Help

If you're blocked on prerequisites:

1. First, ask your Salesforce admin. Most prerequisite issues — access, permissions, page layouts, Sandbox availability — are theirs to fix and they can usually do it in minutes.

2. For product or licensing questions, email setup@cloudmaveninc.com.

3. For general support, email support@cloudmaveninc.com.

When asking for help, share:

• What you were trying to do

• What you expected to see

• What actually happened (a screenshot is gold)

• What you've already tried

Next Step

Once your checklist is fully ticked:

➡️ Quick Start: Your First Rule in 10 Minutes — Build, run, and verify a simple rule end-to-end.