Overview

Rules allow you to change the Response depending on criteria that you set.

For example, for Tag Authentication on Redirect Response Mode, you would create a Rule to provide one Response (a Redirect to a 'Pass' page) for Authentication Pass and then another Response (a Redirect to a 'Fail' page) for Authentication Fail.

Rules can be set at the Tag Group Level or the Tag Code Level.

Tag Group Rules will apply to all Tag Codes under that Tag Group.

You can also set specific Rules for individual Tag Codes at the Tag Code level. These will override the general Tag Group Rules.

If you have a very small number of tags, you might manage the Rules on a tag by tag basis. In the majority of cases, it's likely that you will manage a number of tags together at the Tag Group level.

Rule Structure

Rules are managed as Rule Set > Rule Groups > Rules.

A Rule Set contains Rule Groups. Each Rule Group contains Rules, such as 'is the count less than 5'. And each Rule Group also has it's own Response (ie, it's own URL destination).

In addition, the whole Rule Set has it's own Response. This is the 'Default' Response to return if no Rule Groups are matched.

On a request, ixkio will run down through each Rule Group in order looking for a positive match.

If the Rule Group is matched (for example, the count is less than 5), it will return that Rule Group Response.

If it doesn't it will move to the next Rule Group and check that one.

If no Rule Group is matched, then it will return the Rule Set Default Response.

Rule Set

• The Rule Set displays all the Rule Groups created by you.

• You are allowed up to 3 Rule Groups in a Rule Set.

• Each Rule Set has a Default URL or Default API Response. If no Rule Group is matched (or no Rule Group is created), then the response will be either the Default URL (in the case of Redirect Mode) or the Default API Response (in the case of an API Mode).

• You must have a Rule Set and set a Default Response.

Rule Group

• Rule Groups are optional. You can just use a Rule Set Default Response.

• Each Rule Group can have up to 3 Rules.

• Each Rule Group has it's own URL or API Response. This response is activated when the all the Rules of a Rule Group are matched.

• Rule Groups are processed in order. The top Rule Group gets checked first. If the Rules do not match, the next Rule Group is checked. If no Rule Group is matched, the Rule Set Default URL/API Response is used.

• It is possible to reorder, delete, change and add to your Rule Groups at any time.

Rules

The selection of available Rules will vary depending on your plan, configuration and other factors. The most common are :

• Scan Count

• QR/NFC

• Tag Authentication

Each Rule has a 'Criteria' and a 'Target'

• A Criteria allows you to choose how you want to match.

• The Target (if shown) will be what the Criteria will match against.

For example, Scan Count could have a Criteria of 'More Than' and the Target could be 5. The Rule would therefore match if the Scan Count reached more than 5 scans.

Overview

Rules are created at either the Tag Group or Tag Code level.

Rules created at the Tag Group level will apply to all Tag Codes under that Tag Group - unless you create separate Rules for a specific Tag Code.

Where to Create Rules

Tag Group Level

To create Rules at the Tag Group level, navigate to your Tag Group and then Tag Group Function Panel > Ruleset Tab.

Rules created at this level will, by default, apply to all Tag Codes under this Tag Group.

If you navigate to a Tag Code, you will see that the Rule Set Default URL (and, if set, any Rule Groups) are 'inherited'. This means they are getting their Rules from the Tag Group level.

Tag Code Level

Rules can also be created at individual Tag Code level. These rules will override the Tag Group Rules. You can 'revert' back to the Tag Group Rules at any time.

To create Rules at the Tag Code level, navigate to your Tag Code and then Tag Function Panel > Ruleset Tab. Then just follow the create rules instructions below.

Creating Rules at the Tag Code level will break the link to the Tag Group rules and they will no longer be inherited. However, you can revert back at any time by clicking the 'Revert' button.

Creating Rules

The same process applies at both the Tag Group and Tag Code levels.

Setting the Rule Set Default Response

To begin with, you will have a 'Rule Set Default Response'. For API, this will be a field that will show in the API response. For Redirect Mode, this will be a URL.

This is the Response if no Rule Group is matched.

Adding a Rule Group

Click on the 'Add Rule Group' button to add your first Rule Group.

Until you have added all the data and settings required, the Rule Group will not be active.

Add a Response

The Rule Group will have a it's own Response. Again, for API, this will simply be some text. For Redirect, this will be a URL.

This is the Response that is given if all the Rules in that Rule Group are matched.

Add a Rule

Click the small burger menu icon on the top right of the Rule Group box and select 'Add New Rule'. This will allow you to select from the Rule options for your account configuration. For example, you might select 'Scan Count'.

You can now see the Criteria and possibly the Target (for the Criteria) for that Rule.

For 'Scan Count', you could select 'Count Less Than', with a Target of 5.

Save Changes

Once you have added your Rule Group Response and set your Rule, you can 'Save Changes' to activate.

Changing Rule Group Order

Click and hold on the icon in the top left of the Rule Group and drag up and down.

Rule Groups are processed in order. So if the first Rule Group is matched, the second will not be processed.

If no Rule Group is matched, then the Default Response will be given.

Deleting a Rule Group

Click on the burger menu icon on the top right of your Rule Group and select Delete. Note that you will not be prompted to confirm the deletion.

Overview

For this example, we will create a Rule within a Redirect Response Mode configuration.

Redirect Rule Example

How the Ruleset works

In this example, we have created two Rule Groups. The Rule Groups are processed in order.

User scans an NFC tag for the first time

The user scans a tag for the first time and therefore the scan count is 1. As the scan count is less than 5, then the first Rule Group will be matched and the Rule Group URL : https://seritag.com will be the response. Therefore, the user scanning the tag will be redirected to our seritag website.

User scans an NFC tag for the 5th time

In this instance, the scan count is now 5. The first Rule Group no longer matches so ixkio will proceed to the second Rule Group.

This has two Rules. The scan must be from an NFC tag and the scan count is less than 10.

In this instance, the scan would match the second Rule Group and the Rule Group URL : https://seritag.com/learn/ would be returned.

User scans an NFC tag for the 11th time

Now, neither the first or second Rule Groups would match and the response would default to the 'Rule Set Default URL'. In this example, the response returned would be https://ixkio.com. Therefore, the user scanning the tag would be redirected to our ixkio website.

QR Code Scenario

If the first four scans were from an NFC tag and the fifth scan was from a QR code, then the scan count would still be five (as ixkio's scan count is for both NFC and QR).

However, while the scan count is less than 10, the fifth scan was not from an NFC tag and therefore the second Rule Group would not match.

The response would therefore default to the Rule Set Default URL.

Scan Count

A Scan Count is how many times the NFC tag or QR code has been registered on the ixkio Console. The Scan Count rule has a few Criteria options such as:

• Count less than

• Count more than

• Count equal to

• Count not equal to

From here you can set your Target. For example, Scan Count more than 10.

Scan Method

Scan Method matches how the scan occurred. In almost all configurations, this would be either NFC or QR code. This option isn't available on the API Response Mode.

For example, this means you can redirect a QR code to one URL and an NFC tag scan to another URL.

Tamper

If Tag Tamper has been enabled on your tag (only available on a very limited number of specialist tags) then you can change response based on tamper status.

The Tamper rule has just two Criteria options to match the chips encoded tamper response :

• Tamper equal to

• Tamper not equal to

User Authorisation

When creating a Rule in the Rule Group, you can choose from the following settings:

• Not Registered User - Anyone that is not registered

• Any Registered User - Anyone that is registered (and logged in)

• Administrators Only - Only Account Master and Account Admin Users (Multiuser systems only)

This Rule is not available on API Response Mode. We recommend using SmartAccess instead of User Authorisation for easier management.

SmartAccess Group

Allows users that have scanned SmartAccess Cards within this SmartAccess Group.

Mobile OS

Allows the creation of a Rule based on the Mobile operating system - either iOS or Android. This Rule is not available on API Response Mode.

Mobile Browser

Allows the creation of a Rule based on a selection of the current most popular Mobile Browsers - Safari, Chrome, Samsung, Firefox, UC Browser or Opera. This Rule is not available on API Response Mode.

Tag Authentication

For Tag Groups using Authentication NFC tags this is an essential Rule.

You need to create a Response for 'Authentication Pass' and then a Default Response.

Assignment Status

Creates a Rule based on the Assignment Status of that Tag Code. Can be either Assigned or Unassigned. Used for controlling the destination (or API response) of deployed or not-deployed Tag Codes.

Overview

Rule Layering is a specific configuration where you can use the Rules from a Tag Group layer with the Default Responses of the Tag Code layer.

This can be useful if you want to set a generic Rule across all the Tag Codes within a Tag Group but want to set individual URLs on each of the Tag Codes themselves.

How to use Rule Layering

To use Rule Layering, you should have configured your Rules at the Tag Group level. In one (only one) of your Rule Responses, you add :

{tagcodedr}

At the Tag Code level, you need to enter your Default Destination URL for that Tag Code.

Under normal use case, ixkio would not process Tag Group Rules if a Default Response had been entered at the Tag Code level - the Tag Code Response would overrule.

However, with Rule Layering, ixkio processes the Tag Group Rules instead and the uses the Tag Code URL where you have used {tagcodedr}

Rule Layering Example

Let's assume we have a configuration where you want to prevent all non-registered users from being redirected to a Tag Code URL. In this instance, each of our Tag Codes has it's own URL.

We create a Ruleset at the Tag Group level like this :

Where a Not Registered User would be directed to Seritag and therefore Registered Users would pass through to the Default URL. For this Default URL, we've entered the Rule Layering code {tagcodedr}

At the Tag Code level, we will enter our Default URL as :

Normal Process

Under normal ixkio process, as the Tag Code Ruleset Default URL is configured, ixkio would use this and ignore the Tag Group Rules, however...

Rule Layering Process

When Rule Layers are enabled (by using the {tagcodedr}), then ixkio uses the Tag Group Rules first. In this example, a Non-Registered User would be directed to Seritag. A registered user would pass through to the Tag Code URL, which in this case would be ixkio.

When to use Rule Layering

Generally, when you are entering specific, unique URLs for every Tag Code but want a global Ruleset to apply to them all.

Without Rule Layering, you would need to add Rules to each and every Tag Code. With Rule Layering you can have a global generic Ruleset but still allow each Tag Code to have it's own URL.

Note that there are often alternative ways to do this if you aren't adding specific full URLs to each Tag Code - for example, adding just the unique part as a CUID or Tag Name on each Tag Code and then using Subtags at the Tag Group Rule level.