If you’ve ever watched a sales rep wrestle with a complicated quote, you know how easy it is for mistakes to slip in—wrong products, weird combos, missed discounts. Building strong product rules in your CPQ isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s how you keep quoting fast, accurate, and sane. This guide is for anyone using Verenia, whether you’re a sales ops lead, a CPQ admin, or the unofficial “tech person” on the team. You’ll learn, step by step, how to set up product rules that actually help your sales team—without getting lost in the weeds.
Why Product Rules Matter (and What to Ignore)
Before you dive in, let’s clear up the point: product rules are there to keep your quotes right. They block out impossible combos, automate pricing, and save your reps from expensive errors.
Here’s what they’re not: a magic bullet that fixes all quoting issues. Overcomplicating rules is a classic trap. If you have one product that sells twice a year with a weird exception, maybe skip the rule and just tell the sales team.
What you should care about: - Rules that prevent impossible or illegal configurations - Rules that automate price calculations or apply discounts - Rules that fill in boring, repetitive details (so reps don’t have to)
What to ignore: - Rules that solve for edge cases nobody cares about - Overly complex rules that only one person understands
Step 1: Get Your Product Data and Requirements Straight
You can’t build good rules if you don’t know what you’re trying to control. Start by pinning down what matters.
- List all configurable options. Think: size, color, material, accessories, etc.
- Map out dependencies. What options can’t (or must) go together?
- Identify pricing logic. Are there add-ons, volume discounts, or bundles?
- Talk to sales. What mistakes happen over and over? What slows them down?
Pro Tip: Grab a few recent “bad” quotes and figure out what rules would’ve prevented those mistakes.
Step 2: Log In to Verenia and Find the Product Rule Engine
Once you’ve got your requirements down, it’s time to get your hands dirty.
- Log in to your Verenia admin dashboard.
- Navigate to the Product Configurator section.
- Find the ‘Product Rules’ or ‘Rule Engine.’ (Verenia sometimes calls this ‘Logic’ or ‘Rule Management’ depending on your version.)
If you can’t find it, check your permissions. Some setups hide rule-building behind admin privileges.
Step 3: Choose the Right Rule Type
Verenia gives you several flavors of rules. Picking the wrong one means more work later.
- Validation Rules: Stop users from making impossible picks (“You can’t select both Option A and Option B”).
- Selection Rules: Automatically include or exclude options based on what’s picked.
- Pricing Rules: Change price, add surcharges, or apply discounts.
- Visibility Rules: Show or hide choices based on other selections.
Don’t overthink it: If the rule’s just for blocking bad combos, validation is fine. If it needs to actually change the quote, look at selection or pricing.
Step 4: Build Your First Validation Rule
Let’s say you sell configurable desks, and “Laminate Top” can’t be ordered with “Premium Wood Finish.” Here’s how to set that up:
- Start a new Validation Rule.
- Define the condition:
- IF
Top Material= “Laminate” - AND
Finish= “Premium Wood” - Set the error message:
- Example: “Laminate tops aren’t available with a premium wood finish.”
- Save and test.
Test it right away. Don’t trust that it works—try to break it. If you can trigger the error in the wrong situation, check your logic.
Pro Tip: Keep error messages direct and human. “Invalid configuration” helps no one. “Laminate tops aren’t available with premium wood finish” does.
Step 5: Automate with Selection and Visibility Rules
Now let’s say you want to make “Cable Management Kit” show up only if “Electric Height Adjustment” is selected.
- Open Selection/Visibility Rules.
- Set the trigger:
- IF
Height Adjustment= “Electric” - Action:
- SHOW “Cable Management Kit”
- (Optional) Else:
- HIDE “Cable Management Kit”
- Save, then preview the configurator.
If you’re hiding lots of options, check that you’re not making the configurator feel like a game of whack-a-mole. Too much hiding and showing can confuse users.
Step 6: Set Up Pricing Rules
Pricing rules are where things can get messy. Here’s a simple example: add $100 to the price if “Premium Finish” is selected.
- Go to Pricing Rules.
- Condition:
- IF
Finish= “Premium” - Action:
- ADD $100 to price
- Save and test.
For volume discounts:
- Use a rule like: IF Quantity > 50, APPLY 10% discount.
Watch out: Complex pricing tables often belong in your ERP or pricing system, not buried in CPQ rules. Keep it simple in Verenia if you can—otherwise, you’re begging for maintenance headaches later.
Step 7: Test, Test, Test
This part gets skipped way too often. Don’t trust that just because a rule “looks right” it actually works.
- Try to break your rules. Pick weird combos, high quantities, and edge cases.
- Ask a real sales rep to test. They’ll find things you’d never think of.
- Check error messages. Make sure they’re clear and actionable.
Pro Tip: Keep a test case sheet—a simple table of “If I pick X and Y, I should see Z.” You’ll thank yourself when troubleshooting later.
Step 8: Roll Out Changes Carefully
Don’t hit “publish” and walk away. Even small rule tweaks can cause confusion.
- Communicate what’s new. A quick note or short video goes a long way.
- Offer a way to report issues. Sales will spot problems first—make it easy for them to tell you.
- Monitor usage. Look for a drop in quoting errors or a bump in quoting speed. If you don’t see improvement, revisit your rules.
Step 9: Maintain and Improve
No rule set is ever “done.” Products change, pricing changes, and sometimes you just guessed wrong.
- Review rules quarterly (or after major product updates).
- Document why you made each rule. Future-you (or your replacement) will appreciate it.
- Don’t be afraid to delete rules that aren’t pulling their weight.
What Actually Works (and What Doesn’t)
Works: - Keeping rules simple and focused on common problems - Testing rules with real-world scenarios - Documenting not just what the rule does, but why it exists
Doesn’t work: - Chasing every single exception with its own rule - Writing cryptic or generic error messages - Ignoring feedback from the sales team
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
You don’t need a perfect rule set on day one. Get the basics down, solve the biggest headaches, and keep tuning as you go. The best product rules are invisible—they just quietly keep quotes flowing, with fewer mistakes and less stress.
Remember: if you’re spending more time tweaking rules than your reps spend quoting, something’s gone sideways. Keep it simple, focus on the real pain points, and your quoting process will actually get faster.