> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.hotwax.co/documents/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.hotwax.co/documents/retail-operations/orders/order-routing/manage-and-configure/inventory-rules.md).
# Configure routing rules
A routing rule defines which fulfillment facilities are eligible, how the routing engine ranks them, and what happens to items that remain unavailable. Add rules in a sequence that starts with your preferred fulfillment strategy and gradually broadens the search.
## Add a routing rule
1. Open a routing group and select a routing.
2. Click `Add routing rule`.
3. Enter a name that describes the facility strategy, such as `Nearby warehouses`.
4. Configure the rule, then click the page-level `Save`.
A new routing rule starts in `Draft` status. Change it to `Active` after you complete its filters, sort options, and unavailable-item action.
## Sequence routing rules
Drag routing rules to change their position. The routing engine attempts active rules from top to bottom.
A common sequence starts with nearby warehouses, expands to nearby stores and warehouses, removes the distance limit, and allows partial allocation only in the final rule.
## Manage a routing rule
Select a routing rule to manage it:
* Click `Rename` to change its name.
* Change `Status` to `Active` when the rule is ready for use.
* Change `Status` to `Draft` while you revise it.
* Change `Status` to `Archived` to remove it from the active sequence.
* Open `Archived` below the routing rule list to review or restore archived rules.
These actions update the working copy. Click the page-level `Save` after you finish.
## Filter eligible facilities
Select a routing rule, then use `Filters` to control which facilities can supply inventory.
| Filter | How HotWax evaluates it | Impact |
| ----------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `Group` | Matches facilities against active members of one brokering facility group. When saved with a negative comparison, the excluded option removes members of that group. | Limits the eligible fulfillment network before HotWax checks inventory. |
| `Proximity` | Calculates straight-line distance between the coordinates on the facility's primary address and the order's shipping address. HotWax converts the result to miles or kilometers before applying the entered limit. | Removes facilities outside the radius. If either address lacks coordinates, HotWax currently treats the distance as zero, which can make the facility appear eligible and nearest. |
| `Safety stock` | Compares the facility's available balance before this allocation with the entered value by using `greater` or `greater than or equal to`. The available balance already subtracts the product-facility minimum stock. If routing substitutes are configured, HotWax can add their available inventory to this balance. | Acts as a pre-allocation threshold. It does not reserve the entered quantity after routing, so an allocation can leave the balance below this value. |
| `Week of Supply` | Supplies the number of weeks used in the Week of Supply score. The value does not remove a facility by itself. | Affects ranking only when you also add the `Week of Supply` sort. |
| `Turn off the facility order limit check` | Bypasses the facility's current daily order count and maximum-order-limit comparison. | Allows the rule to allocate to a facility even when the normal capacity limit would block it. |
| `Shipment threshold check` | Compares every proposed split allocation and unavailable remainder with the entered merchandise subtotal. A complete allocation from one facility bypasses the check. | Rejects the complete allocation proposal when any checked portion is below the threshold. |
Filters shown in your environment depend on the routing services and enumeration configuration deployed with HotWax Commerce.
{% hint style="warning" %}
Some deployments show `All items available anywhere` in the filter chooser. The current detail editor does not provide a value control for this option, so a newly selected row defaults to no effect. Do not use it until your deployment includes the matching editor support.
{% endhint %}
{% hint style="info" %}
A routing rule without a facility filter can consider every facility that is enabled for online fulfillment.
{% endhint %}
## Sort eligible facilities
Use `Sort` to rank facilities that pass the filters.
| Sort option | How HotWax calculates the order | Impact |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `Proximity` | Sorts the calculated straight-line distance from lowest to highest. | Tries the nearest facility first. A facility with missing address coordinates can sort as distance zero. |
| `Inventory balance` | For products in the order, totals the facility's last inventory count when that count is above the product-facility minimum stock. The saved sort is descending. | Tries the facility with the highest qualifying total first. |
| `Sales velocity` | Sorts the product-facility sales velocity from lowest to highest and places missing values last. | Tries slower-moving facilities before faster-moving facilities. |
| `Week of Supply` | Calculates `current inventory / (sales velocity / configured weeks) * 100`, sorts the score from highest to lowest, and places missing scores last. | Tries facilities with deeper inventory coverage first. |
| `Custom sequence` | Sorts by the active facility-group member sequence from lowest to highest. This option requires an included `Group` filter. | Follows the facility order maintained in that brokering group. |
| `Broken style` | When this deployment option is present, keeps facilities with an incomplete style assortment and ranks those with fewer available variants first. | Limits this rule to facilities with an incomplete assortment and tries the lowest available-variant count first. |
Available sort options depend on your deployment. See [Route by weeks of supply](/documents/retail-operations/orders/order-routing/apply-routing-strategies/weeks-of-supply-routing.md) before you use the Week of Supply sort.
If you add more than one sort option, drag them into the required priority order.
If you do not add a sort option, the routing engine ranks facilities by the number of order items available above the configured threshold, then by availability percentage, and then by facility ID.
## Configure partial allocation
Use the `Partially available` settings to control order splitting:
* Turn off `Allow partial allocation` when every approved item and quantity in the ship group must be available at one facility. If no single facility can fill the complete ship group, HotWax applies the unavailable-item action.
* Turn on `Allow partial allocation` when the rule can allocate available items or quantities across more than one facility.
* Turn on `Partially allocate grouped items` when items in a brokering item group can also split. When this option is off, all items in the group must remain together.
When the selected routing uses a `Promise date` filter, the app requires partial allocation because the routing processes matching items rather than the complete order.
Allowing partial allocation can increase the number of shipments. Review your [additional routing settings](/documents/retail-operations/orders/order-routing/additional-settings.md) before you enable it.
## Configure unavailable-item actions
Use the `Unavailable items` settings to decide what happens after a rule cannot allocate an item.
| Setting | Result |
| ----------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `Move items to` → `Next rule` | Passes only the unavailable items to the next active routing rule. Items allocated by the current rule do not run through the later rule. |
| `Move items to` → `Queue` | Moves unavailable items to the selected virtual queue and stops later routing rules for those items. |
| `Clear auto cancel days` | Removes a previously applied auto-cancel date when HotWax processes the unavailable items. |
| `Auto cancel days` | Sets the auto-cancel date to the routing server's current date and time plus the selected number of days. |
Use `Next rule` on intermediate rules. On the final rule, move remaining items to the queue used by your exception or retry process.
Review facility eligibility, ranking, split behavior, and the fallback action in one routing rule.
{% hint style="warning" %}
Click the page-level `Save` after you add, reorder, rename, archive, change status, or edit a routing rule. These changes remain in the working copy until you save the routing group.
{% endhint %}
## Build a fallback sequence
The following pattern broadens facility eligibility while limiting splits:
| Sequence | Facility strategy | Sort | Unavailable-item action |
| -------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- | ----------------------- |
| 1 | Preferred warehouses within a short distance | `Proximity` | `Next rule` |
| 2 | All fulfillment facilities within the same distance | `Proximity` | `Next rule` |
| 3 | All fulfillment facilities within a wider distance | `Proximity` | `Next rule` |
| 4 | All online fulfillment facilities | `Proximity` | `Next rule` |
| 5 | All online fulfillment facilities with partial allocation | `Proximity` | Exception queue |
Adjust the distances, facility groups, split policy, and final queue to match your service-level and cost requirements.
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