Skip to main content
Verify the version tags to ensure you are consuming the intended content or, complete the latest version.

Multi-variant circumstancing

Circumstance template and definition

Multi-variant circumstancing addresses the challenge faced by businesses responding to situational processes when multiple factors are required before applying the correct rule. For example, a bank waives account fees for customers who maintain an account balance of EUR10,000 and are residents of Germany. But for customers who are not residents of Germany, the account balance must exceed EUR25,000. 

In this situation, you create a circumstance template to define the properties on which to circumstance the rule. You then create a circumstance definition to specify the minimum balance of EUR25,000 and the exception for customers who are non-residents of Germany.

The circumstance template is the rule that defines the properties used to determine if the circumstance is applicable. In the minimum balance example, you first configure a circumstance template that defines .CountryOfResidence and .MinimumBalance as the two multivariate properties.

Circumstance Template

For each circumstanced rule, you must also provide a unique circumstance definition. A circumstance definition defines the values for the circumstance template. In the minimum balance example, you then select the circumstance template and define the property values applicable for the variant.

Circumstance defination

You then apply the circumstance template and circumstance definition to the rule variant. If the case matches the combination that is defined in the circumstance definition, the application uses the circumstanced variant of the rule, rather than the base rule.

A hotel booking website has a loyalty reward program based on where customers live as well as their reward level. The website wants to vary the content of an email based on customer locations and reward levels. Pega Platform™ uses circumstancing to configure variables such as location and reward levels and refers to records with multiple variables as multivariate circumstancing.

In the following image, click the + icons to learn more about the relationship between a circumstance template, circumstance definition, and the rule variants that use them. 

Check your knowledge with the following interaction.

Circumstancing and rule resolution

When several circumstanced versions of the base rule are available, the rule resolution algorithm selects a rule based on the availability of rules in the higher ruleset versions.

In the following image, a hotel booking website application includes circumstanced rules based on state and reward level properties. Click the icons to understand the Pega Platform™ rule resolution on circumstanced rules.

Check your knowledge with the following interaction.


If you are having problems with your training, please review the Pega Academy Support FAQs.

Did you find this content helpful?

Want to help us improve this content?

We'd prefer it if you saw us at our best.

Pega Academy has detected you are using a browser which may prevent you from experiencing the site as intended. To improve your experience, please update your browser.

Close Deprecation Notice